Tag: economics

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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!

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SNP’s ‘Mansion Tax’ will be popular, raise revenue and have no effect on inward migration

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From the Scottish Government today: Views are being sought on plans to introduce two new council tax bands for properties worth more than £1 million and £2 million respectively to help fund local public services across Scotland. A public consultation seeks responses on possible increases of around £720 and £3,600 above the current highest Band H council tax charges. The final proposed rates for new Band I and Band J properties – expected to apply to fewer than 1% of properties – will be laid in Parliament for MSPs’ consideration following analysis of consultation responses and engagement with local government. Existing … Continue reading SNP’s ‘Mansion Tax’ will be popular, raise revenue and have no effect on inward migration

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Scotland sends exactly £91.4bn to London and gets back a wholly estimated amount based on 25 out 26 figures which are estimates

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A reader emailed to ask – I have seen various figures for the total sum of Tax raised in Scotland varying from £70Billion to £90Billion and remitted directly to Westminster. Is it possible to confirm the exact figure? In 2024-25, total public sector tax revenue attributed to Scotland was £91.4 billion. This is the latest figure from the Scottish Government’s Government Expenditure and Revenue Scotland (GERS) 2024-25 report, published 13 August 2025. It covers revenue raised in Scotland through both devolved taxes (controlled by the Scottish Parliament) and reserved taxes (collected and mostly retained by the UK Treasury/HMRC).1 This leads … Continue reading Scotland sends exactly £91.4bn to London and gets back a wholly estimated amount based on 25 out 26 figures which are estimates

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Youth unemployment in Scotland at 10.2% far lower than UK average of 16.2% due to SNP policy focus on youth employment and efforts to align education with employer needs

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BBC Breakfast this morning, in an extended piece on the number not in work or in education – NEETS – seems to have confused that group – all 16-24 year-olds including economically inactive (not looking, e.g. due to illness, caring, discouraged) – with the unemployed, looking for work and available to start. The figure should be 16.2% in the UK1, 16.3% in Wales2 and only 10.2% in Scotland.3 England drives most of the UK figure; regional highs in London (24.9%), Yorkshire & Humber (17.6%), North East (17.2%). England overall is slightly above the UK average.4 So, youth unemployment in the … Continue reading Youth unemployment in Scotland at 10.2% far lower than UK average of 16.2% due to SNP policy focus on youth employment and efforts to align education with employer needs

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‘It isn’t tax payers money, it’s the government’s money and the government chooses what is spent’

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By rogercolkett You know that I support your untiring efforts to confront the lies obfuscations and omissions of the mainstream media that seek to show Scotland in as negative a way possible. And I share your annoyance at the waste of resources by the UK Government on projects that provide no benefit to Scotland, it’s part of the reason that I want  Scotland to be an independent country. The main reason, though, is that I would like to live in a Scotland that wasn’t tied to the anti-social and spurious neo-liberal Ideology that dominates the cities of London and Westminster. … Continue reading ‘It isn’t tax payers money, it’s the government’s money and the government chooses what is spent’