Scottish Government
Ireland, Scotland and Westminster
Alex Salmond’s take on the Easter Rising – and Irish independence – is a flawed analysis. Not least because he leaves out the civil war. And sees “Westminster” at fault everywhere.
Maths and myths around graduate charging
Ruth Davidson has set out proposals for charging students up to £6000 upon graduation for a 4-year course. But the maths around this idea are not simple as Scotland’s leading expert on student funding explains.
Try some ‘lab federalism’ on top SRIT rate
Nicola Sturgeon has ruled out raising the additional (“top”) rate of tax to 50p, using similar arguments to those of George Osborne. But is she right to do so? A leading economist is suitably sceptical…but…
Consumers or citizens in fighting depression?
In the second part of his (self-) examination of mental health issues in Scotland Loki urges the citizen to take an existentialist approach: heal thyself by looking within. We are responsible; governments don’t or won’t…
Inequality and mental illness: boxed in
The Scottish Government has given a few extra millions to mental health services but ministers know rising mental health illness is linked to poverty and inequality and do nothing to tackle these. Time for civil…
University is no universal benefit
Scottish universities, we learn, have a £60m annual funding gap yet ministers talk as if all young people should go free to university. But how is that wider access to higher education to be financed?…
Osborne sets sail for wrong Budget goal
George Osborne’s eighth Budget is unravelling as each day passes. Here a leading Stirling Uni economist suggests it’s his direction of travel that’s wrong. Time to relax the fiscal rule and invest for the future.
Taxing cocktail of political risks for SG
Something will have to give if Nicola Sturgeon is to finance her admirable policy wish-list for the next five years. After the UK Budget we can only see a shortfall that will have to be…
Free childcare: good idea, difficult delivery
Free childcare is a flagship SNP policy, with the First Minister promising to double the number of free hours if (when) she’s re-elected. But the current nursery system, public and private, is creaking and badly…
Reasons to be cheerful – or ca’ canny
The Scottish Conservatives talked up their Holyrood election prospects at their recent conference at Murrayfield. But their past record and the wider economic and political context suggest they would be wise to err on the…
Putting council tax reform to bed
The SNP still calls its proposed Council Tax ‘reforms’ radical. But one of Scotland’s leading experts on local government finance disagrees profoundly. This is really about ruffling as few feathers as possible.
Delaying the fiscal crunch
The Scottish Government emerged from the tortuous talks with the Treasury on the fiscal framework with a relatively generous settlement. But it is one that kicks the can down the road towards renewed acrimony in…