Category Archives: Commerce

How Many Does It Take?

Posted on December 8, 2012 by davidsberry

Scotland has a proud history of making things. Our industrial revolution was built on a robust base of a very manly heavy industry that once supplied steel and locomotives and ships to a significant portion of the globe. The eighties … Continue reading →

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Osbo’s Tunnel of Osterity

Posted on December 6, 2012 by davidsberry

We are, it must be said, lucky. Not only do we live in Scotland but, unlike the dark days of the 1980’s, we are sheltered from the worst excesses of a Tory government in London by the existence of one … Continue reading →

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A Day in the Life

Posted on December 2, 2012 by davidsberry

I had planned to be in Perth for the regular meeting of the SNP’s National Council of which, for my sins, I am an elected member. There was in fact a decent debate on the merits of the European Arrest … Continue reading →

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Listless People in a Land Full of Energy

Posted on November 25, 2012 by davidsberry

Over the last forty years, one truth almost done to death but still deserving of repetition is the fact that Scotland is the only country in the world to have discovered oil and not grown rich by it. If that, … Continue reading →

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Why No Searchlights On Titanic?

Posted on November 19, 2012 by davidsberry

Easily the greatest maritime tragedy that can be regarded as avoidable was the 1912 sinking of the brand new White Star liner RMS Titanic on its maiden voyage. Fitted to the most opulent standards of the time, no cost was … Continue reading →

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The Economics of BASE Jumping

Posted on November 15, 2012 by davidsberry

With the dust settling on a US election result that just about everyone who is not Republican (and a good few who are) is relieved by, it is back to financial business as usual—and not before time. Europe has just … Continue reading →

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‘Big’ and ‘Stupid’ Mean the Same

Posted on November 13, 2012 by davidsberry

Recent revelations of the latest fiscal shell-game being played by major multinationals is causing excruciating embarrassment to HM Revenue because it appears they have been taken for a ride by not just one but a whole gamut of major American … Continue reading →

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Reinventing Downtown

Posted on November 5, 2012 by davidsberry

One of the main malaise affecting towns across Scotland is the decline of the High Street and erosion of social cohesion that goes with it as the more affluent use their Chelsea Tractors to shop out of town while the … Continue reading →

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Oily Evasion

Posted on October 14, 2012 by davidsberry

One of the regrettable developments of the 21st century is that you can’t read any authoritative brief on fiscal matters without stumbling over acronyms for bodies you’ve never even heard of. Two such are the OBR (Office of Budget Responsibility) … Continue reading →

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Private Finance Insanity

Posted on September 30, 2012 by davidsberry

So the debate on how Scotland’s public sector should face another four or more years of growing fiscal drought that will take 12% out of the £33bn devolved budget has been blown open by Labour’s unexpected conversion to revisiting universal … Continue reading →

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