Economy
#Indyref2 in 2020?
‘It will simply not be sufficient for the UK Government to highlight risks with independence. The status quo itself has important policy challenges, whether that be the economic costs of leaving the EU Single Market…
Another Johnson untruth on poverty
‘Boris Johnson’s bold claim about child poverty needs some careful consideration – it is a very partial truth that completely misrepresents wider realities.’
Migration is vital for Scotland
Immigration is not the salient issue in GE2019 it was in GE2017 but Scotland’s need for significant net migration is stronger than ever – as Jonathan Portes and Graeme Roy discuss separately here.
Scotland’s budget prospects
The Scottish Budget was due on December 12, #GE2019 day, but will almost certainly be pulled until after the UK Budget is presented early next year on the back of wild spending promises. Even pre-Brexit…
Gig economy – on film, in life
Ken Loach’s new film shows how: ‘All of us – the public who rely on the services of the gig economy just as much as the politicians who proclaim its virtues – need to wake…
Limits of the nationalist left
The left remains in the doldrums across Europe. There is the odd spark of light, as in Portugal, and the occasional flicker of hope, with the temporary rebuff to Matteo Salvini in Italy or the electoral…
Independence and sovereignty
‘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.’
Putin’s complaisant middle class
‘Members of both (public/private) sectors currently prioritise stability and economic security over liberal values, and both express high levels of trust in the Putin regime.’
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…
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…’
Javid and the Scottish budget
‘Unprotected areas of the Scottish budget should avoid real terms cuts in 2020/21, but they should not expect a spending bonanza.’ Latest FAI analysis…
The GERS divide
‘We can hope that any future constitutional debate considers these long-term issues more seriously, preferably in an open and respectful way – although evidence from the annual GERS furore suggests that this may be a…