Ideas, advice and concern ahead of the chancellor’s autumn statement
The chancellor’s autumn statement is a time for the government to take stock. It provides a chance to tell parliament and the country about the state of the economy, to explain any changes of...
View ArticleHistoric opportunity for Stirling to build on successful castle revamp
By Matthew Shelley Historic Scotland is feeling pretty chipper about the success of its £12 million revamp of Stirling Castle. Just five months after the opening of the castle’s refurbished...
View ArticleSNP dragged off the fence reluctantly in pensions dispute
The SNP government found itself unwittingly dragged into the pensions dispute today when it emerged that ministers had suggested a range of options to help deal with the UK’s pensions black hole – all...
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Scotland’s biggest transport project likely to go ahead – but not yet
At long last, after numerous promises and commitments, we now appear to have a timetable for dualling the A9 – the most ambitious, expensive, but also the most overdue transport project in Scotland....
View ArticleMake do and mend – surviving with nae cash when austerity bites
By Elizabeth McQuillan This isn’t the first time we’ve been a bit strapped for cash. We’ve come through two world wars and an estimated eight recessions since the last bout with the Germans. This...
View ArticleVideo: Scottish National Portrait Gallery re-opening
The Scottish National Portrait Gallery re-opens tomorrow, after having been closed for over 18 months. It has had almost £18 million spent on its renovation and has been transformed from a dark and...
View ArticleAutumn statement: plenty of credit easing, not much crowd pleasing
There has been a very mixed response to today's autumn statement by the chancellor of the exchequer. As expected, George Osborne confirmed that growth would be lower than previously predicted, while...
View ArticleOpinion: The day of action – damp squib or effective display of anger?
By John Knox Now is the winter of our discontent. It began on St Andrew’s Day and who knows when and where it will end. They came in their thousands, bearing the saltire and the green and white flag...
View ArticleOpinion: How the EU can save the planet
By Alyn Smith Gone are the days that a discussion on climate change would conjure up images of vegetables patches, hemp bags and tofu; the stereotype of "being green" is just that- a stereotype. You...
View ArticleFriday song: Danny Alexander (Feed Him To The Pandas)
The Sensational Alex Salmond Band have produced a video by way of accompaniment to their new EP, Hackgate. Written and performed by Ol' Black Eyes himself, Tommy Mackay, the new song is entitled Danny...
View ArticleWeir’s week: Gale farce, SPOTY herberts and, tragically, farewell Gary Speed
By Stewart Weir Saturday I have seen football played in torrential rain, snow blizzards and pea-soup fog. And I’ve also seen games cancelled and abandoned because of those climatic conditions. But,...
View ArticleShould Scotland look to build more links with Scandinavia?
What do you think of when you hear the word Scandinavian? Is it liberalism? Or social democracy? Perhaps high standards of living? Or high tax rates? Maybe saunas and snow? Whatever it is, could we...
View ArticleOpinion: Why we need a shot in the arm, not an economic placebo
By Colin Borland For about a week now, every day has brought another reminder that, if not unprecedented, these are exceptional economic times. We’ve had predictions that real household incomes are...
View ArticleVideo: HSBC at the Power Lunch Club
HSBC is making determined efforts to expand its presence in Scotland. People here may not remember that the bank was founded by a Scot, Sir Thomas Sutherland (1834–1922), and its current senior...
View ArticleUseful Scots word: stechie
By Betty Kirkpatrick One of the unfortunate consequences of growing older is that the joints get a bit stiff and we get a good deal less supple. You may once have been gazelle-like in your movements,...
View ArticleOpinion: Why Britain should join the top table in Brussels
By John Knox The project at this week’s European summit is to rebuild the economies of the entire continent. And Britain, as one of the big four, should be right in there – signing up to the new...
View ArticleA convent truth? New research advises nuns to go on the pill
Is the Lancet really trying to wind up the Pope just as he approaches one of his busiest times of the year? The venerable medical journal today publishes a call from respected Australian researchers...
View ArticleEscaping the silly season: five ways to do it differently this Christmas
By Elizabeth McQuillan Christmas is the silly season for a great many people, where all normal rules of engagement with the family go awry. Pressures are brought to bear by feuding divorcee parents,...
View ArticleArtistic and economic regeneration in Glasgow’s South Block building
By David Cook Today sees the formal completion of a £3.5 million warehouse regeneration programme in Glasgow which will earn £69 million for Scotland’s economy. In immediate terms it is good news...
View ArticleThe hypotenuse of irrelevance and what Cameron’s veto means for an...
In vetoing changes to the EU, the Prime Minister has torpedoed the UK’s relationship with Europe. And he has done it to protect the City of London from the kind of sensible regulation that would have...
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