News & Articles
What can an independent Scotland learn from Estonia?
Estonia has a population of 1.4 million and the landmass is a bit more than half of Scotland’s, so it has a very low population density. It is one of Europe’s most forested countries with more than half covered by trees, where wolves roam freely. The wolf is the national symbol of the country.
It has also become famous as a digital-first state where you can do everything from making a dental appointment to getting divorced by mobile app.
It has also fostered an enviable tech sector - Estonia has produced 10 ‘unicorns’ - start ups valued at $1 billion - Scotland has produced just three.
Scotland needs independence to channel its energy
When we launched our “Stop the Scottish Energy Bill Rip-Off” campaign back in September, we said something very simple: Scotland is an energy-rich nation being treated as an energy cash cow. The UK system is built to protect investors’ returns and to funnel Scotland’s cheap power south while Scots customers are charged more to access the grid that carries our energy.
UK Gov deserves little praise for ending disgraceful two-child benefit cap
The UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves is finally lifting the child benefit cap from April next year. This was driving children in lower-paid, larger families deeper and deeper into unacceptable poverty and deprivation. The news that the chancellor has finally lifted it should make a small change. But it is too little and too late and nowhere near enough to fix this.
What an independent Scotland can learn from Finland
Finland has a population of 5.6 million, similar to Scotland, but its land mass is about four times Scotland’s size. Finland is a member of the European Union, and it is the only Nordic country to use the Euro. Unlike Scotland, it has a place at the EU’s top table, the Council of Ministers, where it plays a highly influential role.
How the UK’s energy policy hurts Scottish business
Scotland is an energy-rich nation, yet Scottish businesses face the highest energy costs in the developed world. That simple fact is holding back growth, investment and jobs.
England can keep the House of Lords - as part of an independent English Parliament
Labour have decided to put the decision to get rid of the Lords in the hands of the Lords - we wonder what the outcome of that will be?
In one more betrayal to add to more than a century of broken promises, Keir Starmer has just announced that instead of abolishing the unelected Upper House, he will form a committee. Of members of the Lords, to consider the issue. The Lords committee will take at least a year and probably much, much longer to debate its own future.
There is a new path to independence opening up - Let's take it
By Gordon MacIntyre-Kemp
A perfect storm is coming for the Union, one it won't survive. There will be many twists and turns on the road but even as we head into the most unpredictable Holyrood election in history - it seems very likely that the SNP will be the largest party and be able to form the next Scottish Government. Regardless of what you personally think of the SNP - without an SNP led Government, independence is off the agenda for a long time.
UK gov lies about Scottish Water exposed
The UK’s former environment secretary risked “misleading the public” by repeatedly attacking Scotland’s water quality and insisting it was inferior to England’s, a watchdog has ruled.
Believe in Scotland reported last month that UK Environment Secretary Steve Reed stated - wrongly - that publicly owned Scottish water was performing worse than England’s scandal-hit private firms. His lies were platformed unchallenged by Channel Four News - which did not fact-check or correct the misleading claims.
Westminster wants to force nuclear sites on Scotland to supply England’s energy
Scotland already has the capacity to produce more electricity than it needs - yet Westminster wants to turn our countryside into a nuclear export zone for England.
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has instructed GB Energy to start scouting Scottish sites for new nuclear power stations. Torness and Hunterston have been named.
i-GERS: The Report to End the Union’s Biggest Economic Lie
By Gordon MacIntyre-Kemp
The GERS report simply demonstrates the damage the Union does to Scotland's economy. Our proposal, i-GERS, will demonstrate the brighter future independence brings. Let's flip the numbers in Scotland’s favour.
GERS is not Scotland’s balance sheet - it is an accounting statement of the damage done to our economy by Westminster.