Those viewing the working class as a homogeneous group of ignorant racists are disproportionately private schooled and billionaire backed. They mouth off about migrants or trans people as threats while doubling down on an economic ideology that keeps the working class poor and powerless
There is a patronising and incorrect presumption that the only way to appeal to working class communities is through racism and xenophobia as opposed to, yโknow, offering popular policies that dramatically and materially improve peoples lives
๐ข Our new report, Funding Scotlandโs Future: Tax Reform for a Just Transition, has made the front page of @scotsman.com.
It sets out credible, progressive reforms that could raise ยฃ2.3bn a year, support climate goals, and protect those on lower incomes.
โฌ๏ธ www.futureeconomy.scot/publications...
๐ฃ Join our Co-Director @lmacfarlane.bsky.social at Scotlandโs Economics Festival on 20 March with two sessions exploring the future of Scotlandโs economy.
๐ 16:50 WHERE ECOLOGY & THE ECONOMY COLLIDE www.tickettailor.com/events/scotl...
๐ 18:20 SHARING OUR WEALTH
www.tickettailor.com/events/scotl...
while weโre on the subject of royal family connections to prolific child sex abusers, we should probably ask more questions about the Kingโs longstanding friendship with Jimmy Savile
Scotland passed the worldโs first Community Wealth Building Bill.
Why do we need economic democracy? What are the advantages and areas of potential pitfalls in the bill? And where does Scotland go from here? Read the @futureeconscot.bsky.social paper by @neilmcinroy.bsky.social and I here:
Weโve been tracking what comes next to scale impact beyond the legislation.
Read our recent report by @miriambrett.bsky.social and @neilmcinroy.bsky.social to find out more:
www.futureeconomy.scot/publications...
๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ This is a historic moment. The Scottish Parliament has just passed the worldโs first Community Wealth Building law - a major milestone in the fight for economic justice.
Yesterday, our Co-Director @lmacfarlane.bsky.social spoke in the Scottish Parliament about how to deliver a just energy transition for Scotland's fossil fuel workers.
Read our plan ๐
www.futureeconomy.scot/publications...
Being involved in the operations of a sex trafficking pedophile is not โsleazeโ. Itโs criminality. And while weโre at it, adults cannot โhave sex with underaged girlsโ. Itโs rape.
the vanishingly rare political superpower of being a basically nice and normal-ish dude, it's almost like he's cheating
Poverty is deepening.
๐ Our #UKPoverty2026 report was launched this morning.
People in very deep poverty now make up the biggest group of people in poverty, at 6.8 million people.
This is unacceptable for the fifth richest country in the world, and it has consequences.
Great to have our work on private finance and nature featured in the latest @neweconomybrief.bsky.social showing that market-led solutions wonโt save Scotlandโs woodlands and peatlands.
๐ Dive into our findings๐ www.futureeconomy.scot/publ...
Surprise, surprise. The IFS has crunched the numbers after Reform announced it wants to cut income tax rates in Scotland.
"The biggest direct beneficiaries of such a change would be the high-income taxpayers".
IFS also warns the policy could cost ยฃ2.4bn a year by 2030.
Call me pessimistic but I donโt think additional training, as some Democrats have asserted, will suffice in changing an organisation that exists to terrorise, kidnap, disappear and kill people.
If the 2C threshold is breached, the number of people experiencing extreme heat will increase from 23% of the world population in 2010 to 41% of the projected world population in 2050.
โNo part of the world will be able to shy away from extreme heat. There is a lack of preparedness across nations.โ
๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ Today's Budget contains some welcome changes on tax, however Scotland's underlying fiscal challenges remain.
Read our full response: www.futureeconomy.scot/press/249-re...
โIf Scotland wants to maintain its proud social contract, we must confront an uncomfortable truth: most of us will need to pay a little more tax.โ
My op-ed ahead of this weekโs Budget for @scotsman.com:
"Sooner or later, Scotlandโs politicians will need to have an honest conversation with the public. If the state is to sustain the services we all rely on, taxes will have to rise. If they donโt, devastating cuts are inevitable.โ
Writes @lmacfarlane.bsky.social ๐
www.scotsman.com/news/opinion...
Imprisoned hunger striker linked to Palestine Action tells friend: โIโm dyingโ
Creating assessments based on danish cultural norms to determine if Greenlandic parents are โcivilisedโ enough to keep their children before forcibly removing them and placing them with danish families is an approach rooted in coloniser mentality
I hope this is in no way interpreted as any kind of support for Trumpโs deranged Greenland plan but given thereโs a conversation about the future of Greenland, it should be noted that Denmark has in many ways treated Greenlanders disgracefully.
โShe was a citizen.โ And? If sheโd was an undocumented migrant, she also shouldnโt have been shot in the face.
Since last year, Trump admin planned what to do if ICE agents were accused of crimes (even murder):
Protect them โno matter what."
Trump laid out ways to retaliate:
โRefuse to hand over an agent
โCharge local officials with โobstructing"
โThreaten to cut off more funding
led by @swin24.bsky.social
The Department of Homeland Security was awarded $165bn in additional funding under Trump. Last year, roughly 85% of people in migrant custody were held in places profiting from this hell. Geo Group alone received nearly $1bn from such contracts in 2024 - 42% of its revenue.
A uniformed, masked agent of the state executed a woman. This is what authoritarianism looks like, and it goes hand in hand with anti immigration policies. Remember that when political leaders attempt to conceal their rabid racism behind โlegitimate concernsโ.
What next for community wealth building in Scotland?
Our new report asks what itโll take to turn ambition into action.
By our co-director @miriambrett.bsky.social & @democracycollab.bsky.social's @neilmcinroy.bsky.social.
๐Download www.futureeconomy.scot/publications...
๐ฅ Watch Neil's summary๐
60 degrees North in Shetland, feat. Santa, where the midday light was already low and the sun will set at 1457. Happy winter solstice to you all.
๐ฃ What next for community wealth building in Scotland?
Our new report asks what itโll take to turn ambition into action.
By our Co-Director @miriambrett.bsky.social, and @neilmcinroy.bsky.social, Global Lead for Community Wealth Building at @democracycollab.bsky.social.
1/13 ๐งต๐
~ Some personal news ~
Our beautiful wee one arrived, so Iโll be on parental leave over the coming months. Looking forward to catching up with folk when Iโm back.
In the meantime, the very talented Future Economy Scotland team has an exciting pipeline of work so keep an eye out!
