SD

Don't want the Olympics. It's not so much about 'we can't do it', and 'nation bashing' that we often induldge in. It's more to do with the fact that we can't make London and it's infrastructure work for people who live here, 365 days a year. Why should we spend loads of money for people who'll only be visiting for a few weeks in 8 years time. We should sort out own affairs out first and make london work for it's inhabitants. THEN we can start worrying about going beyond all that and getting an international event like this.

I find the whole politicians attitude disgusting. If it's so easy to do all this, why haven't you done it up till now? Surely there's no better reason than the quality of life of the millions who leave in London, rather than those just visiting for a while?

One other point - Londoners will end up paying for all this, and businesses will end up profitting. Londoners will then end up with the inconvenience of it all. You heard about the latest idea? Special 'olympic only' roads for people to get from hyde park down to east london with cameras and fines for those non-olympic people if they get caught using it. The cheek of it all.

Simon.

Faire D'Income

There's nothing wrong with pointing out the lack of investment in anywhere other than the South of England if it were true, but as that statement is totally incorrect there is plenty wrong with it.

If you weren't making a reference to the Olympics then what the hell were you referring to in this quote?

Because I can only assume that you were referring to the Olympics when you used the word more in that sentence.

It's called the redistribution of wealth whereby tax income is spread around the country and as another poster had already alluded to, England subsidises Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales to a high degree. In effect, taxpayers from the South East subsidise the rest of the country (with the possible exception of the North West) so why shouldn't we occasionally get to see the fruits of our labour on our own doorstep.

Whether you choose to use or visit those facilities is entirely up to you but given that it's possible to visit London using Sleazyjet for as little as £20.00 surely it's more a question of lack of effort, rather than cost. I'm assuming you're not that poor up there.

To wrap up, I don't hear you whingeing too much about the monies being spent in Scotland as a result of being subsidised by us lot and as I've already pointed out the Scots don't contribute anything like as much to the coffers of the Exchequer as we do in the South East. As you've completely missed my point about GDP contribution I'll put it another way. If you take Gross Disposable Income as an indicator of regional tax contribution then London and the South East contribute £260 billion compared to Scotland's £70 billion - that's a hell of difference and does not indicate to me that the Scots pay the same.

jaf01uk

Dear dear dear, I seem to have touched a nerve there with you Faire,I think you need to read my original post again because you have answered most of your own questions with your quotes, I dont know how to do the multiple quote thing but the "more" I was referring to you have answered yourself with the quote above (the millenium tent, wembley "national" stadium and all that other stuff,
[qoute]There's nothing wrong with pointing out the lack of investment in anywhere other than the South of England if it were true, but as that statement is totally incorrect there is plenty wrong with it.[quote]
OK, if you would care to inform me of some of the tax payer funded multi million pound projects in Scotland (apart from the Scottish Parliament fiasco) I will concede that one to you, I get the distinct feeling by the referral of "subsidised by us lot" that you have a very strange view on UK divide, we pay the same or more for fuel and council tax, water charges are the highest in the UK considering we supply it south of the border is shocking, scots travel on average further to get to work, shops etc, transport costs are factored into supermarket prices which inevitably mean higher prices, public transport is a joke, our main hospital is 70 miles away (an hour and a half by ambulance- where in England would that be deemed as acceptable?) hence the reason we dont have such a high disposable income, so I dont believe that my tax pound is worth any less than yours, and as for the re distribution of wealth, I wonder how long it will take because the amount of people moving up here is increasing all the time, Stroll on

Faire D'Income

Why is it that some people confuse their own opinions as fact and when the error of their ways is pointed out to them, they then either get aggressive or attempt to patronise other posters? You've made some sweeping statements and I've picked holes in your argument which you've failed to defend.

As you can't seem to comprehend what GDP is or GDI for that matter I'll try to make it simple for you.

Do you still maintain that there is a lack of investment outside the South East? Just think about the national Motorway network, the redevelopment of inner Manchester, urban renewal in South Wales, the Birmingham redevelopment, the Scottish and Welsh Assemblies. I could go on but surely you're starting to get my point?

Can you understand the concept of GDP contribution to the economy? Do you understand that the higher an area's GDP, the more it's contribution to the Exchequer?

Can you understand that whilst your tax contribution is equal to mine (assuming we are paying the same amount) there are more people in the South East who on average earn much higher salaries than in Scotland, so that collectively we contribute more to the economy? There is nothing "strange in that view" - it's a simple fact

Just answer the original questions in relation to your sweeping statements and don't try to refine your argument to more secular points, otherwise we'll be here all day.

cactus jim

my opinion from someone who lives in one of the poorest areas of the country (tower hamlets) that something like the olympics is a great idea, it does provide something to look forward to and an acceleration of the regeneration that is badly needed in these areas. look at manchester, how much of deprived manchester has been improved by the commonwealth games that effectively was a athletics meet. it will never be perfect, however i dont hear man city supporters complaining.

gareth123

Aye, but all the Scotch need to leave the Parliament in London first. And we'll take back all the English from the Scotch Parliament.

Oh yeah, I forgot, there aren't any.

I would love to see England stop holding Scotland, Wales and N. Ireland down. With the English boot removed from their chest I'm sure they'd just soar.

Jye

I think we (as a nation, if not me personally ) do OK tbo gareth, considering our minute population and geography anyway, but if it's OK with you can we keep all our oil, fresh spring water and whiskey then eh? Just in case bliar has got the Iraq situation wrong of course, and I'll just head for 'our' pumps whenever then, while toasting Englands new solar powered scoobs

imo Scotland would be fine without new labia and the 'still in tow' labia union ***** that hold us back with overpriced ****ty services, demands and waste. Lets face it, the Scottish parliment is another labia farce, not really a Scottish one imo. For all they are worth I'd have our MSP's working out of a porta-cabin tbo.

re the parliament (note no need for a capital P from me ) question, Scottish MSP's only vote on national issues anyhow, dont they? But as all MP's are total gimps anyway, you can have the lot if thats yer thang m8, MSP's the lot, lol

btw, perhaps you need to look at what devolution is, it's not the same as nationalism, you though appear to be a nationalist with slightly xenophobic undertones, while I still believe in the UK as a whole with no grudge against other nationalities such as Wales or Ireland

Over to you mr. engerlander

gareth123

Of course. With the extra money sloshing around in the English ecomony, England will be able to import this stuff from Scotland (if needed).

How much with the tax rate have to rise in Independent Scotland to cover all the services that England currently pays for?

You can keep your haggis and ginger hair too

Jye

btw, I was going to let it lie, but I'm bored atm, so anyhow, Scotch is a drink m8

Get back to me when you can suss out the meaning of the word, titter

Jye

I dont know 'How much with the tax rate have to rise, I dont speak your lingo obv, lol

Jye

Scotch Corner

You already are, YAWN.

Too easy, I'm outa here, cheers gareth for your economic lessons anyhow m8

gareth123

It was deliberate. I was pushing one of your tartan buttons. Quite well it seems, titter