Paying a privatised English water company to provide Scottish public water to Scotland’s public services has to be the ultimate in market madness.
An article in yesterday’s Sunday Times reports that…Read more…
Energy profits and the failed market
Scottish Power profits have increased by 41% year-on-year in its generation and supply business for 2014. This comes after the Competitions Authority said the Big Six providers, including Scottish…Read more…
Using public procurement for a fairer Scotland
More than £10bn of Scottish taxpayers cash goes on buying goods and services in the private sector. This procurement activity could do much more to deliver the Scottish Government and other public…Read more…
Fair Pay Fortnight – Scotland and the UK needs a pay rise
Scotland and the UK needs a pay rise. It’s necessary for hard pressed workers and their families, but it’s equally vital for the economy.
The next two week’s will be Fair Pay Fortnight, a series of…Read more…
Global Divestment Day
If we are to save the planet for future generations, it’s time to take action against the power and influence of the fossil fuel industry.
13th-14th February is Global Divestment Day. Thousands of…Read more…
Keir Hardie Centenary Year
Keir Hardie’s centenary year is an opportunity to remember the contribution he made to our movement and keep alive the ideas he championed.
“I am an agitator. My work has consisted of trying to stir…Read more…
Staffing targets are the wrong approach for public service
Staffing targets are the wrong approach to public service reform. In the run up to the UK general election, political parties are tripping over themselves with commitments on the number of nurses,…Read more…
The case for fully devolving Housing Benefit
UNISON’s case for the full devolution of Housing Benefit has been supported by the respected think tank IPPR. Scotland needs all the policy levers to effectively address our housing crisis.
The…Read more…
GDP figures hide an unbalanced economic recovery
Today’s GDP figures look good on an annual basis, but they hide a slowdown in the last two quarters that starts to look like a trend.
GDP, grew 0.5% in the fourth quarter of the year, compared with…Read more…
Why energy bills should be falling faster
Energy prices are back in the news as politicians call on the energy companies to reflect the oil price fall in their gas and electricity prices.
EoN were first out with a gas price cut, followed by…Read more…
Budget blues
The consequences of austerity economics dominate budget setting at UK, Scottish and local authority level.
The Budget Bill was presented to the Scottish Parliament this week. Over five years the…Read more…
Fracking – over to you!
Some astute politics by Labour and Tom Greatrex MP puts decisions on fracking very firmly in the Scottish Government’s court.
The Smith Agreement proposes the devolution of licences for gas…Read more…
Protecting Public Services
Scotland’s public services are living through a lost decade as a consequence of austerity economics and we can do more to protect public services.
Tomorrow (Tuesday 13 January 2015) the Scottish…Read more…
Scottish Labour’s Clause 4 moment – socialism and patriotism
Well that’s the Scottish leadership election over. There was at least a real debate about ideas and strategy and Neil Findlay’s campaign ensured that we didn’t get the coronation the system usually…Read more…
Time to take action on pensions
There are some big changes to our pensions next year. The Scottish Local Government Pension Scheme changes next April and the UK government is allowing transfers out as a lump sum. In addition, new…Read more…
Why 40,000 lost council jobs may only be the tip of the iceberg
More than 40,000 jobs in Scottish local government are at risk over the next five years if austerity economics continue.
Today’s ‘The National’ newspaper carries a story quoting my estimate of the…Read more…
The real chill in the Autumn Statement
A budget package in December may not be Autumn, but it certainly had a real chill for those least able to afford its consequences.
This was a classic Osborne budget statement. Massive real cuts,…Read more…
Why Scotland and the UK should oppose TTIP
Politicians can be so fixated by the benefits of free trade that they are missing the real dangers of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP).
TTIP is a series of trade negotiations…Read more…
Two cheers for the Smith Commission
The Smith Commission report is an important step forward on the devolution journey, even if many of us who support further devolution will be disappointed over its omissions.
First of all let’s…Read more…
Legislative programme. The good, the bad and the process
The Scottish Government’s legislative programme is the predictable mixed bag. Some positive bits, some prospects of action and some significant disappointments.
The eye catcher was land reform. Not…Read more…