We are proposing to hold our next meeting in Edinburgh on the 3rd June between 1PM and 4PM. Location to be advised later.

07-04-2012  Any view that the SDA hold over a UK produced Budget has to be viewed according to our concepts of taxation, in general.

The SDA is a business friendly party and believes strongly in small and efficient government. Any budget which flies in the face of such a committment receives the appropriate analysis and reply.

Furthermore, since May 2011 when the SNP became the majority administration in the Scots Parliament and announced their desire for self-determination, all outpourings from Westminster, require to be viewed in the context of Scottish aspirations.

Most if not all budgets come under criticism, intense scrutiny and promote headlines, not all complimentary. However, from a Conservative party buffered by the Liberal Democrats the Granny Tax component of the budget has resulted in the media giving the budget the thumbs down. Add to this the Scots government's criticism of the negative aspects of the budget in terms of their aspirations went by largely unmet, one would be tempted to conclude that the budget, as many before them, was a thoroughly anti-Scottish declaration.

Partial help for the Video Games industry, largely located in Dundee was indeed welcome. However, the SNP had called for this years ago. Simultaneously with the budget was the announcement that extra help would be afforded to the oil industry by support for drilling West of Shetland.

Lifting the personal tax threshhold to £9250.00 goes some way towards the Lib-Dems target of £10,000.00 of income free from tax. This is widely supported by the SDA. However, bringing more taxpayers into the upper rate of 40% is not welcomed.

There is lip service paid to the over 11,000 pieces of tax legislation which is absurd by any standards.

The SDA's proposals for a new simpler system utilising Land Rent Value, Flat Tax and a Local Sales Tax radically simplifies the understanding of tax and substantially reduces the opportunity for avoidance.

Note. When the Chancellor extends his tax proposals beyong the proposed date of the Referendum, and this is true for any department of the British State, the burden of tax will fall on the so called rUK. Scotland, hopefully will operate a radically different Tax policy. So far, there has been little from the SNP on future tax or revenue collection, or anything else of a fiscal nature for that matter.

The SDA have published its constitutional concepts on taxation and fiscal prudence within its overall Constitutional proposals as outlined in the draft submission to go to the Constitution Commission. Thereafter, our taxation and expenditure proposals will be outlined in the current and future Taxation and Economy Papers displayed on the SDA web-site.

Summary. A fiscally neutral budget which has few levers contained within it for growth, virtually none at all as far as Scotland is concerned. The raising of the tax threshold is welcomed as is the help for the Video Games industry, meanwhile it costs an arm and a leg to fill a tank of fuel in our Energy rich nation. Old people freeze in their badly insulated homes while very little is changed by this UK budget or any other for that part.

All SDA members and friends are invited to a meeting on the 28th march 2012 to be held at the Quaker Meeting House located at 7 Victoria Terrace, Edinburgh EH1 2JL between 1 PM and 4 PM. If you can join us please advise administration at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

On the 3rd Feb. the SDA sent a Memorandum to the Council of Europe and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe requesting their assistance for the rights of the Scots to self-determination to be recognised. The Westminster government are in violation of article 1 para 2 of the Charter of the UN when they interfere with the rights of the Scots to hold a referendum. Read the Memorandum which you can find attached to our home page.

25-01-2012  On Burn's day, the 25th Jan 2012, the SDA voted to sponsor Alex Wilson to stand as a candidate for Leith in the May local elections. Alex is well known amongst the business community in Leith and was the driving force to have the historic Leith Flag returned to its rightfull location in Leith.

25-12-2011 Read our revised Vision statement - The Governance of Scotland - An SDA Perspective.

Donate/subscribe Via BACS to Scottish Democratic Alliance @ RBS Account No. 00600830 Sort Code 83-2312  Membership Fee £30 Student/Retired persons £10.

10-11-2011 Come it will for a’ that

The pros and cons of Independence may yet be the subject of much debate but, in the words of Burns, come it will for a’ that. The Union is past its sell-by date, as shown by the chaos in the Unionist parties north of the Border

Scotland will resume responsibility for a' its people and territory, with Scots alone making decisions about our affairs. Regardless of current arguments about who should control what, following Independence it will be Scots who will decide on issues within our borders, and by means of treaties and alliances will negotiate the terms of how we trade and interact with other states.

Scotland, a nation rich in natural resources, currently subsidises the UK government, and we pay a significant price to do so. Our so-called pocket money – the Block Grant – amounts to less than half of the revenues paid into the UK treasury from Scots resources, the remainder being retained by the UK government.

The Scottish Democratic Alliance applaud the progress achieved by the SNP, and are happy to work in parallel with them. The SNP said they would reach out to other independence groups: the SDA is there to be reached out to. We bring to the table considerable international diplomatic skills and a wealth of business experience, as we plan for the post-Independence period and the re-energising of our nation.

Independent Scotland’s wealth will be used to develop employment opportunities, combat deprivation, rebuild infrastructure, maintain effective security forces and provide amply funded public services.

At present prices, we could cut the cost of fuel by up to 40p a litre. Electricity and gas tariffs could be lowered. And a family of four would pay £30 a week less for their food were Scotland to move from the troubled European Union (EU) to join Norway on the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) side of the European Economic Area (EEA).

The traditional ingenuity of the Scots will, over time, rebuild our fishing, farming and manufacturing industries, and our share of UK assets will offset any Scottish national debt.

The government at Holyrood is the only regime in the UK with a genuine mandate to rule the Scots. And international circles now recognise Scottish Independence as a question of ‘when’ not ‘if’.

Freedom’s time has truly come.

Attachments:

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Xmas Newsletter - 2011.pdf