Tag: economy

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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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‘The Multiplier Effect’ – Stunning US study in 2025 made clear the enormous wider benefits of building the Glen Sannox and the Glen Rosa ferries on the Clyde and points confidently to a future there

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From the Washington State, USA, based Lynwood Times 28 May 2025 A new independent study by Pennsylvania-based Martin Associates confirms the economic value of building the new Washington State Ferries hybrid fleet in-state, showing that each ferry constructed in the state would generate 1,298 jobs and $31.9 million in state and local taxes. Washington State Ferries, which operates the largest ferry system in the nation, solicited bids this spring to build five new hybrid ferries over a six- to eight-year period with a budget of $1.3 billion. The new hybrid electric ferries have 160-car capacity to support growing rider demand and reduce … Continue reading ‘The Multiplier Effect’ – Stunning US study in 2025 made clear the enormous wider benefits of building the Glen Sannox and the Glen Rosa ferries on the Clyde and points confidently to a future there

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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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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 in top ten for foreign direct investment out of more than one thousand European ‘regions’, first per head in UK and well ahead of Burnhamland

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The above table is from this report published today: The EY UK Attractiveness Survey 2026, the latest in our series of annual reports exploring the performance and perceptions of the UK as a destination for foreign direct investment (FDI). It’s now been 25 years since EY first published this study. Over that time, it has become an eagerly awaited and indispensable reference point for business leaders, investors and policymakers as they seek to understand the drivers of inward investment and the UK’s relative performance against other European FDI locations in a constantly changing global landscape.1 EY’s database does not give … Continue reading Scotland in top ten for foreign direct investment out of more than one thousand European ‘regions’, first per head in UK and well ahead of Burnhamland

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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’

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US ferry system in a State with nearly three times Scotland’s GDP is ‘fragile’ due to lack of Government-funding

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From AOL yesterday: SEATTLE – Gov. Bob Ferguson is intensifying his call for federal support to stabilize Washington State Ferries, warning that while the system has returned to full service levels for the first time since 2019, that progress remains “fragile.” During a briefing at the Seattle Ferry Terminal, Ferguson emphasized that the nation’s largest ferry system cannot sustain its recent gains without a significant increase in investment from Washington, D.C. The governor highlighted a stark disparity in how the system is funded. Currently, federal dollars account for: State leaders argue these figures must rise to keep the system afloat. The … Continue reading US ferry system in a State with nearly three times Scotland’s GDP is ‘fragile’ due to lack of Government-funding