‘It’s being in charge of your own destiny that matters as Scotland has found out but thereafter aspects will have to be shared for political and economic advantage.’
Politics
Land reform and climate change: a Scottish perspective
‘We need to be clear about what we want from the land, how we find and reward synergies, and how to ensure greater public input to land management and land use decision-making.” Experts from James Hutton Institute on risks (and rewards) from land use in the climate crisis.
How Scotland ranks
‘Although lying mid-table, Scotland can still be viewed as a relatively prosperous OECD nation. This ranking is likely to apply regardless of whether Scotland is part of the UK or independent. However, independence would still pose questions over how to reduce Scotland’s relatively large fiscal deficit.’
A new Australian-style immigration system?
Would an Aussie-style immigration system work for Scotland? ‘Until the UK Government publishes more details on how it plans to use a points-based system… we will not fully know the implications of such a system…’
Looking back five years on….
‘In both camps, there are those who are closer to those in the other camp than the binary choice would suggest. The challenge five years on is to allow the richness of the debate that emerged to find voice again and to play a more direct role in the next stage of Scotland’s continuing journey.’ Self-government fully debated stages a comeback? asks Prof Mitchell
Culture
Geese migration in climate change
‘Think of shorebirds, which have been dependent on the same shorelines and inter-tidal areas for thousands of years. For them, the current rate of climate change might be something they have not evolved to deal with.’
Truth springs from poetry…and dangerous women
For Nadine Aisha Jassat, poetry is activism. She used to used to whisper, “‘I’m a poet’, now I shout it from the rooftops and help others on their journey to shouting who they are, too.”
Winners and losers on #MoultriesHill Part 3
Having won a battle that they should have lost (over the hotel), the bosses of Edinburgh St James are now engaged in one they should lose.
New Brutalism in St James Square: #MoultriesHill Part 2
Enough was enough. The cost and the disruption were too much. It made more sense to build the new Scottish Office elsewhere and leave the old gaunt, grey building to the pigeons.