Conference - 5th March 2020RE-THINKING SCOTLAND'S HEALTH CARE SYSTEM Conference - 15th November 2019A TOURISM TAX FOR SCOTLAND Conference - 5th December 20196TH ANNUAL SCOTTISH TRANSPORT CONFERENCE Conference - 3rd October 2019THE NEW DEPOSIT RETURN SCHEME FOR SCOTLAND Conference - 7th November 2019CHANGING SCOTTISH CHARITY LAW Conference - 12th September 2019THE ROLE OF REGULATORS IN SCOTLAND Conference - 24th January 202012TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE FOR EXECUTIVE SECRETARIES AND PAS IN SCOTLAND (ACES) Conference - 12th December 2019CARE OF OLDER PEOPLE IN SCOTLAND Conference - 30th Januray 2020DELIVERING SCOTLAND'S NEW INFRASTRUCTURE AND INCREASED CAPITAL INVESTMENT Conference - 3rd September 2019SCOTLAND'S NEW PLANNING ACT Conference - October 2019RE-THINKING SCOTLAND'S HEALTH CARE SYSTEM 25th September 2019THE SCOTTISH TRANSPORT SHOW Conference - 28th November 2019REFORM OF ADULTS WITH INCAPACITY LAW IN SCOTLAND Conference - 10th October 2019BREXIT AND BEYOND: UNDERSTANDING WHAT HAPPENS NEXT

What is Scottish Policy Now?

Issue 25

NEW PRIME MINISTER, VAT, INTEGRATED CARE, CARBON CUTTING, SNP AND SCOTTISH TRANSPORT

Welcome to Issue 25. We hope you enjoy this week's articles - we are interested in similar contributions from others in differing policy areas. If you have a perspective you would like to share in a future issue please contact us. As always, we welcome comment and contributions. Please contact us if you would like to discuss advertising in or writing for a future edition at scottishpolicynow@mackayhannah.com. Issue 26 will be published in two weeks' time and fortnightly thereafter.

CalMac's cutting carbon as part of new eco actions

This year we will pass a milestone in achieving one of our key targets in our bid to be the country’s greenest ferry company, cutting our carbon emissions by 5%.

Integrated Care - Back to the Future?

The most recent figures on births and deaths from the National Records of Scotland (NRS) (‘Births, deaths and other vital events, fourth quarter 2018’) shows that the number of births during that period is the lowest number recorded since civil registration began. And yet according to the same body, the Scottish population continues to grow.

The VAT Opportunity

In one of her final moves as Prime Minister, Theresa May has announced a review into devolution. The review is to be chaired by Lord Dunlop, the former Scotland Office minister, and is expected to look at ensuring that UK government structures and departments are co-operating to make sure devolution works, particularly following the UK’s likely departure from the European Union. I hope that VAT is one of the issues that the review considers.

The SNP should be doing better

Admittedly, the statement I am about to make lacks the veracity of detailed research, but the SNP is probably the most successful political party in the democratic world. It has been in government - sometimes in minority, sometimes majority - for over 12 years, and still consistently polls between 35% and 40% with its closest rival sometimes 20 points behind. It is not certain to win the 2021 Holyrood election, but for it to lose would require a seismic event, and it is also difficult to see any of the current rivals winning in 2026 either. Indeed, there is reason to believe that the party which will eventually beat the SNP doesn’t yet exist.

Transport in Scotland - Recognising its economic value

On 25th September 2019 the first Scottish Transport Show will be officially launched by Ivan McKee MSP, Minister for Trade, Investment & Innovation in the Scottish Government.

The benefit of low expectations

It has happened. Boris Johnson has won the Conservative leadership contest and will become Prime Minister tomorrow. If we can put to one side the fact that his colleagues at Westminster are on manoeuvres to bring him down in his first week in office, here in Scotland, expectations are, if anything, even lower.

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