Iain Macwhirter
Barnett Formula
Free personal care saves money – axe top salaries instead.
So who pays? What gets cut? Well, hardly a day seems to go by without a story in the press claiming that the cost of free personal care for the elderly is “out of control” and “unsustainable” . There are repeated calls to axe near-free prescription charges; to restore the graduate … Continue reading
Mad Max Budget – but is he serious?
After a stunned silence after the most draconian budget in modern times, the country is waking up to what the new age of public austerity will actually mean. Commentators paint a picture of a Mad Max dystopia – a country plunged into depression and decay. Crumbling schools, empty swimming pools, leisure centres boarded up. Feral … Continue reading
Queen’s Speech: why Scotland’s laughing.
Ok, someone has to say it: last week’s Queen’s Speech was really rather a good deal for Scotland. Even the SNP have been struggling to find things to complain about. And no – I’ve not become a spokesman for the ‘Condem’ coalition or been offered a gong in Cameron’s next honours list. We ‘re … Continue reading
Iain Macwhirter 