What exactly is meant when governments say they are funding projects etc with money from the government or using ‘government finances?

The perception being, it’s their money!…….but is it?

The Government raises around £1 trillion in revenue each year. Most comes from the three biggest taxes: income tax, NICs and VAT.

So, in truth it is our money but they are not accountable to us as to how they spend it apart from agreeing to a few promises made in their Manifestos, which to date nearly all have been reneged on.

People are getting angry, you can feel the rebellion in the air and it won’t take much more before someone or some group lights the blue touch paper.

Far from improving our fiscal position, Rachel, from accounts is deepening the crisis and a crisis for them spells disaster for us!

They believe that the magic wand of Private investment is the answer when the reality is it is a short-term get-out-of-jail card that will lead down a road we will live to regret for the rest of our lives.

Private means profit, not to us but to shareholders, private also means that when the project is finished or goes arry they can walk away and leave us the taxpayers to clean up the mess…….or as Thames Water has done, demand we put billions in to fix their mess whilst they receive the big bonuses.

Where are the tipping scales set at, what number must die from cold or hunger before we say, thus far and no further?

The more money they divert to Private companies the greater the risk of loss of life as our infrastructure crumbles and our Health system collapses.

At the moment in Scotland, we fare a little better than our counterparts down South….but it’s coming and sooner than you think.

Our future is in our hands, use them wisely.

Joan McDowall.