A Week in Parliament
/Who runs what?
So Boris Johnson’s top advisor, fixer Dominic Cummings hired another special advisor who turned out to be a racist. Who would have thought it? After the backlash forced the resignation of Andrew Sabisky, he blamed the media rather than admitting any culpability. That says just as much about him. Still, when Cummings wrote a recent blog about wanting “cranks” and “weirdos” it is of little surprise. This is the calibre of people that the Tories are trying to bring in to advise Ministers on the best policies for the UK Government to follow. However, given Boris Johnson has made enough racist comments in the past and enough anti-Scottish comments, then it really is of no surprise. What is worrying is where Cummings is going. Many of the stories are not good, but he is someone who thrives on bad publicity and loves being an alternative thinker. I fear it will lead to further destructive ideas and policies.
Immigration
Right on cue, the Tories then announce their new immigration policy. One with salary thresholds based on pay levels in the South of England. One that does not account for the needs of Scotland. It stands to follow that as a country, given Scotland has long exported its people then we also need immigration to maintain a working population. It is so frustrating that we know a central tenant of the Vote Leave campaign was racism and stopping immigration. No, no, they said. Yet, now we have a Home Secretary, Patel, who is bringing in new rules that would have prevented her own parents coming to the UK. Can you get any more sadly ironic than that?
On the back of this, we now hear Tory MSPs at Holyrood “are livid”. Well, what power do they have? The care sector say they will be devasted with this policy. This is serious. How will shortages in care homes be filled? The Scottish Seafood Association, led by a former Tory parliamentary candidate say it will devastate their industry. [I have long argued there is no point in extra fish-catching if it cannot be processed for sale]. The fruit and vegetable growing sector are worried. A major hotel chain owner says the hospitality industry will be crippled. The problem is that if businesses are hit, they pay less tax. This affects public services. It means less tax towards the NHS and our pensions. If businesses start suffering, they may have to pay off UK workers or go out of business altogether if their overheads are too high without enough workers and customers.
Some people might expect long term wages bonanza if there are fewer workers under the supply and demand theory. However, if prices go up too much, then many of us then cannot afford to pay for home improvements. If construction costs go up too much then the government can afford less road and housebuilding projects. There is no long term upside to Scotland not having its own immigration policy and being forced to comply with blinkered UK ones.
