Scottish Taxation powers
It has been widely reported here in Scotland that the current SNP Scottish Executive has allowed Scottish tax powers to lapse by failing to fund the various complex databases required for HMRC to be able to levy the variable Scottish income tax. This power was granted following the second question in the Scottish devolution referendum, allowing the parliament to vary income tax on Scottish-linked citizens by 3% in either direction.
This is nonsense. The power to render the tax is still very much valid; indeed, the only problem now is a technical one. Creating a new tax always takes time, the Scottish Executive has, by its actions, simply prolonged that period of time. If it genuinely believes that it can find better use for its funds than maintaining a database which - let's face it - is unlikely to be used, then I see little problem with that.
The central question seems to be one of accountability, which is raised in an excellent article in the Herald by Ian Bell. There are issues over whether anyone, the Finance Secretary included, even realised this situation had developed before announced by the Secretary of State for Scotland. Moreover, as taxation is a power of the Scottish Parliament, not the Executive, one wonders why this was not subject to parliamentary approval, or at least consultation, back in 2007.
Lord Young
It appears Lord Young has his defenders, albeit from an unlikely corner. As with so many things in politics, his comments have been a matter of interpretation: what was insensitive was no so much the sentiment, but its application to the 'vast majority' of people. Huge numbers of people, particularly the least well off and most effected by the economic downturn, are not home owners who are sure that they will still have a secure job in a few months.
Whether it was intended or not, Lord Young's comments seemed to marginalise the least fortune, and for that it is perfectly reasonable that he be told to clarify his remarks or apologise. He should not, however, have been hauled before the public in sackcloth and mocked relentlessly. In a specific area, he was accurate - and he is not the only one who is frustrated with the endless cynicism which seems to have become attached to our economic problems.
The Pope and Condoms
Whilst not a Roman Catholic, the Pope's comments justifying the use of condoms in certain situations has perked my interest from a theological perspective. To illustrate the situation, the Pope commented on male prostitution, suggesting that condom use in this area would be sensible.
This is not a matter of faith, but one of science: it certainly is sensible in such circumstances to take measures to prevent infection. This much ought to have been accepted by the Roman Catholic Church a long time ago. However, from a moral angle, it is still very questionable: prostitution is still considered immoral by Catholics, as indeed is any form of sleeping around.
I cannot fathom why the Pope would believe that people who had chosen to reject his church's teachings on sexual activity would then care a damn about his church's teachings on contraception. Are we seriously to believe there are Roman Catholic male prostitutes out there who forego the use of a condom on religious grounds?
Combined with its prohibition of extra-marital sex, the church's position on contraceptives was perfectly acceptable except when they strayed into technical areas: apocryphal stories of priests suggesting that condoms simply do not work are widespread. In that regard, there is no particularly need for clarification, but perhaps a reminder that faith involves a holistic, not selective, approach to morality.
