Election 3rd May 2007

[John S]

your alternative is?

Better and more efficient use of the money already available to them, coupled with transparent accountability that any reasonably intelligent person can understand?

I'd like to see the councils demonstrate that they're making efficient and worthwhile use of the money that they already take from us, before telling us they need more.

What you say Beachcomber is fair, accountability and efficiency in local government in the past has been equated with building bigger administrative structures and geographical areas in order to achieve economies of scale and using top heavy management structures to achieve accountability. Unfortunately the bureaucracy which accompanying giantisim only serves to stifle savings in red tape, the size of the administrative areas means accountability with the natural geographic community is lost - particularly in rural areas; what has the administrative area Mid Argyll, Kintyre Islay & Jura got in common?

The proposal announced at the top of this thread could change the shape of local services to make them more directly accountable to the real communities they serve. People in South Kintyre could have much of the decision-making taken here rather than in Kilmory. The local councillors would also be held more accountable in decision making process and would be more available to and expected to consult more with the community than is currently the case.

This is a radical proposal and will require a considerable amount of consultation and time to impliment successfully but their is no reason why smaller community units joined on an equal basis where necessessary could not achieve economies of scale and deliver efficient and accountable services in their communities

[deirdreh]

Local income tax – yes, based on the ability to pay, vast majority of households will be better off, more efficient to collect. Details in the national manifesto to follow.

Do you mean a Scotland wide local income tax to replace the Council Tax? Where have we heard that before? oh yes.. Tommy Sheridan MSP tried to introduce a bill to abolish the Council Tax in favour of a Scottish Service Tax, based on the ability to pay, which would have been cheaply and efficiently administrated through the existing tax system, in February 2006. Strangely, the Liberals, Greens and SNP voted against it along with Labour and Tory, even though Tommy Sheridan MSP made it clear that he was happy to take ammendments.

Is it just that some political parties don't like to vote on good ideas unles they can call it their own?

Just think how many fewer older people would be worrying about whether they could afford to switch on their heating or eating properly if the other political parties had just voted to end this unfair Council Tax last year? In the last five years, more than 130,000 people over 65 have died from cold related illnesses during the winter months in Britain (Age Concern). Shameful.

[John S]

Welcome to the forum Deirdre.

[John S]

Conservatives only seem to be have 7 candidates across the council area within which 36 councillors will be elected

http://www.argyll-conservatives.org/candidates.php

Could be that the site is still to be updated. I see Donald's taking credit for campaigning for the ferry service although.

How many have you Deirdre?

[Hume]

Mary,

I see Gordon Brown has just removed the starting rate (10%) tax band and the first rate of tax will now be the basic rate, which he has cut from 22% to 20%.

A quick calculation but I think this will result in more income tax paid by those earning less than £17,935 and less paid by those earning more than this amount.

This weakens your argument that the local income tax will hit low earners harder than the council tax as they will be paying 20% income tax on earnings above the personal allowance plus council tax, whereas under the 3% local income tax the first rate they will pay will be 13% before moving up to 25% on earnings above £7,185 (assuming current allowances and bands).

ps you must have known something we didn't the other day when you said basic rate tax was 20%!!

[Mo*]

So the Conservatives "only" have 7 candidates.
I don't think any party will get more than 7 councillors elected anyway, so that seems about right.

[John S]

It might well be that 7 candidates will yield 7 councillors but there will be 11 Multi Member wards. Three of these wards will have 4 Councillors (Oban, Helensburgh & Rothesay) and 8 will have 3 Councillors. And given the STV voting system there is likely to be less negative voting which will give rise to more of the voters second choices being elected, I'd have thought that the three main parties in the constituency who have all held the parliamentary seat would have covered every ward. But as I said, might just be that the site needs updating.

[Mary G]

Hume

Just don't tell anyone who told you first ... it will be our wee secret!

Cheers, Mary

[4th gen Suthen']

Hume, you seem to be the Jeremy Paxman or Glen Campbell of this forum! ask Mary and John about Trident!!

[John S]

Anything to say about Trident Mary?

[John S]

Looks as if the fear and smear campaign being run by Gordon Brown has been well and truly sunk by no less than the Mayor of London himself -

http://www.theherald.co.uk/politics/wes ... 20.0.0.php

Turn around Whittington

[deirdreh]

Conservatives only seem to be have 7 candidates across the council area within which 36 councillors will be elected

http://www.argyll-conservatives.org/candidates.php

Could be that the site is still to be updated. I see Donald's taking credit for campaigning for the ferry service although.

How many have you Deirdre?

Just me. We are still a pretty spanking new party.

No lewd comments please!

[John S]

Here's the list of candidates for Argyll & Bute

http://www.argyll-bute.gov.uk/elections ... 188539?a=0

[abbey craig]

Deirdre,i`m with you i`m voteing Solidarity

Best of luck

[Hadrians hiring!]

The Jacobite party seems fun.

Press conference n Barra or Eriskay the other day wae nobody there .

Might vote for them as they have not been corrupted yet like the rest o' the gravy train merchants.