I’ve been following a blog for the the last few months called Flip Chart Fairy Tales, written by a business insider called Rick. His strapline is “Business bullshit, corporate crap, and other stuff from the world of work”, and from what I’ve read so far you get exactly what’s advertised: straightforward analysis of of business…
http://www.scottishgreens.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2014/08/Citizen_Income_briefing_2014_final.pdf :: Here is the Scottish Greens’ Briefing Note on a Citizen’s Income (aka Universal Basic Income) for an independent Scotland. The amount they’re proposing is barely adequate and only partially removes the need for benefits, all because they’re stuck with the idea of funding it from income tax. It is, however, a bold and…
I’ve just listened to playwright Kieran Hurley’s forthright and energising Aye! Talk in which he lists 25 reasons why he’s voting Yes in September’s referendum on Scottish independence. Most of the 25 reasons relate to Kieran’s own political and moral preferences, things that he dislikes about the UK that he hopes can be done better…
I’ve just watched Jim Sillars on the Aye! Talks website giving a speech about the upcoming referendum on Scottish independence. Jim is always worth listening to and here he’s as articulate and passionate as ever about why he believes Scotland should step away from the union with England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The best thing about…
http://www.pieria.co.uk/articles/hounding_the_poor :: Here’s a good article from Frances Coppola on the idiocy of the tax credit system – a cack-handed attempt at distributing spending money to people who don’t get enough of it passing through their hands every week. As Frances says at the end of the article, a universal basic income is the only…
The Yes Movement & Political Engagement. Supporters of a “No” vote in September’s referendum on Scottish independence and enthusiasts for keeping the UK intact need to read this article from Jen Stout. This is where the groundswell of support for independence is coming from and tells us what needs to happen in the whole of…
http://flipchartfairytales.wordpress.com/2014/04/25/self-employed-the-nouveau-pauvre/#comment-19576 :: Here’s a great piece of analysis from Flip Chart Fairytales which uncovers the truth behind the recent boom in self-employment in the UK. Turns out declaring yourself as self-employed is an effective way to get the DWP off your back. If you move from Job Seekers Allowance to Working Tax Credits they can…
Welcome to Collaborative Scotland. I’ve just become a signatory to Collaborative Scotland’s commitment to engage in the independence debate with respect and courtesy, and continue in the same spirit after the referendum regardless of the result. There are many other debates in life where a similar commitment from both sides would save a lot of…
Splendid stuff from Jim Sillars on the currency options in an independent Scotland. He’s scathing about the SNP’s choice of a currency union with the remainder of the UK and argues his case with commendable clarity. It’s encouraging to see a well-known politician getting to grips with the substance of an issue and expressing his…
Our politicians, the economists who advise them, and the journalists who report their words and deeds tell us over and over again that our country is “living beyond its means” and the government will “run out of money” unless it “balances the books”. We’re told that government spending is restricted to the amount of money…
Views From The Boatshed 