Professor John Robertson OBA
The Times above, often publishes ill-informed negative reports on Scotland but is not monolithic in this regard.
Two days ago, like good journalists, they were prepared to report the above, and:
BBC Scotland’s Business section has nothing on this and I see no sign elsewhere in other ‘Scottish’ media other than in the Moray local, The Northern Scot:
Health boards, councils and other public bodies could be required to act to help boost local economies under first-of-its-kind legislation. The Scottish Government has introduced a “unique” Bill at Holyrood which if passed would require public bodies to take forward measures in support of their local economy.
The Community Wealth Building Bill could require such bodies to buy more goods and services from local companies. Other measures which could be supported in the legislation would be greater promotion of employee-owned businesses, co-operatives and social enterprises, and action to promote fair work practices such as paying staff the real living wage.
It’s an astonishing but predictable piece of bias by omission. Where did Northern Scot find this nuggest?
Full details were published, two days ago, at a site, any self-respecting journalist should know of: https://www.gov.scot/news/boosting-local-economies/
Perhaps they’re afraid to be caught looking at it?
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
Greater ties with Europe would help restore the economy. UK Gov losing £Billions with Brexit. Imagine losing £Billions from EU membership. Then cutting the elderly winter fuel allowance. UK Gov now trying to cut welfare £5Billion. An absolute disaster. People will die.
The Scottish Gov has to mitigate these cuts. Without the powers to improve ties with the EU. The power to retain services and funding for the poorer. They do have better policies but Westminster Gov is squandering all Scotland’s revenues and resources. Scotland in surplus in fuel and energy, and nearer the source pays more. Scotland has to pay too much for the military, not based in Scotland. 180,000 military personnel. 10,000 based in Scotland.
Westminster wasting £Billions on Trident and redundant weaponry. Increasing Defence (attack) spending £13Billion. Trident a danger to Scotland. Instead of reducing nuclear with reduction treaties with Russia, China etc. Westminster spending £13Billion a year on decommissioning nuclear. Increasing all the time.
UK Gov raises, on average £800Billion in taxes and revenues. Borrows £200Billion more. Scotland has to make repayments on loans not borrowed or spent in Scotland but spent elsewhere. On policies not supported by Scotland, No taxation without representation. Scotland raises £100Billion on average. Wasted on Westminster poor, bad policies, illegal wars, financial fraud and tax evasion. Scotland would be far better Independent with greater ties with the EU. People need to get out and vote for it. Not vote unionists and a higher turnout. Do not vote get nothing but Westminster poor, bad policies. Q
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LETS ALL START REFUSING TO BUY THESE RAGS
WHO ARE ONLY INTERESTED IN STEALING SCOTTISH ASSETS
AND MONEY
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Haven’t bought those fascist propaganda daily lies for a very long time now. The front pages are so blatantly anti SNP it’s an obvious assault on Scotland’s precarious democracy.
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Talking of Business……
Scottish Labour tweeted this on 21 February this year as stated by Anas Sarwar:
“I will act to reinvigorate our high streets and town centres by making online giants pay their fair share. To do that a Scottish Labour government will introduce an Amazon Tax, delivering equality between our high streets and the online giants.”
However it is now being reported that Keir Starmer is considering cutting the levy that Amazon pays in tax in the UK . (and also for other large tech companies too).
MSM Monitor tweeted this yesterday :
“Keir Starmer is planning to cut the levy Amazon pays in the UK. Here comes another Sarwar U-turn”.
MSM Monitor included a video with his tweet of Sarwar on the LBC programme of Iain Dale, where Sarwar had said to Ian Dale that “We (Labour in Scotland) want to introduce a new tax in Scotland that would hit the online retailers the hardest. We want to have a new tax in Scotland where we tax Amazon and we use that money to invest in high streets across the country”.
He, Sarwar, also stated that he also wanted to tax other online giants too (the same ones Starmer is reported as also considering doing the opposite on).
However in November 2022 the I Paper reported that Keir Starmer , who was then the official opposition leader of the Labour party, had said that “wealthy nom-doms and big business should be paying to plug Britain’s 60 billion black hole rather than ordinary tax payers. Big business like Amazon and other large tech companies”.
Now another Labour U-turn from Keir Starmer, in yet another possible change of heart from him, though his heart seems to be missing in him and his Labour UK government now targeting “ordinary people” more than those who are wealthy.
So in 2022 Keir Starmer previously said that he would target “large tech companies” as opposed to “ordinary people” to “plug Britain’s black hole” (that’s the same “financial black hole” that he and his Chancellor pretended they did not know about when they made all of their -now broken – pledges in the 2024 GE campaign).
Actually TBF that pledge by Starmer on Amazon and other multi national companies did not even last a year, as it was then reported in 2023 that Labour had ditched this plan.
The media are reporting Starmer may ‘cut the tax levy on Amazon and other big tech companies’ in order to try to appease Trump.
Rachel Reeves said to Laura Kuenssberg yesterday that “talks are “ongoing” about tweaks to the Digital Services Tax (DST), which affects global tech giants like Amazon and Meta”.
“tweaks”…..meanwhile more than “tweaks” are being made to the Welfare system and to Benefits currently being paid to the most vulnerable in the UK.
Labour are the party for the “Few” and not the party for the “Many”.
It’s also almost as if they, Labour HQ, do not know what they are doing !
Vote SNP in 2026 etc etc etc
Liz S
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The US and EU making US tech companies pay the full tax. Bringing in Laws to restrict their criminality. The Tech companies breaking completion Laws, data protection Laws, privacy Laws and child abuse protection Laws. The UK giving tax breaks. cutting welfare, cutting elderly winter fuel payments. Increasing Defence spending.
People will die. The foreign tech firms creating a monopoly and charging what they like. Breaking completion Laws. Chinese company undercutting them. Leading to a fall in artificially high stock value. Beating them at their own game.
Whistle-blower now speaking out. Writing books about the corruption. Governments taking heed to do something about it.
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