Next Thursday voters will be asked to make an historic decision on the UK’s membership of the European Union. I have always had an ambivalent view of the EU and in 1975, with my first ever ballot…Read more…
Renewing the Scottish Labour Party
The Scottish Labour Party consultation paper ‘Renewing Our Party’ has attracted some commentary that on occasions has bordered on the hysterical and certainly doesn’t reflect what the paper actually…Read more…
Prospects for education services in Scotland
Giving the Deputy First Minister responsibility for education is meant to send a message that this service is a priority for the new government. So what might we expect in the coming years?
Let’s…Read more…
The prospects for NHS Scotland and health policy
Improving the health of people living in Scotland ought to be a high priority for any government – so what might we expect from the next Scottish Parliament session?
Health inequalities remain…Read more…
Change in public services
Public service reform could be one of the defining issues of the coming Scottish Parliament session.
I was speaking at the ‘Leading Change in Public Services’ conference at Queen Margaret University…Read more…
Scottish Labour – What Next?
As you would expect after last week’s election result, there is no shortage of analysis of Scottish Labour’s problems – even if that commentary is stronger on the problem than the solution.
My own…Read more…
Fracking and the election debate
Fracking has probably been the only energy issue to surface in the Scottish Parliament election campaign. The Tories support it, Labour oppose it, and the SNP are sceptical, but not ruling it out.As…Read more…
International Workers Memorial Day
Today is International Workers Memorial Day. When we go home to our loved ones tonight, we should remember the twenty Scottish workers last year, three a week across the UK, who didn’t make it home…Read more…
Chernobyl 30 years on and the future of nuclear power
Today is the 30th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster, when an uncontrolled reaction blew the roof off, spewing out a cloud of radioactive material which drifted across a swathe of Northern Europe….Read more…
The positive case for Scottish Labour
Well that was different! Kez Dugdale’s speech to STUC Congress today broke the mould. Past Scottish Labour leaders have come to Congress and launched into a lengthy attach on their political…Read more…
Lessons to be learned from Edinburgh PPP schools
Collapsing Edinburgh schools are a metaphor for the folly of PPP schemes that have cost the taxpayers £billions. This latest scandal should be used as an opportunity to think again.
Fears over safety…Read more…
Scottish Parliament elections: it’s public services stupid!
Public services are Scottish voters highest priority in the May elections. Good news for UNISON Scotland as we publish our manifesto for the elections, ‘Public Services and the Good Society’.
The…Read more…
Talking about taxation
Something very strange is happening in political discourse in Scotland – everyone’s talking about tax.
The Scotland Bill hasn’t even been passed, but it is having the desired effect of moving the…Read more…
World Water Day
Today is World Water Day. The 22nd March is designated as World Water Day by the UN to mark the importance of water and sanitation.
This year’s theme is ‘Better Water, Better Jobs’. 1.5 billion…Read more…
Budget 2016 and pensions
Yesterday’s budget was originally going to be a big day for pensions with announcements on the review of pension taxation. However, this was scrapped or deferred, as the political consequences for…Read more…
Budget 2016 – All that you would expect from a Tory budget
It is a typical Tory budget. There is plenty of middle class welfare at the expense of workers and the disabled, together with further cuts to public spending. I take a look at the elements that most…Read more…
Time to improve energy efficiency in buildings
Governments must do more to reduce energy bills by improving the energy efficiency of new and existing buildings.
MPs on the Westminster Energy and Climate Change Committee report that the energy…Read more…
Harold Wilson – why my Dad was right about him
“There’s nowt wrong with Harold Wilson” is the only thing I remember my late Dad saying about politics. I recall that many other family members didn’t share this sentiment, but it was a view he stuck…Read more…
Good food for everyone
We have plenty of land in Scotland, and plenty of sea, and plenty of skilled people, scientists and innovators. There’s no reason why we shouldn’t have plenty of good food for everyone.
That is the…Read more…
Welcome end to the council tax freeze, but this isn’t a proper reform of local taxation
The First Minister has made the welcome announcement that the Council Tax freeze will end next year and has published the outline of some reforms to local taxation. The much needed detail is due in…Read more…