Tag: economics

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Scotland’s job market no doubt ‘challenging but not ‘floundering’ as in ‘Britain’

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Please Support Talking-up Scotland at:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above.Or direct bank transfer at Sort Code 08-91-04 Account – 12266421 Name – JOHN ROBERTSON In the Guardian today: Britain’s job market ‘floundering’ as companies remain cautious about hiring. Data shows labour market is still in a fragile position due to economic uncertainty, with few signs of recovery There’s no mention of Scotland in the piece, leaving the thousands of Scottish readers to either think it must be just the same here or, maybe, look elsewhere for the facts. On hiring, there are signs of stabilization or modest improvements in permanent and temporary … Continue reading Scotland’s job market no doubt ‘challenging but not ‘floundering’ as in ‘Britain’

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15 years of SNP government and significant increases in employment across almost every sector

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Please Support Talking-up Scotland at:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above.Or direct bank transfer at Sort Code 08-91-04 Account – 12266421 Name – JOHN ROBERTSON From Industry statistics published today: https://www.gov.scot/publications/industry-statistics/ You’ll see in the table above there have been fairly large increases in employment across almost every sector of the Scottish economy in these last 15 years as SNP policies have become embedded. There have been minor falls in only three. This is reflected in recent news on employment in Scotland in 2026: Please Support Talking-up Scotland at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above. BBC Breakfast this morning with an extended piece on unemployment not … Continue reading 15 years of SNP government and significant increases in employment across almost every sector

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Golf-based therapy for veterans is latest addition to Scotland’s greater care for them through directness and universal benefits

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Please Support Talking-up Scotland at:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above.Or direct bank transfer at Sort Code 08-91-04 Account – 12266421 Name – JOHN ROBERTSON From Help for veterans and families published yesterday: A scheme to help wounded or sick veterans recover their confidence through golf is among 30 projects to receive backing from the Scottish Veterans Fund. Veterans Minister Graeme Dey announced successful applicants to the £600,000 Scottish Veterans Fund on a visit to the On Course Foundation at Drumoig Golf Hotel in Fife. The fund, which the Scottish Government had committed to maintaining for the rest of the parliament was in … Continue reading Golf-based therapy for veterans is latest addition to Scotland’s greater care for them through directness and universal benefits

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UK unemployment to worsen from 40% higher than in Scotland but Scotland’s far lower unemployment level still a secret as election looms

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Please Support Talking-up Scotland at:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above.Or direct bank transfer at Sort Code 08-91-04 Account – 12266421 Name – JOHN ROBERTSON The Guardian today, has: Unemployment set to hit 5.3% this year amid ‘worrying’ rise in young jobless. OBR raises forecast from 4.9% and downgrades UK’s growth prospects for 2026 – while also warning of war uncertainty There’s no mention of Scotland and ‘Scotland’s media is offering no such detail. Here’s why: The unemployment rate in Scotland at the end of 2025, was 3.7%, down from 3.8% in 2024.  In crude terms 5.1 is 1.4 greater than 3.7 but … Continue reading UK unemployment to worsen from 40% higher than in Scotland but Scotland’s far lower unemployment level still a secret as election looms

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There are NO places in Scotland where anything close to this horrific claim of ‘almost 100% of children live in poverty’ but there are 73, SEVENTY-THREE, in England

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Please Support Talking-up Scotland at:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above.Or direct bank transfer at Sort Code 08-91-04 Account – 12266421 Name – JOHN ROBERTSON Prompted by today’s news of a planned child cruelty register for England, this: Thanks to Dottie for alerting us to this. In the 31 October 2025, the above and: Almost 100% of children in 73 neighbourhoods in England are living in income-deprived families, according to new measures that factor in the impact of soaring rents. Changes to official measures reveal the neighbourhoods where in effect all children live in low-income households. Of these, 31 are in inner London boroughs with high housing costs … Continue reading There are NO places in Scotland where anything close to this horrific claim of ‘almost 100% of children live in poverty’ but there are 73, SEVENTY-THREE, in England

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Laughable – the Scotsman’s ‘top economist’ casting doubt on the SNP budget is not even vaguely one of those

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Please Support Talking-up Scotland at:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above. In the Scotsman, 4 days ago, and influencing other reports in Scotland’s media: SNP budget ‘looks increasingly detached from reality’, top economist warns – SNP ministers have not got the money to pay for doctor’s pay deals with next year’s budget looking ‘increasingly detached from reality,” atop economist has warned. and: David Phillips, an economist with IFS, said: “The Scottish Government’s funding allocations for health in 2026/27 look increasingly detached from reality. To get a job as a university lecturer in Economics, you’d need a PhD and one or two research-based papers … Continue reading Laughable – the Scotsman’s ‘top economist’ casting doubt on the SNP budget is not even vaguely one of those

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No media coverage as Scottish Government allocates £20m to help young people secure homes where they live and second homes plummet by half from Labour era

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Please Support Talking-up Scotland at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above. From the Scottish Government yesterday into complete media silence: Plans to develop a Rural and Island Housing Grant Scheme, with an indicative budget of up to £20 million over four years, have been announced by the First Minister. Designed to help with costs in rural and island communities, the scheme will enable people, including first-time buyers and families, to own affordable homes in the places they want to live. Announcing the scheme at the National Farmers Union Scotland Conference, the First Minister also confirmed a package of agricultural support including £14.25 … Continue reading No media coverage as Scottish Government allocates £20m to help young people secure homes where they live and second homes plummet by half from Labour era

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Starmer’s China whisky deal will benefit Scotland by SFA!

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Support Talking-up Scotland to keep rebutting the lies almost every day of the year, at https://t.co/xFcIcegHTy From BBC Scotland, 30 January 2026: A cut in tariffs on Scottish whisky exports to China will come into force on Monday, the prime minister has told the BBC. As a result of a new deal agreed during Sir Keir Starmer’s trip to China, import taxes on whisky will be cut from 10% to 5% – a deal the UK government said would be worth £250m to the UK’s economy over the next five years. Scotch whisky is a key export for Britain’s drinks … Continue reading Starmer’s China whisky deal will benefit Scotland by SFA!

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How a London-based think-tank is more trustworthy than a Glasgow one with a bias against the SNP

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By stewartb It’s been interesting to compare and contrast how two economic think tanks chose to comment upon the Scottish Government’s recent budget statement and Spending Review. Let’s take the Glasgow-based Fraser of Allander Institute (FAI) on the Budget first: FAI (January 13) ‘A Budget where the silences were loudest.’ The up front framing made a good start! And on what the Cabinet Secretary did say, it’s tough to find anything remotely positive in the commentary. The FAI offers this further characterisation of the Budget: ‘Another case of delaying adjustment into the future’. Such a remark emphasises where the FAI ‘s own … Continue reading How a London-based think-tank is more trustworthy than a Glasgow one with a bias against the SNP

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This Ayr SNP MSP candidate makes ex-Labour minister look tired and visionless but most of all ignorant of the reasons why ‘visionary’ budgets are simply denied us

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Above right, Siobhian Brown SNP candidate for the Ayr constituency, out leafleting, responds to the accusations from Scottish Labour that the SNP, after 19 years, is ‘tired & visionless.’ Full video at: https://www.facebook.com/share/r/17tX9kcQs6/ I feel sure they know how much the devolution settlements firmly denies the Scottish Government the ability to be visionary and their attack, for that reason, is visionless. If Scotland was independent what could the Scottish Government’s budget feature that it cannot at the moment If Scotland were independent, its government’s budget could include a range of powers, policies, and fiscal tools that are currently unavailable or … Continue reading This Ayr SNP MSP candidate makes ex-Labour minister look tired and visionless but most of all ignorant of the reasons why ‘visionary’ budgets are simply denied us