Westminster is all talk and no action when it comes to Scottish jobs
The Westminster government talks a lot about the importance of jobs. Yet today’s “spring statement” - effectively an emergency budget - is only going to do further harm to Scottish businesses, Scottish jobs and the Scottish economy.
Scotland cannot afford the UK's attack on its farming sector
The row over the UK Government’s decision to change the rules on agricultural inheritance tax comes at a time when Scotland’s agricultural sector is already facing huge pressures.
The new tax rules have received a lot of publicity - some of it focusing on very wealthy people like Jeremy Clarkson and James Dyson. There is undoubtedly a case for changing the tax regime so that the super-rich can’t use it as a loophole to avoid inheritance tax. However, the way it has been done is to slam more cost and uncertainty on a sector that is already breaking under the pressure.
10 Reasons why Scotland Needs its own Immigration Visa
Scotland doesn’t control its own immigration. It has to live by the UK’s visa regulations which do not match the immigration/workforce needs of Scotland’s economy or its communities. Scotland’s inability to bring in workers with the skills the country needs is holding back the growth of our economy and adds to the problems facing the Highlands and Islands.
Hydrogen backbone worth £26 billion a year to the Scottish economy
A ‘hydrogen backbone’ - a pipeline for Scotland to export green hydrogen straight to Germany could be worth billions to the Scottish economy and help boost Europe’s move to net zero.
A forthcoming report by the Net Zero Technology Centre, an industry-funded think tank based in Aberdeen, calculates that the hydrogen export market could be worth £26 billion a year to Scotland.
Scottish business growth outpaces the UK in three key metrics
Scottish businesses are outperforming the UK average in terms of three key metrics, according to a recent report by respected accounting group ICAEW.
New Brexit import controls will hurt Scottish businesses and families
From tomorrow – and again in April – the UK Government will start imposing a battery of border controls on agricultural trade with the EU. Fierce protests from businesses have delayed these controls five times but they will go ahead this time in order for Rishi Sunak to appease the right wing of his party. The Guardian reported recently that they will cost the economy £330m a year.
The Hallmark of the UK Economy is Stagnation
A new paper released yesterday by the Resolution Foundation gives an in depth look at the depth of economic stagnation the UK economy has faced since the 2007/08 Financial Crisis. The paper offers a list of possible solutions to the UK’s frankly horrendous economic performance over the last decade and a half, including recommendations to increase public investment to levels more in line with other G7 countries. However, assumed Prime Minister in-waiting, Keir Starmer has said that anyone expecting Labour to “quickly turn on the spending taps” will be “disappointed”.
Three reasons the new UK immigration package is bad news for Scotland
The two main UK parties are both committed to slashing immigration numbers. They don’t care if that means bad news for Scottish public services, Scottish universities, the Scottish economy – and the comfort and security of many New Scots.
Scottish business leaders angered by Brexit - as at least £2.5bn is lost in investment
Scottish business leaders are speaking out in ever stronger terms as they count the cost of a hard Brexit Scotland didn't vote for. In one example, the President of the National Farmers Union of Scotland told their annual conference last week that the post-Brexit chaos could “write off” the Scottish farming industry.
Oil company profits double but are they taxed appropriately?
Shell last week reported an annual profit of almost $40bn for 2022 (£33.3bn). This is double their profits of $19.2bn (£16bn) for 2021 and smashed their previous record of $28.4bn (£23.7bn) set in 2008. Just today, BP also reported profits for 2022 of $28bn (£23.3bn), more than double the amount it made in 2021 and the highest in the company's 144-year history.