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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/sep/02/bridge-the-chasm-between-scotlands-rich-and-poor
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| Will no one bridge the chasm between Scotland’s rich and poor? | Will no one bridge the chasm between Scotland’s rich and poor? |
| (6 days later) | |
| In “fair and equal” Scotland there is much that isn’t fair and equal. The phrase itself has been rendered almost meaningless by its obligatory presence in the rhetoric of each of our main left-of-centre political leaders. It is the liberal equivalent of Theresa May’s fatuous “strong and stable” expression. | In “fair and equal” Scotland there is much that isn’t fair and equal. The phrase itself has been rendered almost meaningless by its obligatory presence in the rhetoric of each of our main left-of-centre political leaders. It is the liberal equivalent of Theresa May’s fatuous “strong and stable” expression. |
| The desire to make Scotland “fair and equal” has dominated our politicians’ aspirations for many years now. In July 2012, Nicola Sturgeon said she was “committed to a Scotland that is fair and equal” in supporting the rights of gay couples to marry at religious ceremonies. In August 2015, Kezia Dugdale finally found something positive to say about her party’s UK leader when she said: “I and Jeremy Corbyn share the same views when it comes to building a fairer, more equal economy.” The Scottish Liberal Democrat leader, Willie Rennie, wrote in April last year that evidence shows more equal societies reap economic benefits. “A society is stronger if it is fairer,” he said. | The desire to make Scotland “fair and equal” has dominated our politicians’ aspirations for many years now. In July 2012, Nicola Sturgeon said she was “committed to a Scotland that is fair and equal” in supporting the rights of gay couples to marry at religious ceremonies. In August 2015, Kezia Dugdale finally found something positive to say about her party’s UK leader when she said: “I and Jeremy Corbyn share the same views when it comes to building a fairer, more equal economy.” The Scottish Liberal Democrat leader, Willie Rennie, wrote in April last year that evidence shows more equal societies reap economic benefits. “A society is stronger if it is fairer,” he said. |
| The problem with all this soaring fairness and equality is that hardly a week passes in Scotland without another tranche of evidence that points to a different reality. Now, this might be expected in a country where the social agenda of a rightwing administration has held sway for several years. Scotland, though, has been ruled by left-of-centre governments since the first devolved parliament in 1999. Ever since then, the desire to make Scotland fairer and more equal has been embedded in the manifestos of each of the parties who have participated in government. | The problem with all this soaring fairness and equality is that hardly a week passes in Scotland without another tranche of evidence that points to a different reality. Now, this might be expected in a country where the social agenda of a rightwing administration has held sway for several years. Scotland, though, has been ruled by left-of-centre governments since the first devolved parliament in 1999. Ever since then, the desire to make Scotland fairer and more equal has been embedded in the manifestos of each of the parties who have participated in government. |
| Last week, research commissioned by the Herald revealed that Scotland’s top bosses are taking home salaries that are more than 24 times those of the average worker. It found that the highest-paid CEO among a gilded group of 39 was Ross McEwan of the Royal Bank of Scotland. His bank made a loss of £7bn last year yet, despite this, McEwan trousered a salary of £3.5m, the equivalent of 152 average employees. | Last week, research commissioned by the Herald revealed that Scotland’s top bosses are taking home salaries that are more than 24 times those of the average worker. It found that the highest-paid CEO among a gilded group of 39 was Ross McEwan of the Royal Bank of Scotland. His bank made a loss of £7bn last year yet, despite this, McEwan trousered a salary of £3.5m, the equivalent of 152 average employees. |
| Later in the week the Scottish Funding Council reported that pupils from disadvantaged communities in Scotland are failing badly to gain the minimum academic grades required to enter any of Scotland’s 15 universities. Other reports have consistently found that even when children from poorer backgrounds do manage to overcome the toxic matrix of social problems in their communities, they find that their way is barred to the most sought-after courses by an assortment of obstacles specifically designed to keep them out. And when a hardy few do eventually emerge with a sparkling law degree from one of our top universities they know they stand a better chance of leading Scotland to the World Cup than of ever getting to the top of their profession. The majority of Scotland’s senators of the College of Justice attended fee-paying schools in a country where only about 5% of the population enjoy such a privileged education. | Later in the week the Scottish Funding Council reported that pupils from disadvantaged communities in Scotland are failing badly to gain the minimum academic grades required to enter any of Scotland’s 15 universities. Other reports have consistently found that even when children from poorer backgrounds do manage to overcome the toxic matrix of social problems in their communities, they find that their way is barred to the most sought-after courses by an assortment of obstacles specifically designed to keep them out. And when a hardy few do eventually emerge with a sparkling law degree from one of our top universities they know they stand a better chance of leading Scotland to the World Cup than of ever getting to the top of their profession. The majority of Scotland’s senators of the College of Justice attended fee-paying schools in a country where only about 5% of the population enjoy such a privileged education. |
| Last week, Dugdale was accused by some SNP supporters of timing the announcement of her resignation as Labour leader in Scotland to coincide with the opening of the new Queensferry Crossing over the Forth. The inference was clear: Dugdale, in a final, petty anti-SNP act, had sought to siphon off some positive news coverage of the opening of the new bridge. I doubt this very much. Anyway, if you’re in the business of always seeing cynical media manipulation of the news then look no further than all those Scottish government supporters queuing up to cite the new bridge as an icon of what modern Scotland looks like. | Last week, Dugdale was accused by some SNP supporters of timing the announcement of her resignation as Labour leader in Scotland to coincide with the opening of the new Queensferry Crossing over the Forth. The inference was clear: Dugdale, in a final, petty anti-SNP act, had sought to siphon off some positive news coverage of the opening of the new bridge. I doubt this very much. Anyway, if you’re in the business of always seeing cynical media manipulation of the news then look no further than all those Scottish government supporters queuing up to cite the new bridge as an icon of what modern Scotland looks like. |
| It’s a bridge for God’s sake and there are already two of them across that stretch of water. It wasn’t designed or built by the world-class Caledonian engineering genius of legend but by a posse of foreign-owned firms in the absence of Scottish companies deemed capable of possessing the experience and skills for such a massive undertaking. Perhaps we need to take another look at who they’re letting into the engineering courses at Scotland’s universities and what they’re getting taught there. | It’s a bridge for God’s sake and there are already two of them across that stretch of water. It wasn’t designed or built by the world-class Caledonian engineering genius of legend but by a posse of foreign-owned firms in the absence of Scottish companies deemed capable of possessing the experience and skills for such a massive undertaking. Perhaps we need to take another look at who they’re letting into the engineering courses at Scotland’s universities and what they’re getting taught there. |
| I’m not suggesting for a minute here, by the way, that the Scottish government shouldn’t boast about the successful completion of this grand and beautiful bridge. But I have yet to be persuaded of the reasons behind building a third crossing over the river in the first place. And I don’t need to be persuaded of the case for doing something meaningful to address the issue of unfair and unequal Scotland. | I’m not suggesting for a minute here, by the way, that the Scottish government shouldn’t boast about the successful completion of this grand and beautiful bridge. But I have yet to be persuaded of the reasons behind building a third crossing over the river in the first place. And I don’t need to be persuaded of the case for doing something meaningful to address the issue of unfair and unequal Scotland. |
| The gargantuan salaries and benefits of the chief executives of our biggest firms are sickening for those of us who are forced to listen to them yelp and run for cover at anything that might seek to alter the finance equation in favour of the workers. Many filed into the pro-UK lobby when it seemed, for a while, that their precious union was under threat in 2014. They threatened to abandon Scotland amid hysterical claims of being unable to do business in an independent Scotland. Now they fear the economic consequences of a hard Brexit. Presumably they would support an independent Scotland inside the EU. | The gargantuan salaries and benefits of the chief executives of our biggest firms are sickening for those of us who are forced to listen to them yelp and run for cover at anything that might seek to alter the finance equation in favour of the workers. Many filed into the pro-UK lobby when it seemed, for a while, that their precious union was under threat in 2014. They threatened to abandon Scotland amid hysterical claims of being unable to do business in an independent Scotland. Now they fear the economic consequences of a hard Brexit. Presumably they would support an independent Scotland inside the EU. |
| The living wage and the right to trade union membership are often cited by the bosses as threats to the financial viability of their companies. They defend the awarding of massive bonuses as a price that must be paid to attract the very best business managers. This is simply a lie that rests on us believing that only an anointed few have been given the sacred gifts of managing the finances of an institution that already enjoys unlimited competitive advantages. The banks in particular have continued paying these while withdrawing the overdraft facilities of smaller firms; sending in “restructuring specialists” to bleed the last ounce out of them and then killing them off and taking ownership of them for a song. | The living wage and the right to trade union membership are often cited by the bosses as threats to the financial viability of their companies. They defend the awarding of massive bonuses as a price that must be paid to attract the very best business managers. This is simply a lie that rests on us believing that only an anointed few have been given the sacred gifts of managing the finances of an institution that already enjoys unlimited competitive advantages. The banks in particular have continued paying these while withdrawing the overdraft facilities of smaller firms; sending in “restructuring specialists” to bleed the last ounce out of them and then killing them off and taking ownership of them for a song. |
| The hard right in the UK as evinced in a Ruth Davidson essay, titled Ctrl Alt Del, earlier this year, remains wedded to the belief that only capitalism can lead to prosperity for the masses; if only we could make it a wee bit gentler. Yet it’s capitalism in its most ruthless and unlovely form that encourages the grotesque inequality in executive pay packages. And it’s cultural capitalism, bordering on social engineering, which prevents bright children from disadvantaged communities from ever evening up the score. | The hard right in the UK as evinced in a Ruth Davidson essay, titled Ctrl Alt Del, earlier this year, remains wedded to the belief that only capitalism can lead to prosperity for the masses; if only we could make it a wee bit gentler. Yet it’s capitalism in its most ruthless and unlovely form that encourages the grotesque inequality in executive pay packages. And it’s cultural capitalism, bordering on social engineering, which prevents bright children from disadvantaged communities from ever evening up the score. |