No more “freebies”! That is the wake up call for all of us. Both those who have been receiving unearned benefits and all the rest of the adult population, who have quietly watched it happen. We have been living beyond our means for far too long !

So in future, benefits should only be available to the most needy.

With rigorous initial face to face assessments and regular follow up reviews. The aim should be to get recipients off benefits if at all possible. Either by improving their health, or their education, or skill set or all three.

Voluntary work experience should be a way back into employment. But if people fail to take up these opportunities, then compulsory less attractive work would be the final option before benefits are withdrawn.

Starting this benefits withdrawal process won’t be easy. There will inevitably be howls of protests and pleas for special cases. But the bottom line is that we can’t afford to go on this way.

So how about we pilot the idea in Bonny Scotland first. Just stop all their welfare benefits for a while and see what happens.

There could be an attempted mass exodus of freeloaders to England. Although that could be avoided by reinforcing Hadrians Wall.

Looked at more optimistically and Scotland could become a nation of full employment, with a well educated, healthy and skilled workforce. A leader of the free world !