Economy
Slay the sixth giant: mental illness
The First Minister has announced a welcome extra £54m for providing better access to mental health services In Scotland – including therapy-based treatments that produce longer-lasting results. Mental illness is the biggest single cause of…
SRIT is a progressive tax
The Scottish Rate of Income Tax is often said to be regressive and can only be progressive if the higher bands are raised. But the Financial Secretary’s decision to leave it at 10p flies in…
A Scottish Beveridge report?
The Scottish Welfare Reform Committee could have produced a modern-day Beverage Report for Scotland. But its recent report instead lacks radical novelty and tinkers around the edges, promising further division and inequality. An opportunity missed…
Council tax reform: yes but how?
Could the next Scottish Government buck a historical trend and do something about the council tax? Even if they take on the challenge it will not be a quick fix. Ken Mckay considers the options…
Sauce for the goose?
The Scottish Government has put the squeeze on spending and staffing levels within some public services. But not others. The agency handling student support, for instance, has had a big boost in staff – unknown…
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.
Britain in Europe: confusion or delusion
David Cameron’s last-minute demand for EU treaty reform on the free movement of labour means this month’s summit won’t reach a deal on his renegotiated membership demands. Britain’s drift from Europe over the past two…
Greece: denial of human rights in today’s Europe
First of our new student blogs: The eyes of Europe are focused on Syria and the plight of thousands of refugees from conflict. But member states of the EU continue to suffer under the yoke…
Osbo’s traps for Sturgeon and Swinney
The Chancellor’s humiliating u-turn over tax credits and his shadow’s gaffe over Mao grabbed the headlines but the autumn statement had plenty of stings in the tail for the Scottish Government, report two prominent Stirling…
George Osborne’s anti-industrial strategy
The Chancellor claimed in his recent autumn statement to be wholly committed to continuing the previous coalition government’s industrial strategy. But on at least three counts he’s plainly misleading the public.
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…
Tax credit cuts and ‘defensive devolution’
The SNP/Scottish Government and Labour now agree powers exist to restore, at least partially, tax credit cuts. But how can this be done without the administrative machinery in place? Full devolution of welfare powers would…