Treasury Minister David Gauke has admitted that the definition of a Scottish taxpayer under plans to give Scotland tax-raising powers has still to be settled. He said deciding whether people employed by Scottish companies working in England, or vice-versa, paid their taxes to Scotland or Westminster was “one of the first questions we need to …
Author Archives: admin
Calman Will Deepen Scots Economic Misery
In May, the new coalition in Westminster pledged to implement the long-delayed Calman Commission recommendations for the Scottish Government. The Calman report, originally published in June 2009, was sat on by New Labour, but now its recommendations for Holyrood seem certain to be introduced within the coming months. The most eye-catching feature of Calman’s proposals is in …
Opinion: The true cost of Calman
No one can expect to escape the effect of the huge cuts in UK Government spending set in train by last week’s emergency Budget. But in Scotland, if the much-vaunted Calman proposals are adopted, the impact is bound to be even more severe. The cuts will certainly result in a significant reduction in the block …
Give Scotland greater financial responsibility
Letter to the Editor of the Financial Times – Ben Thomson Sir, David Miles and Gerald Holtham (“Scotland is taking more than its share of funds”, July 6) argue that the Barnett formula used to calculate the Edinburgh government’s block grant gives Scotland “more than its share of funding”. This is to miss the point …
A perfect example of how devolution should operate
Professor James Mitchell – The Herald This week saw the publication of a report that, at first sight, might seem a cure for insomniacs. But the final report of the Independent Commission on Funding and Finance for Wales is important and relevant to Scotland. The commission behind the report was set up by the Labour-Plaid …
The Real Cost of the Calman Proposals
No one can expect to escape the effect of the huge cuts in UK Government spending set in train by last week’s emergency Budget. But in Scotland, if the Calman proposals for financing Scotland’s budget are adopted, the impact is bound to be even more severe. The cuts will certainly result in a significant reduction …
Experts warn Calman will lead to higher spending cuts
Economists predict heavy price to pay if devolution commission recommendations are implemented
Why greater fiscal responsibility will strenghten the Union
The Government Expenditure and Revenue in Scotland (GERS) figures released yesterday show that Scotland’s public finances compared well with the UK position, confirming that the Scottish economic cycle is not in sync with the UK. These figures support my view that giving the Scottish Parliament much greater fiscal responsibility is both realistic and desirable. As …
Giving Scotland financial responsibility would mean we could take decisions and move forward
Professor James Mitchell argues that Scotland faces a choice between a return to the politics of grievance or a more responsible form of self-government…
Joan McAlpine: Scotland should take its lead from this corner of Spain
THERE are many reasons to admire the Basque country. Its adventurous fishermen were the first to discover the Grand Banks and gave the world salt cod.