Economy

The UK’s Brexit mismanagement, Open Minds on Independence #11

Author / Creator: Believe in Scotland

Media type: News Media

Date published: 2021

There were a number of  mistakes made in negotiating a Brexit arrangement. 
This was imposed on Scotland against its will. It has turned out to be a disaster for key industries.

1. Ignoring the wishes of Scotland and the other devolved nations 

2. Sticking so rigidly to “getting Brexit done” that it made an acceptable trade deal impossible. It was immediately apparent there were serious problems.

3. Underestimating just how big a problem taking Northern Ireland out of the EU would be. 


Political Activism and Agency under Austerity and Brexit

Author / Creator: Tom Montgomery

Media type: book

Date published: 2019

A study of activism against austerity in Britain from the financial crisis of 2008 through the Brexit vote of 2016.  It finds that austerity has been a key factor in creating new dividing lines in British society and intensifying old divisions.


Contesting the austerity and “welfare reform” narrative of the UK Government: Forging a social democratic imaginary in Scotland

Author / Creator: Jay Wiggan

Date published:

The Scottish government fuses nationalism with social wage and social investment concepts. It conjures up images of a prosperous, community led, egalitarian welfare state as a future reality.  It recuperates “welfare” as a collective endeavour.  It describes austerity as a poor distribution of resources between groups and within the UK as the “problem”.


Left-wing regionalist populism in the ‘Celtic’ peripheries: Plaid Cymru and the Scottish National Party’s anti-austerity challenge against the British elites

Author / Creator: Emanuele Massetti

Media type: Academic Paper

Date published:

This article shows that the SNP and Plaid Cymru have adopted a left-wing populist discourse, based on a critique of austerity policies.  


Nationalism and the politics of austerity: comparing Catalonia, Scotland, and Québec

Author / Creator: Daniel Beland

Media type: Academic Paper

Date published:

This analysis of the impact of austerity on nationalism stresses the role of blame as it interacts with political institutions and fiscal pressures.


The SNP must rethink its economic model for an independent Scotland

Author / Creator: Laurie Macfarlane

Media type: Assessment report

Date published:

A critique of the Growth Commission's report. "Far from being an asset to the independence cause, the Growth Commission is its biggest liability. It’s time, as we say, ‘tae think again’."


Scottish independence trading costs calculated

Author / Creator: Douglas Fraser

Media type: web page

Date published:

There may be significant economic costs resulting from independence.  However, there is no reason Scotland cannot prosper as other small nations have. This report looks at the cumulative effect over 15 years.


A Guide to Scottish GDP

Author / Creator: Fraser of Allander Institute

Media type: Guide

Date published: 2020

  • Scotland's GDP per head is at the average of the OECD countries, just behind Great Britain.
  • Gross Vaue Added per head - the most being 3 times the least area.
  • Disposable income per head has much less variation. 
  • The Human Development Index shows Scotland very close to the UK


State of the economy

Author / Creator: Chief Economic Advisor

Media type: triannual government report

Date published: 2020 -

This is the three times a year report on the Scottish economy in an international context.


Scottish Development International

Author / Creator: Scottish Development international

Media type: website

Date published: 2020 -

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A web site that presents the Scottish economy from an international business and investment perspective.


SCOTTISH ECONOMY OVERVIEW

Author / Creator: Scottish International Development

Media type: Web site

Date published: 2021-

This gives the Scottish economic statistics from an international investment point of view.


Economic commentary

Author / Creator: Scottish Enterprise

Media type: government report

Date published: 2021-

Monthly update on global, UK and Scottish economic trends and performance, drawn from a wide range of economic indicators and commentaries. 


Economy of Scotland

Author / Creator: Wikipedia

Media type: Wikipedia

Date published: 2021-

The economy of Scotland had an estimated GDP of $205 billion in 2020. This includes oil and gas extraction in Scottish waters.  

 


Government Expenditure and Revenue Scotland

Author / Creator: Wikipedia

Media type: Wikipedia

Date published:

Government Expenditure and Revenue Scotland (GERS) is an annual estimate of the Scottish economy as part of the United Kingdom. It was first published in 1992, and yearly since 1995, with the exceptions of 2007 where there was no report due to a methodology review, and 2016 where there were two annual reports due to an acceleration of publishing timescale.


FFS explains: what is the GERS report and what can it tell you?

Author / Creator: The Ferret

Media type: Fact check

Date published:

Published annually, the report details the difference between Scotland’s tax revenues and its public service expenditure.


Brexit, nationalism and disintegration in the European Union and the United Kingdom

Author / Creator: Ben Wellings

Media type: Academic Paper

Date published: 2020

The Brexit referendum opened up conflict between executive, parliamentary, national and popular sovereignties in the differing nations of the United Kingdom and had a noticeable effect on British disintegration.


The economics of secession: a review of legal, theoretical, and empirical aspects

Author / Creator: Thierry Madiès

Media type: Academic Paper

Date published: 2018

Economic theory shows that the decision for a region to remain in a country (or a union) or to secede results from a trade-off between the benefits of being part of a large country, and the costs  associated with more heterogeneity. Literature confirms the importance of these trade-offs and shows that decentralization may be effective to accommodate secessionist conflicts only if certain conditions are fulfilled.


5 reasons Scotland would thrive as an independent nation (updated)

Author / Creator: Gordon MacIntyre-Kemp

Media type: Web site

Date published: 2019

Scotland is economically viable as it has natural resources, a skilled population, strong trading relations, excellent industrial sectors and products, and a well developed financial sector.


The SNP must rethink its economic model for an independent Scotland

Author / Creator: Laurie Macfarlane

Media type: Assessment report

Date published:

Scotland can become a successful independent nation. But that plan needs to come from the 2020s. And it needs to come from a broad cross section of civil society, not just business groups. Far from being an asset to the independence cause, the Growth Commission is its biggest liability. It’s time, as we say, ‘tae think again’.


How would an independent Scotland pay for it?

Author / Creator: Cameron Archibald

Media type: News Media

Date published:

It’s that time of year again when unionists start spreading lies about how an independent Scotland is subsidised by taxpayers money from the rest of the United Kingdom.