Economy
If the eurozone survives the Greek crisis it can come through stronger
The EU and Eurozone owe it to history and its long-suffering people to ensure that Greece remains an integral part of both.
‘Radical’ land reform that isn’t
You might be forgiven for thinking that the rules regarding a patch of land north and south of the Anglo-Scottish border do not vary greatly, but in fact they are governed by completely different legal…
Give Scotland the power to go greener
The Scottish Government is under attack for failing to meet its climate change targets but David Toke argues it should be given more powers to invest in renewables.
The profligacy myth that stymied the UK and EU economies thrice over
The myth that Labour over-spending “caused” the financial crash and recession of 2008 has had damaging consequences for the British and European economies. Ray Perman examines three deleterious side-effects.
Franco-German Social Democrat plan to revive EU
The French and German economy ministers have come up with some radical ideas to get the EU out of its trough – and offer the Tories a way out of their membership renegotiation impasse.
Double crossings: the Queensferry Crossing and the future of Scottish engineering
The Queensferry or Second Forth Crossing is no triumph of Scottish engineering but, rather, a reflection of globalisation. George Rosie reports on – and laments – how very few Scottish firms are engaged in building…
Tests for Scotland’s anti-austerity credentials
As with their counterparts in other parts of the UK and beyond, Scotland’s public-sector workers are more and more sceptical about the willingness of the SNP to go beyond mere rhetoric. Following the experience of…
The abuse of social democracy
Everybody’s talking social democracy, not least in Scotland. But nobody defines what it means, recognises how it’s in crisis and sees how analysts/activists are starting to rethink it.
Blue Labour’s theology of the common good
British politicians famously ‘don’t do God’. But much of Labour’s programme for government is inspired by an avowedly theological movement: Blue Labour. Justin Reynolds reviews a new book challenging orthodoxies of the left and right.
Kilts and gilts and Scottish debt
The Scottish Government can now, as of April 1, raise its own debt – via bonds or ‘kilts’ as they’re known. But there’s been no fanfare so far and no evidence the government wants to…
Four reasons why Labour lost
The post mortem over Labour’s disastrous defeat on May 7 continues. A German social democrat sets out his view of why the party lost so heavily.
Five political problems with Full Fiscal Autonomy
The newly elected Conservative Government may be considering full fiscal autonomy for Scotland in a struggle for power with the resurgent SNP. Prof Paul Cairney says it may backfire and fatally undermine the Union.