Economy
Osborne’s nuclear nonsense economics
George Osborne has been in China offering taxpayers’ money to subsidise its entry into the UK energy sector with French state-owned EDF while slashing incentives for efficient, clean renewables, many of them based in Scotland.…
Robots, the digital economy and fair shares for all
Prof Richard Freeman, co-director of the Labor and Worklife Program at Harvard Law School, calls in this interview for wider ownership of pension funds/employee shares in their companies to manage effects of AI/robots on employment…
Reshoring Scotland: the case for a manufacturing revival
In announcing her Programme for Government at the start of this month, the First Minister committed to publishing a Manufacturing Action Plan for Scotland in the autumn. But it begs the question: what does manufacturing…
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
Corbynomics: economic reason and political fantasy?
Jeremy Corbyn’s economic programme has been dismissed as “a return to Bennism and the 1980s” but is in tune with the views of many mainstream economists. So where’s the beef?
The ‘greenest-ever’ Conservative Party? – the summer budget and the environment
In a year when the all-important UN climate change summit will take place in Paris and the UN’s sustainable development goals will be finalised, George Osborne’s summer budget fails to seize the moment to put…
What now for Greece and the euro?
Five likely consequences of Sunday’s historic No vote in the Greek referendum are set out here by a German social democrat as the fates of Greece, the eurozone and Europe hang together in the balance
Greece’s euro vote matters for the UK referendum too
Ahead of the Greek – and UK – referendum Angus Armstrong argues that a strong EU including Greece is in Britain’s interest
Greece’s uncertain future in the euro
“Bean-counting has brought short-termism to Europe,” an expert on European integration says of the deeply flawed Eurozone and its leaders’ approach to the unfolding Greek tragedy.
Tories back wrong horses on energy
The new UK energy secretary, Amber Rudd, is backing the wrong policy options – ignoring wind but going for nuclear and fracking, two Scottish experts argue.
Too early to privatise the Green Investment Bank?
The “greenest of all” UK government’s signal it wants to privatise the GIB adds weight to the suggestion it is not a long-term investor in renewables after all.