Ed's energy-freeze: “something for nothing”?

"Something for nothing culture." (Eng.) Political Idiom. Origins: A rightist, typically Tory, critique of the "idle" or "undeserving poor".  Often invoked to garnish, or to impose more onerous conditions on the receipt of, social security rights and entitlements. Related terms: "scroungers", "slackers", "benefit dependency", "ripping off hard-working taxpayers".

"Something for nothing culture." (Scots) Political Idiom. Usage limited to a small, isolated community of Scottish politicians. Origins:  A Labour critique of universalism, with specific reference to "middle class welfare".  Invoked to justify the introduction of means-testing. Target: income taxpayers paying the higher, 40% rate, maybe.  Related terms: "millionaires with bus passes", "the investment banker's frozen council tax bill", "the spoilt wean of some rich bastard lawyer, idling around university studying something pretentious, which your frozen granny, living on pennies, is required to pay for."

These definitions in mind, what do you think Johann Lamont makes of Ed Miliband’s proposals to freeze energy prices for all domestic and corporate consumers, if elected? Her colleagues in Holyrood have all warmly endorsed it, demanding the Nats dance along with the tune. Anything less, Baillie and Gray argue, puts the plastic social democrats of the SNP government in hock to the greedy corporate purveyors of electricity. It's knockabout political stuff. What I am struggling to understand, however, is how this palpable enthusiasm for Ed's proposals fits with their Scottish leader's recent policy wheeze and hostility to universal measures.

You may remember, last year, the Scottish Labour leader railed against Scotland's “something for nothing culture”. Taking the slogan in itself, you might be under the impression that JoLa was inveighing against feckless folk who sook and sook away at the public purse, without “giving anything back”. But she wasn’t. The target of her critique was not the idling indigent, but wealthier Scots who were benefiting from universal benefits, their kids escaping tuition fees at Scottish universities, able to access prescriptions free at the point of need, whatever their disposable income, and the council tax charged on their homes, frozen.

Whatever you think of the merits and demerits of these policies, whatever costs you might think they impose on the public purse, only the wrongheaded would imagine – or argue – that taxpayers are getting “something for nothing”, having 40% income tax levied on earnings over £32,011 a year. By all means, let’s have progressive taxation, Johann, but the idea that these taxpayers are all mooching idlers is just bizarre, and without any discernible connection to your petty sloganising. As Salmond said in his speech yesterday, at the very least, these local government funding, education and prescription policies represent "something for something".

But let's take you at your word, and assume you're an intellectually honest, consistent soul. You oppose all measures, when we have a limited pot of public money to spend, where universalism trumps more focussed redistribution according to need. That's an interesting argument. So how the devil can you do anything but condemn Miliband's energy proposals as anything but middle class - and worse - big corporate welfare?

Miliband’s proposal will freeze energy bills by cannibalising the profits of energy companies, and consequently, decrease the UK exchequer's tax-take from those profits via corporation tax. Ed has not sought to finesse his proposal, distinguishing between the rich and the poor, businesses large and small.  All energy consumers, corporate or consumer, loaded or impoverished, will benefit from the scheme your leader has proposed.

Through a decrease in general taxation, we'll all collectively, indirectly, subsidise the energy glut of the richest individuals and corporations, while reducing the pot of money available to alleviate other social ills. And in the process, we'll do little to demonstrate the importance of government, or cultivate the critical social democratic values of universality and solidarity. Bracket any questions about the scheme's practicality. Ideologically, Johann, for you, isn't this just the sort of "something for nothing" scheme, privileging the privileged while reducing the money for targeted aid to the poorest, which you were so recently railing against? Lest you've forgotten, let me remind you. You said:

"Well, I have to ask, what is progressive about a banker on more than 100,000 a year benefiting more than a customer on average incomes from the council tax freeze? What is progressive about a chief executive on more than 100,000 a year not paying for his prescriptions, while a pensioner needing care has their care help cut? What is progressive about judges and lawyers earning more than 100,000 a year, not paying tuition fees for their child to follow in their footsteps at university, while one in four unemployed young people in Scotland can't get a job or a place at college?" 

Well, I have to ask you, what is progressive about bankers and chief executives and lawyers on more than £100,000 a year, living in the big hooses and leaving the lamps burning late into the night, benefiting more than customers on average incomes from Ed's energy freeze? What is progressive about the wealthy laird ratcheting up the heating in his castle, while the struggling Dunfermline granny still fears to ignite the second bar of the fire in her flat, despite the winter chill, as her care-budget is threatened as UK taxation falls?

What is progressive, in your terms, about a Labour government subsidising the energy costs of the massive corporate headquarters of companies recording stonking profits - computer screens glowing, lights shining out - while our small-town businesses continue to struggle in a difficult economy, and for whom this freeze will be of far more marginal financial benefit?

Or does your dismal vision of our "something for nothing country" end at Gretna?