Category: Policy
Scotland through the fiscal looking glass
The Scottish Government has dismissed pressure from Labour to offset cuts in spending on local services with a 1p on the Scottish Rate of Income Tax. It rejects pressure from the Treasury to agree a fiscal framework it say will cost Scots billions. No detriment, it says: but at another’s expense?
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Basic income no, job guarantee yes
Inequality is one of the biggest challenges facing the global economy as the 1% get richer and richer. Industry 4.0 may worsen the divide as millions go jobless. Some, like the Scottish Greens, say a universal basic income is an answer. Here a leading German social democrat opts for a public jobs guarantee instead.
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Aberdeen misses the boat in the oil boom
Nicola Sturgeon and David Cameron have rushed to Aberdeen to pledge financial support to surmount the oil industry slump. But the city was never given the tools to benefit fully from the boom, argues the Aberdeen-based author. It now needs a change in Scotland’s political culture to make the transition.
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Europe, sovereignty and the Far Right
All eyes on Dave and Donald but, virtually unnoticed, Europe’s main Far Right parties met recently to plot their common future – and regaining national sovereignty is at the heart of their “Other Europe” strategy. Sounds familiar?
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