The Scottish Politics Thread

[Sandstorm]

Logical move, I don't suppose many visitors will even blink when asked for it.

Easy when you're a Duke. I notice and hate it every time I have to pay it.

[Sandstorm]

And the US. 15% in NYC

To cover the loss of tourist tax, because almost 2 in 5 hotels in Manhattan is now a hostel for immigrants.

[Slick]

It's ultimately only a few bob, and will help with all the expenses incurred in silly season.

Hopefully they spend it on that. I also love when cities have days that are reserved for locals to visit attractions at a reduced price etc, Edinburgh should really look at this.

Anyway, i think it's a great move, the tourist industry has wagged the tail for too long. Now to get rid of 90% of the tat shops.

[Blackmac]

It's ultimately only a few bob, and will help with all the expenses incurred in silly season.

Hopefully they spend it on that. I also love when cities have days that are reserved for locals to visit attractions at a reduced price etc, Edinburgh should really look at this.

Anyway, i think it's a great move, the tourist industry has wagged the tail for too long. Now to get rid of 90% of the tat shops.

I'm all in favour of this provided it is spent wisely, which it is unlikely to be.

I am surprised that it is as much as 5%. Most places in Europe seem to be about 1€ per person per night.

[Biffer]

It's ultimately only a few bob, and will help with all the expenses incurred in silly season.

Hopefully they spend it on that. I also love when cities have days that are reserved for locals to visit attractions at a reduced price etc, Edinburgh should really look at this.

Anyway, i think it's a great move, the tourist industry has wagged the tail for too long. Now to get rid of 90% of the tat shops.

I assume you're aware Edinburgh Castle did that first Sunday of every month through the winter?

[Slick]

It's ultimately only a few bob, and will help with all the expenses incurred in silly season.

Hopefully they spend it on that. I also love when cities have days that are reserved for locals to visit attractions at a reduced price etc, Edinburgh should really look at this.

Anyway, i think it's a great move, the tourist industry has wagged the tail for too long. Now to get rid of 90% of the tat shops.

I assume you're aware Edinburgh Castle did that first Sunday of every month through the winter?

I was not! That’s cool. In my defence we are Historic Scotland members so just wander up there when we want anyway

[inactionman]

Money set aside for restoring nature is to be diverted into funding wage settlements in Scotland’s local authorities.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwy7p2y1p1eo

The already tiny pot for protecting our natural world has just got smaller. Marvellous.

The Scottish government said £5m was being redirected to fund the pay offer but added that it would be replaced in future years.

Righto.

[Slick]

Money set aside for restoring nature is to be diverted into funding wage settlements in Scotland’s local authorities.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwy7p2y1p1eo

The already tiny pot for protecting our natural world has just got smaller. Marvellous.

The Scottish government said £5m was being redirected to fund the pay offer but added that it would be replaced in future years.

Righto.

They have been destroying the country bit by bit and now momentum is speeding it up. I have nothing but contempt for the lot of them

[Biffer]

What's a cheap rail ticket look like?

They made all tickets at off peak fares for the last few months to try and get people back onto the trains

Whilst still running a shitty reduced service then handwringing as to why people weren’t rushing to the railway. Going through to Edinburgh was a turn up and go every 15 minute service pre-pandemic. When I’ve done it in rush hour recently I am staggered (as a regular London commuter) at just how quiet these services still are.

Peak hours trains were back up at every 15 minutes but the industrial action by ASLEF meant it's been back at 30 minutes all day recently. Should be back at 15 minute peak hour service if the new deal is accepted.

[westport]

In addition, Ms Robison proposes diverting £26m from the Flood Risk Management Programme, on the basis the money is not needed by councils this year.

Remember this quote, come November and the first floods hit.

[Big D]

In addition, Ms Robison proposes diverting £26m from the Flood Risk Management Programme, on the basis the money is not needed by councils this year.

Remember this quote, come November and the first floods hit.

That is so short sighted.

[Biffer]

In addition, Ms Robison proposes diverting £26m from the Flood Risk Management Programme, on the basis the money is not needed by councils this year.

Remember this quote, come November and the first floods hit.

Flood risk management isn't flood response. The first is usually more about infrastructure is it not? So if it's not scheduled to be spent now it's going to do fuck all for this autumn.

[Blackmac]

Papers leading with how they are thinking of cutting back on the free stuff. Prescriptions, bus passes, uni tuition etc. Hopefully they will go for the blindingly obvious and scrap the kids bus passes. They have been an absolute shitshow and just about made the buses a no go area. Also made it virtually impossible for the bus companies to recruit drivers.
Maybe show a bit of sense and give it to the 18 to 22 years olds instead who would benefit more from free travel, but that's likely asking too much of this lot.

[inactionman]

Papers leading with how they are thinking of cutting back on the free stuff. Prescriptions, bus passes, uni tuition etc. Hopefully they will go for the blindingly obvious and scrap the kids bus passes. They have been an absolute shitshow and just about made the buses a no go area. Also made it virtually impossible for the bus companies to recruit drivers.
Maybe show a bit of sense and give it to the 18 to 22 years olds instead who would benefit more from free travel, but that's likely asking too much of this lot.

THe bus passes are an odd one - We've got them for our two (6 and 7) and yet other places just let kids that age travel for free with an adult - London allow 4 under 11s to go free with one fare-paying adult.

They're not going to go on a bus by themselves, obviously, so not sure why we don't just say accompanied kids travel free. It would also stop (well, reduce) unaccompanied teenagers making certain routes a misery.

Disagree about dropping free uni tuition, but I've obviously a vested interest in that.

[Blackmac]

Papers leading with how they are thinking of cutting back on the free stuff. Prescriptions, bus passes, uni tuition etc. Hopefully they will go for the blindingly obvious and scrap the kids bus passes. They have been an absolute shitshow and just about made the buses a no go area. Also made it virtually impossible for the bus companies to recruit drivers.
Maybe show a bit of sense and give it to the 18 to 22 years olds instead who would benefit more from free travel, but that's likely asking too much of this lot.

THe bus passes are an odd one - We've got them for our two (6 and 7) and yet other places just let kids that age travel for free with an adult - London allow 4 under 11s to go free with one fare-paying adult.

They're not going to go on a bus by themselves, obviously, so not sure why we don't just say accompanied kids travel free. It would also stop (well, reduce) unaccompanied teenagers making certain routes a misery.

Disagree about dropping free uni tuition, but I've obviously a vested interest in that.

I think the SNP went all in with this stuff in the hope of bribing their way to independence. It was always clearly unsustainable. The prescription one is odd as they make such a big thing about it but the reality in the rest of the UK is that the vast majority of prescriptions are free anyway.

Kids bus passes should definitely be better targeted. Pensioner bus travel should definitely be benefit based and I think many of us wouldn't mind paying for irregular prescriptions if the money was used wisely. My girls benefited enormously from the free uni tuition but it increasingly seems to be that there are less and less places available to Scottish students due to the increasing requirement for overseas fees. My mates daughter is currently one of only two Scots in an international business class full of Chinese students.

[vball]

Having worked for over 40 years and being made redundant in 2 weeks (which I managed to coincide with when I was planning on retiring - senior enough to influence things) I am looking forward to my bus pass. I used it last week while at the Fringe and it was pleasant enough even having to sit with the great unwashed !! I am on tons of drugs so the free drugs are good for me too. Only 1 kid left at Uni and he is in 4th year. My daughter was the only Scot in her floor in her 1st year at Pollock Halls and it is harder for Middle Class Scottish kids to get into Uni as places are going to fee paying (as mentioned already) and socially disadvantaged in many cases.

So in 2 weeks when I go to sign on, will I get any sort of benefit? Doubt it very much but going to go in as I have never been to the Unemployment office in my life. Will be an experience for sure (for me and them) and will try not to make too much of nuisance of myself but I will probably rant and rave (to be in line with the others ranting and raving). I would think over 40 years of working would give me something. I only went to Uni in my mid-30s as my company paid for a part-time MBA. I was the first in my entire family line to go onto Further Education.

Yes the money for ScotGovt needs to come from some place (UK and their own revenue streams). They only have so much to play with and it is hard to balance for sure. Yes people who cannot afford should get more than those that can afford. Yes people who earn more should pay more taxes and get less for free. Cannot believe I am saying this as I am probably the most right-wing person in Scotland (since my sister moved to Berwick upon Tweed to avoid the Tartan Tax).

[Blackmac]

Having worked for over 40 years and being made redundant in 2 weeks (which I managed to coincide with when I was planning on retiring - senior enough to influence things) I am looking forward to my bus pass. I used it last week while at the Fringe and it was pleasant enough even having to sit with the great unwashed !! I am on tons of drugs so the free drugs are good for me too. Only 1 kid left at Uni and he is in 4th year. My daughter was the only Scot in her floor in her 1st year at Pollock Halls and it is harder for Middle Class Scottish kids to get into Uni as places are going to fee paying (as mentioned already) and socially disadvantaged in many cases.

So in 2 weeks when I go to sign on, will I get any sort of benefit? Doubt it very much but going to go in as I have never been to the Unemployment office in my life. Will be an experience for sure (for me and them) and will try not to make too much of nuisance of myself but I will probably rant and rave (to be in line with the others ranting and raving). I would think over 40 years of working would give me something. I only went to Uni in my mid-30s as my company paid for a part-time MBA. I was the first in my entire family line to go onto Further Education.

Yes the money for ScotGovt needs to come from some place (UK and their own revenue streams). They only have so much to play with and it is hard to balance for sure. Yes people who cannot afford should get more than those that can afford. Yes people who earn more should pay more taxes and get less for free. Cannot believe I am saying this as I am probably the most right-wing person in Scotland (since my sister moved to Berwick upon Tweed to avoid the Tartan Tax).

If you have managed to wangle the redundancy to effectively bring about your retirement I can't imagine you will be entitled to anything.

My father in law was essentially in the same place 15 years ago when he was made redundant as production director of one of the main Scottish broadsheets. He was quite able to consider himself retired and go a great package but he bizarrely had a redundancy policy in place which would pay him 70% of his wage for 2 years as long as he could prove he was unemployed, so he had to go and sign on. Even though we wasn't entitled to any benefits he had to jump through the benefit hoops for 2 years to satisfy the insurance company that he was out of work and actively seeking work. He said it was the hardest and most dispiriting thing he ever had to do, but it became a matter of principle for him to stick it out as he had paid so much for the policy over the years.

[vball]

My wife for job seekers allowance for a while after she stopped working some time ago and was doing part-time lecturing a local Uni. Due to our working overseas and her not working due to kids, she does not have all her NI stamps. So she is taking little part-time jobs to make sure she gets her NI paid. She has paid for some years where she fell short. So she continues to sign-on to get her NI paid for the year. She has PhD in medical research areas and nobody will employ her. The Job Center woman cannot understand why she is not successful when she is being put forward for shelf-stacking jobs.

I am looking at trying to get mentoring/coaching roles for business start-ups in the Highlands as I want to keep the old grey cells active. But I am seen as being too qualified. Even when I came to Inverness nearly 20 years ago what I wanted from local vendors was not available. I would ask them to quote, tell them what I think they should suggest and they would laugh. Nobody can deliver that .. they would say. So I just brought in global vendors to do it. eg printing/copiers - My per page cost was about 10% of what the Highland Council secured in their contracts. So 20 years later with more experience, I may need to go further afield to help out others but I do not want to travel.

Maybe I can stack shelves - I did when at school !!

[fishfoodie]

I'm told delivery driver for the likes of Tesco is the handiest number going if you just want something to do & earn a few quid with little work, but will keep you occupied.

It's what I'm going for when they get around to laying me off

[Sandstorm]

Maybe I can stack shelves - I did when at school !!

My local Waitrose is almost exclusively staffed by Public School kids and their grandparents.

[Simian]

Papers leading with how they are thinking of cutting back on the free stuff. Prescriptions, bus passes, uni tuition etc. Hopefully they will go for the blindingly obvious and scrap the kids bus passes. They have been an absolute shitshow and just about made the buses a no go area. Also made it virtually impossible for the bus companies to recruit drivers.
Maybe show a bit of sense and give it to the 18 to 22 years olds instead who would benefit more from free travel, but that's likely asking too much of this lot.

THe bus passes are an odd one - We've got them for our two (6 and 7) and yet other places just let kids that age travel for free with an adult - London allow 4 under 11s to go free with one fare-paying adult.

They're not going to go on a bus by themselves, obviously, so not sure why we don't just say accompanied kids travel free. It would also stop (well, reduce) unaccompanied teenagers making certain routes a misery.

Disagree about dropping free uni tuition, but I've obviously a vested interest in that.

I think the SNP went all in with this stuff in the hope of bribing their way to independence. It was always clearly unsustainable. The prescription one is odd as they make such a big thing about it but the reality in the rest of the UK is that the vast majority of prescriptions are free anyway.

Kids bus passes should definitely be better targeted. Pensioner bus travel should definitely be benefit based and I think many of us wouldn't mind paying for irregular prescriptions if the money was used wisely. My girls benefited enormously from the free uni tuition but it increasingly seems to be that there are less and less places available to Scottish students due to the increasing requirement for overseas fees. My mates daughter is currently one of only two Scots in an international business class full of Chinese students.

Having recently been involved in producing a report on the impact of overseas students on the Scottish University teaching capacity, the it’s absolutely clear that overseas students are creating places (capacity) for Scottish students. It’s categorically not the case that they are taking Scottish students’ places. (Overseas student income is also absolutely critical to funding research infrastructure. Without it, Scottish research would have absolutely ground to a halt and our best researchers left, particularly given the huge loss of ERC funding while the post Brexit shit show stopped us accessing ERC funding).

[Biffer]

THe bus passes are an odd one - We've got them for our two (6 and 7) and yet other places just let kids that age travel for free with an adult - London allow 4 under 11s to go free with one fare-paying adult.

They're not going to go on a bus by themselves, obviously, so not sure why we don't just say accompanied kids travel free. It would also stop (well, reduce) unaccompanied teenagers making certain routes a misery.

Disagree about dropping free uni tuition, but I've obviously a vested interest in that.

I think the SNP went all in with this stuff in the hope of bribing their way to independence. It was always clearly unsustainable. The prescription one is odd as they make such a big thing about it but the reality in the rest of the UK is that the vast majority of prescriptions are free anyway.

Kids bus passes should definitely be better targeted. Pensioner bus travel should definitely be benefit based and I think many of us wouldn't mind paying for irregular prescriptions if the money was used wisely. My girls benefited enormously from the free uni tuition but it increasingly seems to be that there are less and less places available to Scottish students due to the increasing requirement for overseas fees. My mates daughter is currently one of only two Scots in an international business class full of Chinese students.

Having recently been involved in producing a report on the impact of overseas students on the Scottish University teaching capacity, the it’s absolutely clear that overseas students are creating places (capacity) for Scottish students. It’s categorically not the case that they are taking Scottish students’ places. (Overseas student income is also absolutely critical to funding research infrastructure. Without it, Scottish research would have absolutely ground to a halt and our best researchers left, particularly given the huge loss of ERC funding while the post Brexit shit show stopped us accessing ERC funding).

Yep. That's absolutely the case from my understanding as well.

[vball]

I understand how Overseas Student incomes is needed. But how does it create more places for Scottish Students? Is it because the Overseas Funding allows more lecturers, etc?

[inactionman]

For my uni at least, the fees charged to overseas students absolutely dwarf those for home students - effectively the overseas are subsidising the home.

My uni in England charged about £25-30k for overseas and £9,250 for home. I assume similar for Scotland, with exception that Scottish students will be funded (English students will be capped at £9,250)

It's been discussed at length on other threads, but this led to issues with clearly underequipped or unsuitable foreign students being allowed to remain on the course as they're the cash cows, although that is a separate issue.

[Biffer]

I understand how Overseas Student incomes is needed. But how does it create more places for Scottish Students? Is it because the Overseas Funding allows more lecturers, etc?

Because the Scottish students aren't fully funded by ScotGov, so the difference needs to be made up from a surplus elsewhere. That's usually coming from overseas students.

[Slick]

I understand how Overseas Student incomes is needed. But how does it create more places for Scottish Students? Is it because the Overseas Funding allows more lecturers, etc?

Because the Scottish students aren't fully funded by ScotGov, so the difference needs to be made up from a surplus elsewhere. That's usually coming from overseas students.

And is why a number of Uni's are a bawhair from facing closure as the overseas student numbers collapse.

[Blackmac]

THe bus passes are an odd one - We've got them for our two (6 and 7) and yet other places just let kids that age travel for free with an adult - London allow 4 under 11s to go free with one fare-paying adult.

They're not going to go on a bus by themselves, obviously, so not sure why we don't just say accompanied kids travel free. It would also stop (well, reduce) unaccompanied teenagers making certain routes a misery.

Disagree about dropping free uni tuition, but I've obviously a vested interest in that.

I think the SNP went all in with this stuff in the hope of bribing their way to independence. It was always clearly unsustainable. The prescription one is odd as they make such a big thing about it but the reality in the rest of the UK is that the vast majority of prescriptions are free anyway.

Kids bus passes should definitely be better targeted. Pensioner bus travel should definitely be benefit based and I think many of us wouldn't mind paying for irregular prescriptions if the money was used wisely. My girls benefited enormously from the free uni tuition but it increasingly seems to be that there are less and less places available to Scottish students due to the increasing requirement for overseas fees. My mates daughter is currently one of only two Scots in an international business class full of Chinese students.

Having recently been involved in producing a report on the impact of overseas students on the Scottish University teaching capacity, the it’s absolutely clear that overseas students are creating places (capacity) for Scottish students. It’s categorically not the case that they are taking Scottish students’ places. (Overseas student income is also absolutely critical to funding research infrastructure. Without it, Scottish research would have absolutely ground to a halt and our best researchers left, particularly given the huge loss of ERC funding while the post Brexit shit show stopped us accessing ERC funding).

If that's the reality, then it's very good to hear.

[Slick]

I think the SNP went all in with this stuff in the hope of bribing their way to independence. It was always clearly unsustainable. The prescription one is odd as they make such a big thing about it but the reality in the rest of the UK is that the vast majority of prescriptions are free anyway.

Kids bus passes should definitely be better targeted. Pensioner bus travel should definitely be benefit based and I think many of us wouldn't mind paying for irregular prescriptions if the money was used wisely. My girls benefited enormously from the free uni tuition but it increasingly seems to be that there are less and less places available to Scottish students due to the increasing requirement for overseas fees. My mates daughter is currently one of only two Scots in an international business class full of Chinese students.

Having recently been involved in producing a report on the impact of overseas students on the Scottish University teaching capacity, the it’s absolutely clear that overseas students are creating places (capacity) for Scottish students. It’s categorically not the case that they are taking Scottish students’ places. (Overseas student income is also absolutely critical to funding research infrastructure. Without it, Scottish research would have absolutely ground to a halt and our best researchers left, particularly given the huge loss of ERC funding while the post Brexit shit show stopped us accessing ERC funding).

If that's the reality, then it's very good to hear.

Is it not more of an issue with the places the uni's have to reserve for kids from disadvantaged areas?

[vball]

I was listening to a R4 programme the other day and it was saying the number of kids going to Uni had risen from about 15% to about 50% now. Cannot remember the date of 15% but I think 1950's ish.
I can only think of a handful of sixth year classmates that went to Uni. Some went to colleges like Napier but many went to Tech Colleges as part of their apprenticeships/jobs.
Maybe too many are going to Uni now.

[Biffer]

I was listening to a R4 programme the other day and it was saying the number of kids going to Uni had risen from about 15% to about 50% now. Cannot remember the date of 15% but I think 1950's ish.
I can only think of a handful of sixth year classmates that went to Uni. Some went to colleges like Napier but many went to Tech Colleges as part of their apprenticeships/jobs.
Maybe too many are going to Uni now.

Depends what sort of economy you want. If you want an economy based on high value jobs, then more engineers and scientists is what’s needed, and more technical training for those who don’t go to uni. You also need finance, lawyers etc to support those sectors and their functioning.

As we move towards continuous entertainment, more channels, more niche media, that’s more broadcasting jobs and development of creatives and digital media jobs. Again that’s fostered through further education.

Finland has 70% of school leavers going to uni and has a higher gdp per, head, higher productivity, higher standard of living etc.

An economy that is high value and sustainable needs jobs that take years of training and development, no a few months. A few months means the jobs can be lifted and put into another country..

[robmatic]

I was listening to a R4 programme the other day and it was saying the number of kids going to Uni had risen from about 15% to about 50% now. Cannot remember the date of 15% but I think 1950's ish.
I can only think of a handful of sixth year classmates that went to Uni. Some went to colleges like Napier but many went to Tech Colleges as part of their apprenticeships/jobs.
Maybe too many are going to Uni now.

I don't think that there are that many apprenticeships on offer these days. Employers don't really like to invest in training.

[Biffer]

I was listening to a R4 programme the other day and it was saying the number of kids going to Uni had risen from about 15% to about 50% now. Cannot remember the date of 15% but I think 1950's ish.
I can only think of a handful of sixth year classmates that went to Uni. Some went to colleges like Napier but many went to Tech Colleges as part of their apprenticeships/jobs.
Maybe too many are going to Uni now.

I don't think that there are that many apprenticeships on offer these days. Employers don't really like to invest in training.

People have trouble filling apprenticeships. Babcock were looking for apprentice welders last year for work on the type 26 frigates and ended up recruiting some people in their 40s.

[robmatic]

I was listening to a R4 programme the other day and it was saying the number of kids going to Uni had risen from about 15% to about 50% now. Cannot remember the date of 15% but I think 1950's ish.
I can only think of a handful of sixth year classmates that went to Uni. Some went to colleges like Napier but many went to Tech Colleges as part of their apprenticeships/jobs.
Maybe too many are going to Uni now.

I don't think that there are that many apprenticeships on offer these days. Employers don't really like to invest in training.

People have trouble filling apprenticeships. Babcock were looking for apprentice welders last year for work on the type 26 frigates and ended up recruiting some people in their 40s.

OK, that is bad.

[Dinsdale Piranha]

I was listening to a R4 programme the other day and it was saying the number of kids going to Uni had risen from about 15% to about 50% now. Cannot remember the date of 15% but I think 1950's ish.
I can only think of a handful of sixth year classmates that went to Uni. Some went to colleges like Napier but many went to Tech Colleges as part of their apprenticeships/jobs.
Maybe too many are going to Uni now.

I don't think that there are that many apprenticeships on offer these days. Employers don't really like to invest in training.

People have trouble filling apprenticeships. Babcock were looking for apprentice welders last year for work on the type 26 frigates and ended up recruiting some people in their 40s.

I posted this last month on another thread -

"A friend recounts a similar situation. He works for an aircraft maintenance/training company in the west of England. A few years ago they were struggling to fill their apprentice slots for helicopter mechanics. They went to the local schools who said 'we don't encourage people in to manual labour'. Similar to above, after 4 years you will be on 50K. That attitude is why we're short of many of the skilled trades"

That company is now part of Babcock.

[fishfoodie]

I was listening to a R4 programme the other day and it was saying the number of kids going to Uni had risen from about 15% to about 50% now. Cannot remember the date of 15% but I think 1950's ish.
I can only think of a handful of sixth year classmates that went to Uni. Some went to colleges like Napier but many went to Tech Colleges as part of their apprenticeships/jobs.
Maybe too many are going to Uni now.

I don't think that there are that many apprenticeships on offer these days. Employers don't really like to invest in training.

People have trouble filling apprenticeships. Babcock were looking for apprentice welders last year for work on the type 26 frigates and ended up recruiting some people in their 40s.

That's to put it mildly, fucking crackers !

Those potential apprentices would have been learning a trade that would have them earning more than a graduate Lawyer or Accountant for a very long time, & with a skill they can practice in any Country they choose.

Someone isn't doing a good job at selling apprenticeships !!

[Blackmac]

I don't think that there are that many apprenticeships on offer these days. Employers don't really like to invest in training.

People have trouble filling apprenticeships. Babcock were looking for apprentice welders last year for work on the type 26 frigates and ended up recruiting some people in their 40s.

I posted this last month on another thread -

"A friend recounts a similar situation. He works for an aircraft maintenance/training company in the west of England. A few years ago they were struggling to fill their apprentice slots for helicopter mechanics. They went to the local schools who said 'we don't encourage people in to manual labour'. Similar to above, after 4 years you will be on 50K. That attitude is why we're short of many of the skilled trades"

That company is now part of Babcock.

That's quite astonishing and also absolutely disgraceful.

[Slick]

I don't think that there are that many apprenticeships on offer these days. Employers don't really like to invest in training.

People have trouble filling apprenticeships. Babcock were looking for apprentice welders last year for work on the type 26 frigates and ended up recruiting some people in their 40s.

That's to put it mildly, fucking crackers !

Those potential apprentices would have been learning a trade that would have them earning more than a graduate Lawyer or Accountant for a very long time, & with a skill they can practice in any Country they choose.

Someone isn't doing a good job at selling apprenticeships !!

It’s difficult to know the reasons but it seems to be a societal thing. To be fair to Scottish government they had a compete revamp of the college system (not sure if this was started under Labour or SNP) and we have a network of outstanding colleges with world class facilities. The link between industry and the colleges seems to be pretty strong and there are pretty active skills training quangos run by good people, but there is still this issue.

Of course we still have huge numbers of economically inactive folk, so there is a disconnect somewhere

[Blackmac]

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scot ... source=nba

Neil Gray, Health Secretary, caught trying to buy Oasis tickets during Alzheimers panel at SNP conference. They are just not serious people and have no business in government.

[Sandstorm]

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scot ... source=nba

Neil Gray, Health Secretary, caught trying to buy Oasis tickets during Alzheimers panel at SNP conference. They are just not serious people and have no business in government.

Scum bag

[Blackmac]

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scot ... source=nba

Neil Gray, Health Secretary, caught trying to buy Oasis tickets during Alzheimers panel at SNP conference. They are just not serious people and have no business in government.

Scum bag

He's come up with an excuse from the Michael Matheson playbook. The Editor has called him a liar.