The Union Dividend - Debunked
In this thought provoking interview, Marlene and Fiona sit down with data analyst Stuart Donald to discuss his fascinating research on the "union dividend". Stuart's research delves into the origins of the Barnett formula and even further back to pre war economics to unpack the myths and misconceptions about the financial benefits Scotland supposedly receives from England and how much better off we would be if we were able to make our own political choices. Stuart also highlights how the Westminster First Past The Post electoral system disproportionately favours the right and disenfranchises poorer communities. Could Proportional Representation hold the key to a fairer system? Will independence come soon enough to save Scotland from the demographic time bomb created by Westminster mismanagement? Main chapters 00:01:27 What is this Union Dividend? 00:03:10 Why does Scotland get more funding than England? 00:06:48 The Barnett formula 00:08:50 Unionist Spin 00:11:50 Debunking the myths 00:18:47 Europe to the rescue 00:26:05 FPTP, a spiral of doom 00:37:28 Prospects for PR 00:43:06 Getting the message across Find detailed research presentations on this and other topics on Stuart's website here https://sdonald4pr.com and read his papers for Bylines Scotland https://bylines.scot/politics/a-right-turn-that-put-first-past-the-post-onto-a-precarious-path/and https://bylines.scot/news/economics/scotlands-union-dividend-if-ever-there-was-a-misnomer/ #Scotland #UnionDividend #BarnettFormula The Scottish Independence Podcasts team produce a NEW podcast episode every Friday search for Scottish Independence Podcasts wherever you get your podcasts. Remember to like and subscribe! Contact Us: indypodcasters@gmail.com Visit our website https://scottishindypod.scot for blogposts, newsletter signup and more episodes Subscribe for free to our Youtube channel @scottishindypodExtra for more of our video footage and clips. video premieres most Tuesdays at 8pm If you've enjoyed this podcast you might like to buy us a coffee? https://ko-fi.com/scottishindependencepodcasts or choose us as your Easyfundraising good cause. Music: Inspired by Kevin MacLeodIndustrial Cinematic by Kevin MacLeod