Ray Perman
Taxing cocktail of political risks for SG
Something will have to give if Nicola Sturgeon is to finance her admirable policy wish-list for the next five years. After the UK Budget we can only see a shortfall that will have to be…
Affordable credit: a community project
People in financial trouble are still borrowing money at 1500% interest rates and more but it will take more than chiding the payday lenders to solve a growing social ill. Public bodies and private finance…
SG borrowing to keep the economy buoyant
John Swinney, finance secretary, is about to borrow money to help finance new construction projects and stimulate growth and jobs just when the economy is turning down. It’s a sign of things to come as…
Planning for a post-oil Scotland
The oil price shows no sign of recovery any time soon; thousands of jobs are being lost; the big producers have left the North Sea and the smaller ones are following suit. Scotland needs to…
Scottish Budget: end of the age of innocence
John Swinney’s Budget has set the SRIT for the first time but the real fiscal dilemmas and decisions for him – or his successor – lie ahead. And so do the political consequences.
HBOS: too little, too late
It cost £7m – a million for each of the years since Scotland’s (once) most-revered bank went bust. But, after all the billions spent, the thousands of jobs slashed, lessons still have to be learned…
Could private discussions kill the Scotland Act?
The Secretary of State for Scotland wrote to me this week telling me about progress on the Scotland Bill. I don’t know David Mundell and I imagine I am just one of hundreds, if not…
Missed chance to break up big banks
The Competition Commission has missed a trick with its refusal to countenance a break-up of big banks despite powerful evidence of the lack of real competition in the retail market. The situation is even worse…
Holyrood misses boat on democratic renewal
As the ruling SNP uses its parliamentary majority to limit scrutiny of the Scottish Government’s activities, Holyrood’s presiding officer is stepping down before her reform proposals have been put into effect. What next?
ScotPound misses its targets
It’s the currency issue wot lost it for Yes a year ago, they say. So how about a Scottish currency to meet issues with Sterling – and boost equality and the economy? Our financial expert…
An underwhelming programme for government
Nicola Sturgeon’s pre-election programme for government is, well, worthy but provides no evidence that the SNP in power at Holyrood for another five years can make its delivery match its rhetoric
Sturgeon discovers Blairite pragmatism
Scotland’s First Minister has signalled a strictly non-ideological, flexible approach to improving education. “What works best” is a very Blairite concept.