(c) redbridge.gov.uk

I feel this needs a wider audience than a post under my starter might get so I’ve made it a ‘special’. See this from Ludo Thierry (former French board-game champion)

‘Did people notice the Westminster vote last night regarding Clause 10 ‘Review of retrospective VAT refunds for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and the Scottish Police Authority’?

This provided an opportunity for Scotland’s vital Emergency Services to recoup the VAT money that has been stolen by the UK Treasury since the Scotland-wide Services were established – which represents a very considerable sum (if my memory serves I’m recalling a cumulative figure of approx. £140M). At the last Budget the Tories made great play of abandoning these absurd VAT charges and implementing a ‘de-rating’ (equivalent to that enjoyed by the Emergency Services operating everywhere else within the UK) – but didn’t backdate the change. In particular, the UK Govt reported that they had been ‘convinced’ of the justice of this claim by the powerful rhetoric and representations of Col. Davidson’s 13 MPs.

Fast forward to last night. Col. Davidson’s 13 became (yet again) an ‘Unlucky 13’ for Scotland. SNP voted for the amendment, Labour (including their North Brit branch MPs) voted for it too. Col. Davidson’s troopers voted en masse against Clause 10. As did Fluffy’s new bag carrier Alberto Costa. As did The Col’s reported Westminster mentor Nicholas Soames. We are left pondering what, precisely, The Col’s views were on this matter. It would seem to any rational person that a supposed ‘leader’ of a supposed ‘Scottish’ Tory party would move heaven and earth to enable the Scottish Parlt to get hold of the multiple millions of £s stolen from it – and find useful ways to invest it in Scotland’s Police and Fire and Rescue Services. However – we are dealing with britnats – not rational people – so who knows what The Col. wanted to happen? What we do know (indisputably) is that the ‘Scottish’ tory MPs voted en bloc WITH Theresa May (and Rees Mogg) and AGAINST Scotland. It is vital that this further example of their reckless endangerment of Scotland is loudly bruited to every airt and pairt of our land.

(Oh – in case you’re wondering – I couldn’t see any of the 3 ‘Scottish’ Lib Dems even turning up for the vote. Given their constant vendetta against Scotland’s Police and Fire and Rescue Services why do I not find that surprising?). Hansard voting record below:’

https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2018-02-21/division/F655F2A1-A1DD-4802-B38C-F803518BF5B5/Finance(No2)Bill?outputType=Names