Fiscal balance
Expert debunks everything you've been told about GERS and the Scottish 'deficit'
Author / Creator: Richard Murphy
Media type: Newspaper article
Date published:
The GERS figures present the UK government's view of whether Scotland could afford to be an independent nation.
Professor Richard Murph takes a look at the numbers and explains why the figures are inaccurate and don't represent the truth about the economy in a new Scotland.
His starting position is this:
The Scottish Government balances its books.
Every single council in Scotland balances its books.
Every public agency that is reflected in jurors balances its books.
Careful What you Wish for? Risk and Reward with Scottish Tax Devolution
Author / Creator: Stuart Mcintyre
Media type: Article
Date published:
Debates on fiscal devolution typically focus upon the rewards, but as the case of Scottish tax devolution shows, the risks are real and require careful management. Politicians on all sides need to be careful what they wish for.
Scotland’s extraordinary fiscal contribution to UK economy revealed
Author / Creator: Jack Peat
Media type: Article
Date published:
Scotland’s annual tax contributions to the UK have increased by £14.2 billion over the last decade, with income tax, capital gains tax and taxes on productions such as environmental levies driving this increased contribution.
New analysis shows that the Scottish public sector generated an annual revenue of £73.3 billion during the last financial year, a 24 per cent increase versus a decade ago, equating to an increased contribution of £14.2 billion to the UK economy.
Government Expenditure & Revenue Scotland 2020-21
Author / Creator: Scottish Government
Media type: government report
Date published:
Estimated total 2020/1 expenditure for the benefit of Scotland was £99.2 billion. Spending increased by 21.0%, reflecting the costs of the health and wider economic interventions in response pandemic. This is equivalent to 9.1% of total UK public sector expenditure, or £18,144 per person, which is £1,828 per person greater than the UK average.