Scottish councils may need to set their council tax rates before their spending plans are agreed as a result of the “problematic” delay to the UK Budget, according to the public spending watchdog for...
The Scottish Government has been warned that years of cuts to council budgets will put its own targets on economic growth, climate change and child poverty at risk, as well as weakening pride in...
Health and social care services in Scotland face a “very significant” challenge to their financial sustainability against a backdrop of local government funding cuts that have seen councils...
The Scottish Government faces two more years of budgetary strain despite the rhetoric over the end of austerity across the UK, according to an economic research unit.
Scotland will face acute labour shortages and a diminished tax base unless action is taken to prevent a decline in its working age population, independent experts have warned.
The local governance review has the potential to lead to the greatest centralisation of power in Scotland since devolution, first minister Nicola Sturgeon has said.
Earnings have grown faster in Scotland than in the rest of the UK over the past year, raising hopes that the Scottish economy could be boosted by higher than anticipated income tax revenues.
An independent Scotland could become a bridge between the EU and the UK, and a “magnet for global investment”, first minister Nicola Sturgeon is expected to tell the SNP’s annual conference this...
Kerry Lorimer meets Gail Macgregor, resources spokesperson for the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, who has proved to be a doughty champion for local democracy and fiscal empowerment.
Scottish ministers have asked the Treasury to review the Scottish Government’s borrowing limits “as a matter of urgency” in the light of growing concerns over the volatility of tax receipts north of...
The Scottish Government has defended its decision to bail out private companies after it was criticised by auditors for having substantially reduced the value of £140m in loans and guarantees.
Scotland’s newer universities are bearing the brunt of cuts in government funding as they are less able to generate income from other sources, the Auditor General for Scotland has found.
The Scottish Government’s borrowing powers are likely to come under increasing pressure due to the volatility inherent in the fiscal framework, MSPs have heard.
The assignation of almost £6bn in VAT revenues to the Scottish Government could be undermined by the “disappointing” failure of HMRC to produce timely data, Scotland’s official forecaster has warned.
Edinburgh City Council’s plans for Britain’s first visitor levy have divided local opinion and are creating tensions in the wider tourism industry. Peter Hetherington examines the pros and cons of...
