• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Articles
  • Blog
  • About
  • Contribute
  • Contact

Sceptical Scot

Asking Questions. Seeking Answers.

You are here: Home / Archives for Economy

Economy

What’s in the new Programme for Government? Look in the long grass

September 8, 2023 by Emma Congreve, Mairi Spowage and Joao Sousa Leave a Comment

Humza Yousaf’s first programme for Government kicks several big fiscal and other policy issues into the long grass.So, do we have to wait till the Scottsh Budget likely on December 14?

Energy market reforms must embrace a social tariff

August 30, 2023 by Karen Turner 1 Comment

“The cap needs a complete overhaul and Britain ultimately needs to reset how initial consumer prices are determined, so that energy prices better reflect the falling cost of renewable energy. We’ve gone as far as we can with tweaking – something more radical and fully thought out is required to ensure affordable and clean energy for all.”

GERS 2023: uptick in oil revenues narrows the budget deficit

August 16, 2023 by Mairi Spowage Leave a Comment

“And here the challenge is stark, with a likely deficit far in excess of the UK as a whole, other comparable countries or that which is deemed to be sustainable in the long-term. It is not enough to say ‘everything will be fine’ or ‘look at this country, they can run a sensible fiscal balance so why can’t Scotland?’. Concrete proposals and ideas are needed.”

Let’s make interest rates zero – permanently

August 10, 2023 by Alexander Douglas Leave a Comment

“The idea of permanent zero rates is far outside the mainstream of economic thinking. But perhaps (Joan) Robinson was right to suggest it as a viable compromise between capitalism and more radical alternatives: rewarding entrepreneurship without compounding inequality or incentivising the unsustainable use of resources. At a time like this, it’s an old idea well worth considering.”

Ukraine’s recovery will ‘take a village’ of international actors

July 28, 2023 by Sascha Ostanina Leave a Comment

“Ukraine is now making unimaginable human and economic sacrifices in its commitment to Europe. Helping the country fully to recover and become an EU member state will serve as a geo-strategic investment in the sustainable security and economic performance of the continent.”

Time up for Scotland’s hereditary landowners?

June 22, 2023 by Jackie Kemp Leave a Comment

Harvest scene, straw bales: Brexit and land values photograph by Deb Roberts

“There are some areas where communities have been helped to buy the land they live on. But Scotland still has the most inequitable land ownership in the developed world. This month, the Scottish Government issued a consultation paper suggesting that a public interest principle should be applied when large estates change hands…”

Glasgow’s LEZ kills off Sylvia

June 3, 2023 by Jackie Kemp 2 Comments

Glasgow, with low car ownership, has inaugurated its low emission zone so how have drivers and pedestrians for that matter reacted? Surprisingly positively finds Jackie Kemp.

Plotting Scotland’s unsettled future

May 11, 2023 by Emma Congreve Leave a Comment

“There is no question that leaving the EU will leave our economy smaller and less successful than would otherwise have been the case. But rather than dwelling on this ‘borrowed future’, we need to have consensus on how to move forward. That consensus can be especially hard to find when politics in Scotland is often binary and confrontational in nature….”

Forget the tough talk and flag waving, Labour

May 11, 2023 by James Morrison Leave a Comment

“The people in lost constituencies want Starmer’s Labour to spend more, not less, than New Labour. This is the most significant aspect of “red-wall sentiment”, and yet the one Starmer seems reluctant to recognise.”

Why Finland is the world’s happiest country

April 8, 2023 by Danny Dorling Leave a Comment

Memo to @scotgov: “So what can the people of a country do if they want to be happier? The most important thing is to elect governments that will ensure the country becomes more equal by income. After that, ensuring your social services – school, housing and healthcare – are efficient and equitable matters most.”

Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

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

  • What’s in the new Programme for Government? Look in the long grass September 8, 2023
  • Learning from Scotland: what a Labour government would mean for the right to roam September 7, 2023
  • Europe must unite to stop deep-sea resource grab September 6, 2023
  • Energy market reforms must embrace a social tariff August 30, 2023
  • Climate change at the Edinburgh festivals August 21, 2023
  • GERS 2023: uptick in oil revenues narrows the budget deficit August 16, 2023
  • Zombie Scotland must wake up to its future August 14, 2023
  • Let’s make interest rates zero – permanently August 10, 2023
  • Treasury gives Holyrood more fiscal leeway August 3, 2023
  • Ukraine’s recovery will ‘take a village’ of international actors July 28, 2023

The Sceptical Newsletter

The Sceptical Scot cartoon

Categories

  • Articles (678)
  • Blog (569)
  • Books & Poetry (26)
  • Brexit (211)
  • climate crisis (6)
  • climate crisis (33)
  • Covid19 (66)
  • Criminal justice (18)
  • Culture (315)
  • Devo20 (1)
  • Economics (195)
  • Economy (120)
  • Education (77)
  • Elections (192)
  • Energy (2)
  • Environment (76)
  • European Union (264)
  • Featured (42)
  • Federalism (20)
  • federalism (14)
  • Health (67)
  • History (75)
  • Housing (26)
  • Humour (11)
  • identity (19)
  • Independence (288)
  • Inequality (80)
  • International (41)
  • Ireland (10)
  • Ireland (7)
  • Local government (87)
  • Longer reads (75)
  • Media (11)
  • Podcast (3)
  • Poetry (72)
  • Policy (240)
  • Politics (363)
  • Polls and quizzes (2)
  • Reviews (24)
  • Social democracy (85)
  • Trump (10)
  • UK (361)
  • Uncategorized (7)

Sceptical Scot elsewhere

Facebook
Twitter

Footer

About Sceptical Scot

Since 2014 Sceptical Scot has offered a non-tribal forum for passionate, informed debate for all who care about Scotland’s future

Recommended

  • Bella Caledonia
  • Centre on Constitutional Change
  • The UK in a Changing Europe
  • Common Space
  • Gerry Hassan
  • Scottish Review
  • Social Europe
  • Think Scotland

Archives

Copyright © 2023 · Magazine Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in