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Not in Education Employment or Training is far less common in Scotland with youth employment amongst lowest in Europe and mental health support 90% target smashed for sixth time

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Help Talking-up Scotland keep going Crowdfunder at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/help-talking-up-scotland-keep-going Or by direct bank transfer to: JOHN WATSON ROBERTSON Sort Code – 08-91-04 Account – 12266421 BBC Scotland today is making much of Scotland’s NEET [Not in Education, Employment, or Training] statistics not allowing comparison with the rest of the UK and the supposed lack of support for those with mental health problems in seeking employment, based on a single case: Neala Sheils spent two years applying for jobs with little success before finally securing work in a hotel last month. Before she got a job, the 20-year-old from Glasgow was one of growing number of young people classed as … Continue reading Not in Education Employment or Training is far less common in Scotland with youth employment amongst lowest in Europe and mental health support 90% target smashed for sixth time

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SNP actions on destitution such as Scottish Child Payment reduce it to lowest level in UK

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Help Talking-up Scotland keep going Crowdfunder at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/help-talking-up-scotland-keep-going Or by direct bank transfer to: JOHN WATSON ROBERTSON Sort Code – 08-91-04 Account – 12266421 From Ending Destitution Together: Phase Two Delivery Plan, published yesterday: What is destitution? Destitution should be unthinkable in a modern Scotland. However, it remains a daily reality for many people who have moved here to work, study, join family, or seek sanctuary from violence and persecution. Nobody should be forced into destitution. People who are subject to the No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) condition are members of our communities and we should be able to support them at times of crisis. The Ending … Continue reading SNP actions on destitution such as Scottish Child Payment reduce it to lowest level in UK

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And Now The News Where You Are

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By Mark E. Saunders of “The Scottish Minuteman” https://www.facebook.com/profile.php/?id=61575625542197 I’ve just been listening to the evening news, brought into our homes courtesy of STV Studios. The news anchor introduced a story telling us that the Scottish Government — or “the SNP”, as much of the media seems to prefer calling it these days — is going to miss its 2021 announced target of building 120,000 new affordable homes before 2032 by around 35,000 units. And, naturally, the Scottish Government was wheeled out to take the blame. But then came the interviews. Construction materials, we were told, rose dramatically between 2021 and 2023, largely because … Continue reading And Now The News Where You Are

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GERS does not even claim an independent Scotland would have faced a deficit last year but BBC Scotland still pretend it does

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Scotland would have faced last year. You decide – BBC Scotland staff are thick as mince or institutionally corrupt? Is this claim today by BBC Scotland, true? No. It’s a dirty big lie. The GERS (Government Expenditure and Revenue Scotland) figures published on 12 August 2026 for 2025-26 report a notional net fiscal balance (deficit) of £25.3 billion, or −10.9% of GDP, for Scotland as part of the UK. This is an estimate of the gap between revenue raised in Scotland and public spending for/on behalf of Scotland under existing UK arrangements; it is not a figure for the deficit … Continue reading GERS does not even claim an independent Scotland would have faced a deficit last year but BBC Scotland still pretend it does

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Scottish Government to end risks to vulnerable by requiring social workers from other parts of the UK to be fully registered in Scotland before working here.

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From Community Care yesterday: Scottish Government proposals would end provision allowing social workers registered with other UK regulators to practise in Scotland, while it also is seeking views on whether social work assistants should be required to register. The Scottish Government proposal would end provisions allowing social workers practising in the country to be registered with another UK regulator, but not SSSC. Under section 52 of the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001, no one may call themselves a social worker or work as one in Scotland without being registered as one with the SSSC or with Social Work England, Social Care … Continue reading Scottish Government to end risks to vulnerable by requiring social workers from other parts of the UK to be fully registered in Scotland before working here.

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UK Government is now dishonestly claiming a ‘central’ and ‘instrumental’ role in bringing the Commonwealth Games to Glasgow.

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By stewartb The UK government and especially the Secretary of State for Scotland, Douglas Alexander have been commenting on their role in having the Commonwealth Games come to Glasgow: ‘a central role’; ‘instrumental’; ‘huge supporters of the Games’ etc. From the UK government in a press release dated July 24, 2026: ‘Commonwealth Games return to Glasgow with UK Government backing’: ‘The UK Government is proud to have played a central role in bringing the 2026 Commonwealth Games to Glasgow and securing the future of the competition.’ (my emphasis) Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander is quoted in the press statement: “I am … Continue reading UK Government is now dishonestly claiming a ‘central’ and ‘instrumental’ role in bringing the Commonwealth Games to Glasgow.

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Burnham needs to copy SNP policies to reduce massive gap in youth unemployment, 55% higher ‘across the UK’ than in Scotland

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BBC Home today reporting on the new PM’s latest announcement: Secondary school pupils in England will be able to study subjects like manufacturing and AI in addition to core academic learning under reforms outlined by Prime Minister Andy Burnham. The government said the courses, which would be available from Year 10, would be linked to local industries and designed to give children a clearer pathway into work. Data published this year showed more than one million young people across the UK were not in education, employment or training, the highest level in more than 12 years. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cj4k2djd5qpo This follows on … Continue reading Burnham needs to copy SNP policies to reduce massive gap in youth unemployment, 55% higher ‘across the UK’ than in Scotland

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Over 55% of Scots to pay less income tax than if they lived in England – Confirmed

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From Scottish tax payers comparison to English counterparts: FOI release, published last Friday: On Tuesday 13th January 2026, the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government whilst addressing Holyrood stated that: “As a result, even more people in Scotland can expect to pay less tax than if they lived in England, Northern Ireland or Wales. That’s over 55 per cent of Scots set to pay less income tax because they live in Scotland.” Please can you supply the following information. 1. What was the specific median income figure used in the production of this data? 2. What was the income … Continue reading Over 55% of Scots to pay less income tax than if they lived in England – Confirmed

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£11bn Lower Thames Crossing – Put simply, in the end, Scotland still pays for another capital project it does not benefit from

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Yesterday, I wrote a post: Never mind Barnett, the Lower Thames Crossing to cost Scots taxpayers between £300m and £1bn! The full AI-assisted argument is at: https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/2026/07/12/never-mind-barnett-the-lower-thames-crossing-to-cost-scots-taxpayers-between-300m-and-1bn/ In a comment, rogercolkett wrote While it’s clear that the UK government tends to spend more on big projects in the south of England than elsewhere, it’s not true that Scots are paying for it through their taxes. UK government expenditure is not funded by taxes or anything else. UK government expenditure works by instructing the Bank of England to create the money required and credit it to the relevant payee, just as … Continue reading £11bn Lower Thames Crossing – Put simply, in the end, Scotland still pays for another capital project it does not benefit from

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Never mind Barnett, the Lower Thames Crossing to cost Scots taxpayers between £300m and £1bn!

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In the Guardian today: The UK’s public spending watchdog has said it plans to investigate the Lower Thames Crossing, as campaigners voice concerns over the rising costs of one of the UK’s largest infrastructure projects. The head of the National Audit Office (NAO) said he anticipated the agency would “examine and report” on the planned £11bn road tunnel between Kent and Essex, and that work to monitor the project had already started. It emerged last month that £174m of additional public money was being made available for the scheme, which is estimated to cost more per mile than the HS2 high-speed rail link from … Continue reading Never mind Barnett, the Lower Thames Crossing to cost Scots taxpayers between £300m and £1bn!