Scottish Government
Institutions, transition and national renewal
‘Decarbonisation should be promoted and adopted as a national mission (for Scotland),’ says the author, but this requires a change of institutional mind-set to deliver the full benefits of a net-zero carbon economy. (Part 2…
Scottish Budget analysis in plainer English
The resignation of finance secretary Derek Mackay overshadowed the fourth budget of this parliamentary term, which has led to a healthy increase in the resources available to the Scottish Government. How does it propose to…
Rejoin the Sea League and save the seabed
‘The Our Seas coalition is, once again, a renewed opportunity to protect a precious and fragile environment. But campaigners will need the energy, vision and determination of John Campbell. And that means never letting go.’
GE2019 and #indyref2
‘Surveys have shown that almost half of English voters are content to leave the matter to the Scots, with many of the rest having no opinion. There appears to be little appetite for coercing Scotland,…
Part Two: the council boards a runaway train
Edinburgh, once a working city, seems destined to become a tourist theme park – that falls victim to the demise of cheap air travel…
Pupil attainment: up or down?
‘Unfortunately, it is not easy to evaluate the CfE conclusively at this point in time…We need more research into everything from the breadth of education students are receiving to the number of A to C…
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…
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…
Scottish Parliament at 20
‘The Parliament has been curiously conservative with little appetite across the political parties for bold reform, especially in addressing many of the wicked problems that continue to scar Scotland.’
National scandal – and emergency
‘We cannot go on like this. Every year since 2014, steep annual increases in drug-related deaths have been met with promises to look into causes and propose solutions. Meanwhile, people continue to die, as evidence-based…