“Saving the Highland’s rural schools, and with them the traditions and future of the communities they serve, will take joined-up thinking and a strong and determined approach to regulation of the housing market.”
Economy
Sunak’s day of two (poor) speeches
Bring on the election and put us out of our misery, urges one of our regular columnists in a partially updated piece written before this week’s UK Budget which has apparently failed to turn the dial for the Tories.
Let’s end public subsidies for commercial conifer tree-planting
The RSE sets out its new report calling for a radical rethink of tree planting in Scotland…It makes a series of recommendations for how public financial support for tree planting in Scotland can be reorganised to better serve Scotland’s people, environment, forestry industry, and public purse.
Can Scottish Labour leave the branch office?
Scotland’s influence in Britain will be strongest when you have a Scottish Labour Party working with a Labour Government. If you want a Britain that places Scotland and its interests at the heart of the Westminster debate, if you want a politics that is committed to smashing the class ceiling, if you want to […]
Green backlash: EU, farmers and the Far Right
“Farmers across much of the EU (and further afield) are protesting and demonstrating, including blocking roads and parts of cities. Many political leaders have rushed to appease them including, in the case of the European Commission, dropping or delaying key climate and biodiversity laws.”
Labour’s green gaffe plays into Far Right hands
Labour is dumping its £28bn “green prosperity plan” like farmers dumping manure outside the European Parliament: no way to save the planet, modernise the economy, take on the Far Right backlash…
Starmer can’t afford to be cautious
Labour “is caught between the public policy need for bolder action and an even more sober presentational approach than that of 1997. Bold policies are not incompatible with sober campaigning. But sober campaigning may not excite and mobilise support,” says Prof Mitchell, arguing the case against ultra-caution.
Roch the wind: industrial strategy 3 – Scotland and EU
Both the SNP and Scottish Labour are bigging up industrial policy to modernise the economy as a general election issue. Our co-editor argues this won’t work fully outside Europe.
Industrial strategy for Scotland 2
“There’s growing agreement on the need for an industrial strategy in Scotland. The immediate question for the SNP government in Scotland and the next government in London is whether they are prepared to expend the time and energy to deliver one, now. Yousaf has started an important debate: we hope to see positive and practical action over the coming months to turn a debating point into reality.”
An industrial strategy for Scotland
At the start of general election year a leading Scottish trade unionist and policy wonk reflects on the industrial strategy challenges facing both SNP and Labour.