Scots on the rates
A t about this time in every Parliament it is said that there will be no Con- servative seats in Scotland after the next general election. There is always some- thing — oil, •or steel, or nationalism which is thought certain to wipe out Scot- tish Toryism. This time it is rates. Scot- land's rateable values have been updated, and so the rates have increased by 50 per cent. With the touching naivety which is their most surprising characteristic, politi- cians seem not to have thought of this in advance. Now they are panicking. Con- servative MPs are receiving thousands of letters from lifelong Conservatives (it is always people claiming 'lifelong' loyalty who write these letters) threatening to withdraw their support. A completely safe Tory council seat has been lost in Ayrshire. Scotland certainly does suffer particularly acutely from the problems about rates which afflict the whole country, viz. they are now very high, and only a minority of ratepayers has to pay them. This minority consists largely of Tory voters. Mrs Thatcher and her ministers are now 'urgently' (i.e. desperately) considering what should be done. Some supplementary poll tax might well be sensible. A reform of housing benefit to make more people pay would be even better. But neither would secure Scotland's loyalty to the Conserva- tive cause. Perhaps at the next election there will be no one sitting north of the border to serve as Scottish Secretary. Thank God for the numerous Scottish peers, and, perhaps, for Mr Teddy Taylor in Soulhend.
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