Tag: scotland

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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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The consequences of being a colony – the view from Norway

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Capella writes: I don’t know how or if it’s possible but reporting on the consequences of being a colony would be interesting. We have no power over vital aspects of development and decision making. Something the MSM fails to notice. Jeffrey Sachs pointed out that DR Congo gets criticised for not running the country properly while the long history of imperial exploitation is forgotten. “What’s wrong with your country?” At the world cup a fan stood up dressed as Patrice Lumumba to remind the world that Western intelligence murdered their first democratically elected leader. With power over our resources we … Continue reading The consequences of being a colony – the view from Norway

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NHS Scotland to be hammered for hundreds of millions in US drug deal Scotland had no say in

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In the Guardian today something we, well stewartb, warned was coming. The NHS across the UK will have to divert £45bn from essential services to pay for the trade ‘deal’ the UK Labour Government has just done with big pharma in the US. Scotland’s share, unavoidably as the deal is done by the UK Government alone, will cost NHS Scotland around 8% of that or £360 million. In April 2026, stewartb, warned this was coming and NHS Scotland would just have to meet the cost from its finite budget unless the UK Government did something. stewartb Seems like another example … Continue reading NHS Scotland to be hammered for hundreds of millions in US drug deal Scotland had no say in

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‘I see tourists pee in front of my house?’ – the real campervan crisis was in 2021

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BBC Scotland this morning is going large on: ‘I see tourists pee in front of my house’: The campervan problem on the Isle of Skye. More than 30,000 trips by campervans and motorhomes are made to the Scottish Highlands every year – with many of them touring the Isle of Skye. For islanders, the tourists play an important part in the local economy. But some visitors bring significant challenges too – leaving litter and even toilet waste in the stunning landscape. Julia Dawber says people should be discreet when nature calls. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/crlwj7z7481o As an aside, it is good to see … Continue reading ‘I see tourists pee in front of my house?’ – the real campervan crisis was in 2021

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Be Careful What You Sound Like

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By Mark E. Saunders of “The Scottish Minuteman” https://www.facebook.com/profile.php/?id=61575625542197 When we read through today’s article abovefrom The Daily Express, it appears to be little more than comedy gold worthy of Armando Iannucci. Read it in the context of Scottish history, however, and it becomes something rather more sinister. The debate is supposedly about authenticity. But authenticity measured by what? Policy? Integrity? Competence? No. Pronunciation. For centuries, the British state understood something that many modern commentators of the British experiment often overlook: language is power. Following Culloden, the assault upon Scotland did not end with disarmed clans and outlawing highland dress. It continued in classrooms, … Continue reading Be Careful What You Sound Like

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Scotland’s ambulances between 2 and 3 tines faster thousands of times but Daily Record finds one case to report

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There are some minor problems in comparing the data for England and Scotland but you can be sure that were they to favour the former, they’d be widely reported. Here’s why they’re not: In January 2024, BBC UK made direct comparison possible: Via the BBC’s How long do patients wait for an ambulance? app, we can confirm that the average waiting time for a Scottish ambulance was 8 min and 46 secs: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-59549800 Also, from BBC UK on 14 December 2023: Average response times of more than 38 minutes for category two emergency calls such as heart attacks and strokes – above the target time … Continue reading Scotland’s ambulances between 2 and 3 tines faster thousands of times but Daily Record finds one case to report

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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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‘Alleged anti-Muslim attacks are ‘intolerance wake-up call’ but there are positives to be noted in Scotland

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From BBC Scotland yesterday: The first minister has said a series of alleged anti-Muslim attacks in Edinburgh should be a “wake-up call” to Scotland over intolerance towards others. John Swinney said he was “terrified” the incidents, which left five men injured in the north and west of the city on Friday, were the product of intolerance being “legitimised”. He accused Reform MSPs at the Scottish Parliament of using language which had caused “division” among communities. Reform said the attacks should not be “conflated” with a “genuine debate around mass migration”. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c75y44e9w9do All true, I fully agree but let’s not think … Continue reading ‘Alleged anti-Muslim attacks are ‘intolerance wake-up call’ but there are positives to be noted in Scotland

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Near-Shore Underwater Data Centres with Waste Heat Recovery – A Distinctly Scottish Opportunity – short and long read

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By Jim Mennie: Short version Scotland’s oil and gas industry still has a future, but that future is heavily constrained. Successive Westminster governments of all parties — Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat — have retained control over energy policy because it remains a reserved matter. As a result, Scotland has had little meaningful say over the pace of development, licensing decisions, or the long-term direction of the sector. This lack of control has left the industry and the communities that depend on it in a state of uncertainty for years.Rather than continuing to battle for greater influence within a system … Continue reading Near-Shore Underwater Data Centres with Waste Heat Recovery – A Distinctly Scottish Opportunity – short and long read

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Holyrood still far more open and transparent for journalists than Westminster

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The Herald and other media wailing at new constraints on their journalists wandering Holyrood and mobbing ministers, fail to tell you this. Holyrood access still remains more transparent overall than Westminster, even after the recent media pen change. The new restriction is narrow and targeted. It’s only after First Minister’s Questions, in one specific area. Westminster’s system is much more controlled. Why Holyrood Is Still More Transparent There is broader general access. Accredited journalists at Holyrood have significant freedom to move around the building, approach MSPs in public areas and can conduct impromptu interviews. The media pen is limited. It … Continue reading Holyrood still far more open and transparent for journalists than Westminster