These Islands is a forum for debate standing unabashedly for the view that more unites the people of the United Kingdom than divides them.
United Kingdom
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The SNP-supporting National newspaper has written a front-page story questioning how These Islands is funded - as if a think tank raising funds is somehow news. (1/3)
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New poll for These Islands reveals: Scottish electorate doesn’t want a 2023 referendum, doesn’t support independence, doesn’t know what SNP policies for independence are, and is even less likely to support independence if it means cuts to public spending. these-islands.co.uk/publicat…
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For more than a decade, the SNP couldn’t stop talking about Scotland having 25% of Europe’s offshore wind potential. But it wasn’t true. After spending nearly a year coming up with an updated estimate, Scot Gov tried to bury the replacement figure: <6.8%
these-islands.co.uk/publicat…
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Over the last 24 hours, a paper trail uncovered by These Islands via Freedom of Information has developed into a significant story. Here is BBC Reporting Scotland’s coverage this evening.
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Full text of These Islands’ letter to @NicolaSturgeon, seeking urgent clarification of SNP policy on the state pension in an independent Scotland.
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We are proud that so many people are willing to support the work we do in countering misinformation and keeping the debate about the UK’s constitutional future both civilised and well-informed. (3/3)
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The SNP is working hard to push a false narrative that Scots are being “ripped off” or “shafted” on energy bills compared to the rest of the UK. In fact, typical Scottish households pay slightly less than typical households in rUK for energy bills. these-islands.co.uk/publicat…
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🚨 New report 🚨 The story of how Scot Gov has for years been knowingly exaggerating Scotland's share of Europe's potential offshore wind resource. In response, Scot Gov has conceded the claim Scotland has 25% of Europe’s offshore wind potential is false.these-islands.co.uk/publicat…
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These Islands is grateful to @ScotNational for reminding people that we rely on individual supporters’ donations.
Should you wish to support our work, donations can be made via the PayPal link here:
these-islands.co.uk/donation…
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These Islands is funded by private donors. As a matter of policy we only accept donations compliant with Electoral Commission rules for permissible sources. (2/3)
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A paper trail uncovered by These Islands via Freedom of Information has developed into a significant story.

It is fundamentally a story of the SNP’s reluctance to tell the truth when called out for exaggerated claims about Scotland's renewables. these-islands.co.uk/publicat…
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The Scottish Government has recently been pushing misleading lines on Barnett consequentials. These are the facts. these-islands.co.uk/publicat…
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Leader in @TheScotsman today: 25% of Europe’s offshore wind falsehood is of huge significance, and Scot Gov has serious questions to answer.
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“Andrew Wilson claims that the informal use of sterling post-independence would create an ‘orderly transition over time’. Unfortunately, this prediction is based on an astonishing misunderstanding of the economics of currency regimes.” - Professor Ronald MacDonald in the FT
Letter: Creating Scots pound will be anything but orderly via @FT
Another small contribution on the economics of currency in an independent Scotland. It’s clearly a difficult area for many and one in which expert input seems unwelcome. on.ft.com/3pZ4TtS
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The SNP believes the constitutional question is the only one that really matters. The other parties are right to reject that, argues @kevverage.
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A survey commissioned by These Islands has revealed widespread fact denial within the Scottish electorate and deep confusion over the SNP’s independence plans, particularly with respect to currency. these-islands.co.uk/publicat…
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Sunday morning long read. The myth that Scotland sends more to Westminster than it gets back in public spending has been taken apart before, but never as comprehensively as this. @kevverage with the definitive debunking. these-islands.co.uk/publicat…
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Professor John Curtice and Kevin Hague on yesterday’s @BBCNewsnight, talking about Brexit, Scottish independence, and borders. @WhatScotsThink @whatukthinks @kevverage
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The greatest risk to Scottish renewables does not come from a Westminster government insufficiently committed to net-zero. It comes from a Holyrood government with one overriding priority: the breakup of the United Kingdom. these-islands.co.uk/publicat…
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Last weekend, Humza Yousaf revealed his best argument for independence: reduced energy bills. But it’s an argument which does not stand up to scrutiny.
these-islands.co.uk/publicat…
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These Islands polling reveals that more than 10% of those who say they would vote "Yes" to independence think that an independent Scotland could "remain" inside the United Kingdom. these-islands.co.uk/publicat…
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“Pressure is growing for an investigation into claims civil servants ‘reverse engineered’ statistics to back up a claim by Scottish first minister Humza Yousaf about the nation’s renewable energy capacity that was later found to be untrue.”
civilserviceworld.com/profes…
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The UK is about more than just economics, but These Islands believes economic arguments should be fairly presented. In a new paper to be published on Monday 23rd July, These Islands will offer a detailed response to the SNP’s Growth Commission report. these-islands.co.uk/publicat…
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“Scotland has a government ready to throw money at projects that produce the right optics but with little appetite or ability for the hard graft of getting beyond a publicity event and a press release.” @JohnFerry18 on the SNP’s industrial ineptitude. spectator.co.uk/article/the-…
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“These Islands, the think tank established by the businessman Kevin Hague and his colleagues, has done a better job analysing the economics of independence than the Westminster government.” @dsmitheconomics in @thetimes thetimes.co.uk/article/scott…
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Leading economists from around the world are decidedly unimpressed by the SNP’s currency proposals, finds @JohnFerry18. The unabridged version of this important piece of work will be published tomorrow by These Islands.
spectator.co.uk/article/scot…
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“… no country in the world running an historically large deficit plans to rip out the key foundational pillars of their economy that facilitate deficit funding. Scotland opting to do this would be unique; a world first.” @JohnFerry18 spectator.co.uk/article/when…
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The author’s cut: an expanded version of @holland_tom’s essay on British identity, published last week by @Policy_Exchange these-islands.co.uk/publicat…
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Sam Taylor… also argued that the key lesson of the past week is that “financial markets will punish fiscal irresponsibility, and Scottish independence would be fiscally irresponsible on a vastly greater scale”.
inews.co.uk/news/scotland/uk…
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“The spell cast over supporters of independence… means that much of official and reliable information is regarded as deliberate lies.”
John Lloyd on the SNP: the party of grievance, lies and success
spectator.co.uk/article/the-…
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Who's paying the price for Sturgeon's pandemic politics? @JohnFerry18 unspins the SNP’s largesse. spectator.co.uk/article/who-…
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“For an English Remainer, it makes bluntly no sense to have fought tooth and nail to prevent your country from leaving one stable, peaceful multinational union while being unable to manage more than a shrug at the prospect of it leaving another one.”
thetimes.co.uk/article/stop-…
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These Islands quoted by @IanMurrayMP during today’s opposition day debate on the economics of Scottish independence.
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COVID-19: Why Scotland vs England comparisons are misleading. An important briefing from These Islands. these-islands.co.uk/publicat…
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Short thread of yesterday’s @ScotlandTonight debate on GERS, between These Islands chair @kevverage and @GraemeBlackett of @BottomLineScot
Part 1/5.
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New paper: the SNP’s currency proposals overlook Scotland’s balance of payments position, which makes its sterlingisation plan untenable. Furthermore, the same issue means that an independent Scotland’s only other option – its own currency – is no panacea. these-islands.co.uk/publicat…
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Some of the world's leading economists and currency experts have issued stark warnings of the dangers an independent Scotland would face under the SNP’s ‘sterlingisation’ plan.
@JohnFerry18’s important report is published today by These Islands. these-islands.co.uk/publicat…
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“All this has come out through the dogged persistence of a pro-Union research organisation, These Islands, over a period of years, after it cottoned onto the false claim.” - Brian Wilson in @TheScotsman scotsman.com/news/opinion/co…
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It’s taken him a while, but @AndrewWilson has finally admitted that @kevverage’s response to his Growth Commission report was entirely correct. The Growth Commission recommended brutal austerity in an independent Scotland. these-islands.co.uk/publicat…
So @afneil got @AndrewWilson to admit that the SNP Growth Commission recommended austerity in an independent Scotland at least as severe as that implemented by UK Governments over the last decade. (1/2)
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These Islands’ detailed response to the SNP’s Sustainable Growth Commission is now live. Read the paper online, or download the PDF, on our website. #GrowthCommission these-islands.co.uk/publicat…
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Gordon Brown speaking to a packed crowd at the opening of These Islands: Our Past, Present, and Future, at the Discovery Museum in Newcastle.
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When the Scottish Government’s policy on the Union Jack became a news story recently, we thought a These Islands briefing on the history of the flag would be a good idea. Luckily for us, @Prof_Nick_Groom agreed to write it, and his piece is fascinating. these-islands.co.uk/publicat…
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We are delighted to announce that our website is now live. Please visit these-islands.co.uk to read our debut paper, by Nigel Biggar.
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These Islands chairman @kevverage in The Times: For Scottish nationalists the diagnosis doesn’t matter – the prescription will always be to leave the United Kingdom thetimes.co.uk/article/indep…
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A Scottish Government FOI response today revealed that one of its own economic advisors called the #GrowthCommission report “a poor piece of work”. These Islands agrees, whilst acknowledging that the report is not without merit. Read our response here: these-islands.co.uk/publicat…
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Economic arguments are important, but they exist because of deep bonds which transcend the numbers. Kevin Hague in today’s Daily Record.
dailyrecord.co.uk/news/polit…
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The SNP’s economic case for independence is incoherent. So why won’t anyone say so? newstatesman.com/politics/st…
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An SNP MP is advised to dismiss These Islands’ scrupulously fair #GrowthCommission response on the basis of “the people involved”
A Scottish Government economic advisor calls the #GrowthCommission report “such a poor piece of work.”
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Serious and sobering report out today on the costs of independence to the Scottish economy. Considering *only* the implications on trade, LSE economists find independence would hit Scotland 2-3x harder than Brexit.
New report from CEP shows independence would hit the Scottish economy 2 to 3 times harder than Brexit
Authors: Hanwei Huang @thom_sampson @patricksecon
@lse_news @ESRC
Read: ow.ly/ZldP50Dp0Kx
ALT CEP Brexit Analysis: Disunited Kingdom? Brexit, trade and Scottish independence by Hanwei Huang, Thomas Sampson and Patrick Schneider
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These Islands Response to the SNP’s Sustainable Growth Commission in the Daily Record. dailyrecord.co.uk/news/polit…
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When the #GrowthCommission report was published, These Islands didn’t dismiss it because of who the author was, or how it was framed. We took it seriously, and read it carefully. these-islands.co.uk/publicat…
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What is the UK Single Market? And why does it matter? Our latest briefing explains its history and its continued importance.
these-islands.co.uk/publicat…
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For any politician hoping to be better briefed on the SNP’s Growth Commission report, our detailed response would be a good place to start: these-islands.co.uk/publicat…
“What cuts in spending, what taxes would you raise, to follow Europe’s fiscal rules?”
@afneil asks the SNP’s David Linden about financial changes the Scottish government would need to make to meet EU rules
bbc.in/2CEU1dF #andrewneilshow
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What The United Kingdom is Good For. @ProfKatyShaw makes a brilliant & moving speech arguing that our creative people must be part of the conversation.
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In September, the response to a These Islands FOI became a controversial story. That story has now changed, in a significant way.
After successfully appealing the substantial redactions, we have today published the fully unredacted “per capita” emails. these-islands.co.uk/publicat…
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Speaking in London & Edinburgh, @kevverage explained how a diverse group came together to make These Islands happen, & what we stand for: these-islands.co.uk/publicat…
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Chair of These Islands, @kevverage, appeared on the BBC News Channel today, debating the Scottish independence question with Shona Craven, columnist at @ScotNational piped.video/F70aJ8TBdNQ
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Why do students from the rest of the UK pay tuition fees in Scotland, while those from the rest of the EU do not? In this briefing, @LucyHunterB traces the complicated history of tuition fees in Scotland. these-islands.co.uk/publicat…
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‘Sterlingisation’ for a decade, and then maybe (if unquantified criteria are met) a new currency: a plan that satisfies nobody. Chapter 8 of our response explains how the #GrowthCommission painted itself into a horrible corner on the currency question. these-islands.co.uk/publicat…
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On Monday 18th February, Kevin Hague (Chairman of These Islands) will speak at the University of St Andrews on the nature of unions (including the EU and the UK), the economic and moral arguments for them, and what pooling and sharing means for Scotland. these-islands.co.uk/publicat…
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Going for growth, or staying for it? BBC News @BBCDouglasF commends @kevverage “for a serious-minded and valuable contribution to debating Scotland's future” bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-sco…
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Leading economists have made a withering assessment of the SNP’s currency proposals. More good coverage for @JohnFerry18’s report for These Islands.
thetimes.co.uk/article/scott…
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Some of the key points from Kevin’s talk are included in this blog: chokkablog.blogspot.co.uk/20…
Impressive talk by @kevverage of @These_Islands on Tuesday - a must for those wishing to understand the true picture of fiscal devolution in the UK - interesting perspective & refreshing to see the arguments presented in such a structured, fact-based & clear way
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We are pleased to announce These Islands: Our Past, Present, and Future – a conference to be held on Friday 21st & Saturday 22nd February, at the Discovery Museum in Newcastle. Featuring Gordon Brown & many other brilliant speakers. Tickets available now! eventbrite.co.uk/e/these-isl…
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Wrapping up in Newcastle, @kevverage reflects on a successful conference, which brought 300 people together to ask: what is our story and how do we best tell it?
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Scotland’s disproportionately large share of the UK deficit is a topic that causes much confusion. In this brief video @kevverage explains how it comes about, and why it really isn’t particularly surprising. piped.video/FucizmkldGw
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This is disappointing from a member of the SNP’s #GrowthCommission. We could list the qualifications and credentials of the people who endorsed our response paper, but These Islands would much rather debate its substance. nitter.app/iaindocherty/status/10…
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In a piece first published by The Herald, @kevverage reflects on what These Islands learned from focus groups with “indy-curious” voters. these-islands.co.uk/publicat…
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The Scottish Government has the power to issue its own bonds. @JohnFerry18 asks: why is the SNP afraid to use that power? spectator.co.uk/article/the-…
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“Only the publication of a report by pro-union think-tank, These Islands, forced a u-turn.”
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An excellent riposte to the SNP’s “alternative facts” merchants from @dsmitheconomics, who sticks resolutely to actual facts. thetimes.co.uk/article/if-sc…
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1/ These Islands exposes Neil Gray’s attempt to bury the revised statistic on Scotland’s share of Europe’s offshore wind potential. Coverage tonight on BBC Reporting Scotland. Part 1/2 of video.
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As just raised at FMQs. The Per Capita Emails: Unredacted these-islands.co.uk/publicat…
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The SNP's dodgy dossier on growth has been forensically discredited reaction.life/snps-dodgy-dos…
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And should you wish to support our work…
These Islands is grateful to @ScotNational for reminding people that we rely on individual supporters’ donations.
Should you wish to support our work, donations can be made via the PayPal link here:
these-islands.co.uk/donation…
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The SNP’s scene-setter, shredded by @kevverage
spectator.co.uk/article/we-n…
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Chair of These Islands, @kevverage, spoke to Jeremy Vine on BBC Radio 2, about the Scottish election results and the independence debate. these-islands.co.uk/publicat…
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An important blog, and a teaser for a substantial piece of work soon to be published by These Islands.
*Important New Blog*
it turns out I was far too generous with my tweets about SNP economics guru™ @AndrewWilson's rhetorical sleight of hand in his FT article yesterday - but then what's £7 billion between friends?
chokkablog.blogspot.com/2021…
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Ronald MacDonald argues that an independent Scotland’s currency regime would ultimately be decided by capital markets, not politicians. @rmacdonald7 for @EconObservatory
buff.ly/3G5tfts
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Good to see others reaching the same conclusion as the These Islands analysis published last week: these-islands.co.uk/publicat…
The SNP's Westminster leader, Stephen Flynn, claimed the average household bill in Scotland is £1,000 more than the UK government's energy price guarantee. But Ofgem told @FactCheck this 'doesn't ring true'. channel4.com/news/factcheck/…
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“Rarely has a discrepancy between perception and performance been so stark.” @alexmassie on the Sturgeon paradox. spectator.co.uk/article/the-…
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The original GERS report may have been “Tory-created” 28 years ago, but after 20 years of devolution and 13 years of SNP control, the way the figures are compiled has changed out of all recognition. @kevverage on GERs denial, for @heraldscotland heraldscotland.com/news/1892…
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Our detailed response to the SNP’s Growth Commission generated plenty of headlines yesterday. We encourage people to make up their own minds by reading our paper alongside the Growth Commission report. The Executuve Summary is a good place to start. these-islands.co.uk/publicat…
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These Islands is pleased to announce the addition of two distinguished economists to its Advisory Council: Frances Cairncross and Professor Ronald MacDonald. these-islands.co.uk/publicat…
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“And it’s one to watch - it could be a slow burner. We might hear more of this next week.”
Humza Yousaf’s misleading of the Scottish Parliament, exposed by These Islands’ FOIs, covered on #bbcgms this morning.
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SNP's independence blueprint 'would have seen spending slashed by £60bn' heraldscotland.com/news/1637…
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Professor Chris Whatley reflects on the poetic legacy of Robert Burns “... a poet of humane-ness, who observed the failings of his fellow human beings. For these, usually gently, often humorously, he chastised. He rarely condemns.” these-islands.co.uk/publicat…
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These Islands has been saying for years that an independent Scotland could not join the EU without first having transitioned to its own currency. It’s the SNP which is slowly catching up with reality.
Quick thinking Sam @These_Islands has finally worked out that speedily transitioning to our own currency is a pre-cursor to being an EU Member State. Application to become a EU Member State can be made from our Independence Day. #CanDoScotland #28thEUState #ProsperousScot
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Our first panel: The English Regional Perspective. Featuring @AndyBurnhamGM, @RosieDuffield1, @ChiOnwurah, @francesweetman, and chaired by @SebastianEPayne
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The SNP’s economic case for independence is incoherent. So why won’t anyone say so? @kevverage on a supine media’s failure to scrutinise the flawed #GrowthCommission these-islands.co.uk/publicat…
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SNP Growth Commission even less realistic than Alex Salmond's independence White Paper, says think tank telegraph.co.uk/politics/201… via @Telegraph
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Eddie Barnes, of @scottish_future (who also do an important job!)
Despite the best efforts of some MSPs, Holyrood is being out-muscled by an all-powerful government.
Column in today's Scottish Daily Mail.
dailymail.co.uk/news/article…
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In today’s Sunday Herald @iainmacwhirter misrepresents @kevverage’s take on the #GrowthCommission. To understand why Kevin does not “wholeheartedly embrace” the SNP report, read These Islands’ detailed response here: these-islands.co.uk/publicat…
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Chapter 2 of our response paper reveals how the SNP’s #GrowthCommission used statistical gerrymandering to contrive arbitrary growth targets. these-islands.co.uk/publicat…
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Our debut podcast, in which @holland_tom and @aa51_ansari describe how they teamed up with @kevverage to found These Islands, and why they believe the United Kingdom is worth fighting for. m.soundcloud.com/chromeradio…
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The thread which kicked it all off:
1/ @HumzaYousaf recently wrote to @LiamKerrMSP about a correction he’d made to the Official Report, after falsely claiming that Scotland has the majority of the UK’s renewables capacity.
Here is what he said at FMQs on 22nd June 2023.
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Today we publish our second paper: Britain’s Standing on the World Stage by @Michael_Jary. Read it here: these-islands.co.uk/publicat…
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Sir John Curtice speaks on the latest polling data at These Islands: Our Past, Present, and Future, in Newcastle. @WhatScotsThink @whatukthinks
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