Tag: economy

11 Comments

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

johnrobertson834

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

8 Comments

Senior BBC staff most upset by threat to their council tax bills and less fussy about the others

johnrobertson834

There are around 3 million taxpayers in Scotland. 55% of them (1.65m) will pay less income tax than in the rest of the UK but BBC Scotland chose to highlight the ‘Mansion Tax’ which will affect 11 330 – Anas Sarwar and few of their senior staff. Here’s a better report, from the AI assisted Policy Mogul: Changes to the basic and intermediate rate income tax thresholds will protect lower-income households in 2026-27, Finance Secretary Shona Robison has announced. The Finance Secretary also confirmed there would be no changes to rates or the number of tax bands in the coming … Continue reading Senior BBC staff most upset by threat to their council tax bills and less fussy about the others

Leave a comment

30% fare hikes in only two years, declining service performance, a ballooning budget, and a history of deploying unreliable vessels as Canadian government underfunds its ferry service by 10 times that in Scotland

johnrobertson834

Professor John Robertson OBA In the Times Colonist, on December 15th 2025: To increase funding and ward off fare hikes “well in excess of 30%” in two years, B.C. Ferries proposes forming a “sustainable partnership” with all levels of government — federal, provincial, and local. Yet this partnership maintains the same governance model that enabled the Fast Ferries scandal in the 1990s and cost taxpayers $1 billion in avoidable expenses. The B.C. Auditor General called for strong governance reform to prevent future vessel failures and wasted tax dollars. Three provincial governments, however, have ignored his unambiguous warning by keeping the same … Continue reading 30% fare hikes in only two years, declining service performance, a ballooning budget, and a history of deploying unreliable vessels as Canadian government underfunds its ferry service by 10 times that in Scotland

1 Comment

“National value destruction” – a “masterclass” in causing uncertainty, speculation and lack of investment! Successive UK governments’ track record over Scotland’s offshore oil & gas condemned by authoritative energy industry source.

johnrobertson834

By stewartb “Devastating” WoodMac damns governments approach to North Sea’: this was the headline published December 11 by the respected energy news website, Energy Voice.  It comes from its reporting of a new assessment of successive UK governments’ approach to the offshore oil & gas assets present on the UK Continental Shelf – assets of course mostly present offshore Scotland. The critique of Westminster/Whitehall governance comes from the respected provider of energy industry/market statistics and insight, namely Wood Mackenzie (aka WoodMac). It’s from an end of year review of key industry talking points internationally: among the top five issues, it … Continue reading “National value destruction” – a “masterclass” in causing uncertainty, speculation and lack of investment! Successive UK governments’ track record over Scotland’s offshore oil & gas condemned by authoritative energy industry source.

1 Comment

Britain [sic] slipping down global league table for youth employment, says accountancy firm yet UK youth unemployment is 40% higher than in Scotland which has one of the lowest rates in Western Europe

johnrobertson834

Professor John Robertson OBA In the Guardian yesterday: Britain slipping down global league table for youth employment, says report – Britain is slipping down the global league table for youth employment amid a dramatic rise in worklessness that is putting a generation’s future at risk, research has warned. Sounding the alarm over a worsening youth jobs crisis, the report from the accountancy firm PwC said Britain’s economy was missing out on £26bn a year because of sharp regional divisions in youth joblessness. In its annual youth employment index, it said the UK was falling behind other advanced economies amid a deterioration … Continue reading Britain [sic] slipping down global league table for youth employment, says accountancy firm yet UK youth unemployment is 40% higher than in Scotland which has one of the lowest rates in Western Europe

1 Comment

Scotland has more graduates, more patents and more business investment than other parts of the UK

johnrobertson834

Professor John Robertson OBA From Business investment rises to 20-year high in Scotland published yesterday: A new report has shown that business investment in Scotland has risen to a 20-year high – in contrast to a fall across the UK. Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes today helped to launch the annual CBI–Addleshaw Goddard Scottish Productivity Index, showing a rise in business investment to more than 10% of GDP for the first time in 20 years. The Index confirms Scotland leads the UK in higher-level qualifications with 53.7% of the working-age population educated to this level. It also highlights key progress … Continue reading Scotland has more graduates, more patents and more business investment than other parts of the UK

2 Comments

Let’s be sure we learn this lesson from history as global uranium demand and Labour’s nuclear plans threaten the lives of the people of the Orkney Islands

johnrobertson834

Professor John Robertson OBA As Donald Trump‘s push for increased uranium production stirs up community media across the USA, a reminder of the risks in Scotland too. From In These Times, yesterday, the above and: When the uranium market dried up, companies simply abandoned the mines, a phenomenon so common there’s a term for it: AUM, or ​“abandoned uranium mine.” Now, the mines stand as toxic monuments to America’s nuclear weapons and energy programs. People are still dying, and the abandoned mines are still not remediated. Yet the United States is pushing ahead with a $1.7 trillion plan to expand and ​“modernize” nuclear weapons, and … Continue reading Let’s be sure we learn this lesson from history as global uranium demand and Labour’s nuclear plans threaten the lives of the people of the Orkney Islands

2 Comments

So much worse together as Brexit hurt Scotland’s trade surplus economy and benefitted the UK’s deficit economy

johnrobertson834

Professor John Robertson OBA With only a 1969 SCE Higher in Economics, bare C pass, I’m deferring entirely to Grok AI on this one. If you’re capable, please enlighten me on any problems with his (Grok) analysis. Grok – Was Brexit even more damaging for Scotland with its trade surplus than rest of UK? Conclusion Yes, Brexit was more damaging to Scotland’s trade surplus than to the rest of the UK’s deficit. The UK’s import-heavy profile turned barriers into a partial “benefit” (narrower deficit), while Scotland’s export reliance amplified losses—eroding potential surplus growth by £3-4bn annually and hitting GDP harder … Continue reading So much worse together as Brexit hurt Scotland’s trade surplus economy and benefitted the UK’s deficit economy

5 Comments

Correcting the BBC – UK Government is not paying to build warships on the Clyde, Norway is

johnrobertson834

By Liz S MSM Monitor posted this on ‘X’ on 12/10/25 in respect to a Laura Kuenssberg interview with John Swinney on her Sunday Politics programme……. “Laura Kuenssberg twice claimed the UK Govt was supplying £10bn to build warships on the Clyde. This is false. The £10bn will come from Norway after it signed a deal with BAE systems. The UK Govt isn’t supplying any cash” . Meanwhile the same BBC in August 2025 on their website wrote…. “UK secures £10bn deal to supply Norway with warships” So let’s break that BBC website headline down. “UK secures £10bn” not as Kuenssberg was stating “ UK Govt was supplying £10bn”. Big difference is there not in both statements…….as in both cannot be … Continue reading Correcting the BBC – UK Government is not paying to build warships on the Clyde, Norway is

4 Comments

Why is Reporting Scotland still headlining the three-day-old news of ‘hundreds’ of operations cancelled in one NHS board when it never tells us of the month after month 98% of thousands completed across the country?

johnrobertson834

with faulty sterilising equipment that’s led to the cancellation of hundreds of operations, is fixed. Professor John Robertson OBA BBC Scotland‘s insert in BBC Breakfast this morning opens with the above story. The BBC Scotland website and STV last mentioned it three days ago. They’re desperately milking a rare NHS Scotland ‘failure’ that they hope you will connect with the SNP Government in some way. They never report this good news based on figures that appear month after month: NHS Scotland was ready to complete 98% of operations in August 2025 despite steadily increasing demand From Public Health Scotland 7 October 2025: … Continue reading Why is Reporting Scotland still headlining the three-day-old news of ‘hundreds’ of operations cancelled in one NHS board when it never tells us of the month after month 98% of thousands completed across the country?