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Sceptical Scot

Asking Questions. Seeking Answers.

Education: no more business as usual

April 11, 2021 by Walter Humes 2 Comments

“Change can be difficult and uncomfortable, but there is unlikely to be a better time to begin to dismantle some of the barriers which have impeded genuine growth.  Scottish education needs to escape from the ‘iron cage’ of its own bureaucracy.  This will require vision, honesty and courage, qualities that, sadly, have not been in plentiful supply among political leaders (of all parties) in recent years.”

Declutter the Scottish economy

April 11, 2021 by Alf Young Leave a Comment

“Growth is slowing. Inequalities are rising. With Covid adding its own malign legacy to the challenges ahead, we need to sweep away a lot of that accumulated institutional clutter. And we need politicians prepared to face much more forensic scrutiny of what they are actually delivering. I fear that is not what’s on the ballot paper next month.”

Letter to indy Scotland’s first finance minister

April 11, 2021 by David Bell Leave a Comment

“And even though, with Scotland as an independent country, your policy options would be much greater, you have to be constantly aware of the trade-offs involved and the limitations on your power to influence the choices made by workers and by companies. You can at least take comfort from the fact that less prosperous nations with less well-developed institutions than Scotland manage these issues without the roof falling in.”

Radical change needed to boost Scotland’s economy

April 11, 2021 by Sir Tom Hunter Leave a Comment

In a special guest blog, Sir Tom Hunter, whose eponymous Foundation commissioned the recent Raising Scotland’s Economic Growth Rate report from Oxford Economics, underlines how Scotland’s economy lags behind and needs radical change to catch up and rediscover its innovative dynamism.

You’ve changed: a playlist for life

April 10, 2021 by Craig Angus Leave a Comment

Cover of September Gurls: fair use licence via Wikimedia

What I love, still, more than anything, is a message from a friend saying ‘hey – you might like this’. Craig Angus shares

Edinburgh Festivals 2021: a blended spirit

April 10, 2021 by Fergus Morgan Leave a Comment

“In 2020, when the festivals were forced into vastly reduced online offerings, I thought of the laughter lost to coronavirus…50,000 hours of laughter. 5.7 years of laughter. All lost to the pandemic. If we can safely start to reclaim some of that laughter this summer, we should.

Postcard from anti-vax France

April 8, 2021 by Frances Allen Leave a Comment

Danser Encore: Frances Allen

A doubly vaccinated Frances Allen ventures into the market place to meet the complex cultural attitudes of her adopted home: ‘a country which has a historic mistrust of vaccines.’ 

Time to rebuild: Edinburgh Reimagined Part 2

April 7, 2021 by Morvern Cunningham Leave a Comment

During August, a ‘can-do’ attitude from the City of Edinburgh Council and other gatekeepers to cultural provision creates the temporary illusion that any available space in the city can be a venue.

Morvern Cunningham makes the case for spreading cultural growth throughout the city all year round.

More real than reality TV – the virtual community kitchen

March 30, 2021 by Jonathan Trew Leave a Comment

Noura in the Virtual Community Kitchen. Picture Jonathan Trew

It’s not all doom and gloom. Local communities have found inspiring new opportunities in lockdown. For Sceptical Scot, food writer Jonathan Trew ventures into the heat of a a virtual kitchen bringing cultures together

Tax policy in Holyrood 5

March 27, 2021 by David Eiser Leave a Comment

The author, fiscal expert at FAI, examines the tax changes designed to achieve greater fairness made in the fifth Scottish Parliament – and the scope for reform and greater powers in the next.

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About Sceptical Scot

Welcome to Sceptical Scot, Scotland’s premier non-tribal forum for passionate, informed debate. Sceptical Scot is for all who care about Scotland’s future, regardless of how they vote: for party, independence or union, EU or Brexit. We aim to provide an arena that is both broader and deeper than current online/print offers with a rich diet of well-researched, polemical, thought-provoking writing. Read more » about About Sceptical Scot

What’s new on Sceptical Scot

  • Education: no more business as usual April 11, 2021
  • Declutter the Scottish economy April 11, 2021
  • Letter to indy Scotland’s first finance minister April 11, 2021
  • Radical change needed to boost Scotland’s economy April 11, 2021
  • You’ve changed: a playlist for life April 10, 2021
  • Edinburgh Festivals 2021: a blended spirit April 10, 2021
  • Postcard from anti-vax France April 8, 2021
  • Time to rebuild: Edinburgh Reimagined Part 2 April 7, 2021
  • More real than reality TV – the virtual community kitchen March 30, 2021
  • Tax policy in Holyrood 5 March 27, 2021

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