Scotland is worst small country

[JODO 2]

Scotland is 'worst small country'

Scotland is the worst performing small country in Western Europe, according to a report by business leaders.

The Federation of Small Businesses' annual Index of Wealth compared 10 countries on economic performance, employment rates, health and education.

Scotland's life expectancy rate was a major factor in it coming bottom. FSB Scotland said the new SNP government had its work cut out to improve the nation, but ministers said Scotland "can and will do better".

Scotland also fell by one place, to 17th, in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's table of the world's 24 most developed countries.

We are already far down the table of comparator countries, and on every count we are travelling in the wrong direction

Andy Willox

FSB Scotland policy convener

The FSB Scotland index examined countries with fewer than nine million people, including Norway, Iceland and the Republic of Ireland.

The report was written by John McLaren, honorary research fellow at the University of Glasgow.

He said Scotland had fallen one place from ninth after the previous bottom country, Austria, improved its employment rate.

"The reason why Scotland is stuck at the bottom of the pile is largely due to our poor health and our low life expectancy," he said.

Figures released last year by the Office for National Statistics said Scotland had the lowest life expectancy in the UK for both men and women.

'Fairly low'

The figures were 74.2 for men and 79.3 for women, compared to the UK average of 76.6 and 81 years.

Other statistics released by the Registrar General for Scotland last year showed that life expectancy was rising, but that the gap between rich and poor was widening.

However, Mr McLaren added that even if health was taken out of the equation Scotland would still be "fairly low" on the table, in about fifth or sixth place.

FSB Scotland policy convener Andy Willox said: "The index clearly shows that, on these indicators, Scotland is the worst small country in western Europe, and requires urgent action to improve both our life chances and life expectancy.

Story from BBC NEWS:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_n...and/6739007.stm

Published: 2007/06/11 10:48:38 GMT

Edited June 11, 2007 by JODO

[homesick_american 1]

I guess it's a good thing Scotland is a country in name only. Just imagine how badly an independent Scotland would do, though you can't do worse than last place.

[Kez/JWolf 6]

Scotland should be country in it own right..... maybe if the people of Scotland had got a fairer deal from England then its people would not be suffering the effects it is now....

Kez

[JoeMama 0]

I guess it's a good thing Scotland is a country in name only. Just imagine how badly an independent Scotland would do, though you can't do worse than last place.

But they have such good Scotches there. Both drink and people. Let's not forget about the Bay City Rollers!

[homesick_american 1]

I guess it's a good thing Scotland is a country in name only. Just imagine how badly an independent Scotland would do, though you can't do worse than last place.

But they have such good Scotches there. Both drink and people. Let's not forget about the Bay City Rollers!

LOL...don't get me wrong, Scotland is a beautiful country. We honeymooned there and we had a great time. However...I think Scotland is better off now than it would be as an independent country. Its standard of living would suffer in my opinion and the UK would do just fine without it. I do not see any benefits to Scotland from secession.

To Kez: I suppose it would help if I were Scottish; I don't understand how Scotland gets a raw deal. From what I hear, more tax money goes to Scotland than comes from it. Maybe you could help me understand your POV on this?

[Kez/JWolf 6]

To understand thow the scotish people feel you would have to go and live there and see for yourself.... yes thing have improved a little since scotland started dealing with some of its own affairs but the damage was done decades ago when money for the UK government was slashed to scotland and the ordenary man in the street suffered... things were not too bad if you lived in Glasgow or Edinburgh or the central belt area but for everyone else it was and still is hard... health care is not readaly available in others areas and people do die waiting to be seen by a doctor.... schools have been underfunded for so long that when I was at school 4 kids had to share 1 book and the schools were cold and damp and failing down... housing has been a big problem as local people find it hard to purchase good housing as the prices are very high caused by weekenders purchasing homes to vaccation at... Local council housing stock was left to decline and ended up being sub-standard and caused health problems to the people living in them.... then the UK Government introduced the Right to Buy council homes and those who could afford to buy their home did so at a very reduced cost, this means that now the only council housing that is left is the homes knowbody wants and they are in such poor condition..... employment was very bad as the big industries moved to other countries and no help was given to local communities to help attract new jobs... restrictions place on the fishing industry by the UK Government and the EEC had all but killed the fishing fleet in scotland.... So no I dont think Scotland is doing very well under the care of England and I think it will take independence and many years for the people and the country to recover from the ecconomic and social damage that has been done over many years....

Maybe Scotland would do worse if it was independent but at least it would be its peoples fault and they would have to take full responsibility for that.... but at least give them the chace to improve their land....

Kez

Edited June 11, 2007 by Niagaenola

[rclouse 0]

"I hate being Scottish. We're the lowest of the ###### low, the scum of the earth, the most wretched, servile, miserable, pathetic trash that was ever shat into civilization. Some people hate the English, but I don't. They're just wankers. We, on the other hand, are colonized by wankers. We can't even pick a decent culture to be colonized by. We are ruled by effete arseholes. It's a shite state of affairs and all the fresh air in the world will not make any ###### difference."

Choose your future. Choose life.

[Mags 112]

Last time I went to Scotland the place was filled with Australians! Every single bar or pub had an Australian barmaid/man.

There was a similar discussion about Scotland becoming a country of it's own in the UK forum. If I recall correctly, someone came up with the facts and figures of how much money pours into Scotland from the UK government...and how much Scotland gives back.

[JODO 2]

Well a friend brought me back some shortbread cookies from Scotland once and they were heavenly! She said the Scots were very nice and she really enjoyed herself. I am sure Scotland is lovely and who can resist a man in a kilt?

Edited June 11, 2007 by JODO

[Kez/JWolf 6]

I am proud of being Scottish, I spent 42 years of my life living in Scotland... the people are a proud nation I do not think its people consider themselves to be the lowest of the low...

You can take Kez out of Scotland but you will never take Scotland out of Kez...

Kez

[JODO 2]

I am proud of being Scottish, I spent 42 years of my life living in Scotland... the people are a proud nation I do not think its people consider themselves to be the lowest of the low...

You can take Kez out of Scotland but you will never take Scotland out of Kez...

Kez

[homesick_american 1]

To understand thow the scotish people feel you would have to go and live there and see for yourself.... yes thing have improved a little since scotland started dealing with some of its own affairs but the damage was done decades ago when money for the UK government was slashed to scotland and the ordenary man in the street suffered... things were not too bad if you lived in Glasgow or Edinburgh or the central belt area but for everyone else it was and still is hard... health care is not readaly available in others areas and people do die waiting to be seen by a doctor.... schools have been underfunded for so long that when I was at school 4 kids had to share 1 book and the schools were cold and damp and failing down... housing has been a big problem as local people find it hard to purchase good housing as the prices are very high caused by weekenders purchasing homes to vaccation at... Local council housing stock was left to decline and ended up being sub-standard and caused health problems to the people living in them.... then the UK Government introduced the Right to Buy council homes and those who could afford to buy their home did so at a very reduced cost, this means that now the only council housing that is left is the homes knowbody wants and they are in such poor condition..... employment was very bad as the big industries moved to other countries and no help was given to local communities to help attract new jobs... restrictions place on the fishing industry by the UK Government and the EEC had all but killed the fishing fleet in scotland.... So no I dont think Scotland is doing very well under the care of England and I think it will take independence and many years for the people and the country to recover from the ecconomic and social damage that has been done over many years....

Maybe Scotland would do worse if it was independent but at least it would be its peoples fault and they would have to take full responsibility for that.... but at least give them the chace to improve their land....

Kez

I personally don't have a stake in whether Scotland remains part of the UK or not; I can't say that I think it should or should not happen and since I can't vote in the UK I wouldn't be able to participate in any referendum on the subject...nor would I even if I could.

The problems you mentioned in Scotland are also present all over the north of England...York in particular is still in the throes of a manufacturing drought and a lot of people here were forced to take early retirement when nearby factories/collieries closed, and fishing issues affect those on the northern coast of England as well.

The way I see it, Westminster seems to be happy to screw over any part of the UK that is not in the south or in the London commuter belt. To me that seems to be the only part of the country they care about.

[homesick_american 1]

Well a friend brought me back some shortbread cookies from Scotland once and they were heavenly! She said the Scots were very nice and she really enjoyed herself. I am sure Scotland is lovely and who can resist a man in a kilt?

Scotland is nice; I do encourage people to visit it. Edinburgh in particular was a striking and graceful city. However, the social problems there were obvious and in your face. I've never been anywhere else and seen people shooting heroin in the streets. Maybe we were just unlucky, I don't know.

My concern for Scotland is that it would not benefit from independence. Already, things have improved immensely in Scotland and though they have some serious problems, they also have some programs they can really be proud of. I wouldn't want to see it backslide due to financial woes from independence. My concern is chiefly for the Scottish people and their standard of living; I wouldn't want to see it worsen.

[Kez/JWolf 6]

Yes I agree that the north of England has been treated just as badly as Scotland.... and yes it does seam that the only part of the UK that the Westminster Government cares about is the south.... will that ever change??? I dont think so...

Kez

[homesick_american 1]

Yes I agree that the north of England has been treated just as badly as Scotland.... and yes it does seam that the only part of the UK that the Westminster Government cares about is the south.... will that ever change??? I dont think so...

Kez

Wooo, we agree on something!!!

A lot of people up here are griping nonstop about the 2012 Olympics...they think it's unfair that London is getting all this work done on the taxpayer's dime. OTOH a lot of people in London are griping about supposed tax increases to pay for an Olympics that they didn't really want. Sigh! Maybe they should have given the Olympics to Manchester and the supercasino to Blackpool.

That's the thing, though; the north pretty much gets the scraps. It sucks.