CommonSpace editor Ben Wray analyses yesterday’s draft Scottish Government budget, and looks at whether Finance Minister Derek Mackay’s attempt to position it in the centre-ground will win him parliamentary allies

MOST people aren’t paying much attention to the Scottish Budget this year, even the small minority who usually do pay attention to it. What with the severe crisis at Westminster, Holyrood’s finances aren’t getting much of a look in.

We’ve got news for you budget slackers – you aren’t missing much.

CommonSpace editor Ben Wray looks ahead to the Scottish Budget next week, and finds a choice for Finance Minister Derek Mackay – take wealth inequality seriously and scrap the Council Tax, or continue with the “don’t scare the middle classes” government-by-tweak politics

SINCE the devolution of Income Tax, there is now a common dynamic in the run-up to a Scottish Budget, which will be announced by Finance Minister Derek Mackay next Wednesday [12 December].

Russia most common place of origin for fraudsters using British overseas territories

A NEW report has identified over £250 billion in fraudulent funds directed through UK tax havens, more than over 20 years of the UK Government’s foreign aid budget.

The report, by Transparency International, examined the UK’s overseas territories, many of which act as tax havens for companies around the world to launder illegally obtained funds through.

The analysis comes as the Overseas Territories Joint Ministerial Council is set to meet in London.

The Scottish Government will outline it’s spending plans for 2019/20 on 12 December – what options does it have, and what constraints is it working under? CommonSpace takes a look.

THE Fraser of Allander Institute’s new report on Scottish public finances provides an in-depth analysis of the situation Finance Minister Derek Mackay faces in his Scottish budget on 12 December.

CommonSpace has broken down four key findings of the report, and what it tells us about the likely opportunities and constraints the Scottish Government face in the budget.

Scotch whisky is one of the most profitable industries in the UK

A NEW poll by the Scotch Whisky lobby claiming that the industry is overtaxed is “spin”, campaigners for a local production tax on Scotch whisky tax have argued.

Customs expert with over 30 years experience in the UK and worldwide, Bill Austin argues that Brexit is an attempt to undermine revenue and customs collection to serve unbridled corporate power, but that there is a chance for an independent Scotland to have a tax system among the world’s best

WE NEED to explain to Scotland’s electorate, but particularly No voters, the consequences to their day-to-day lives of the catastrophic Brexit fraud concurrent with demonstrable evidence of how to protect our society through Independence in the EU. No problem, right?

Richard Murphy: “What we actually have here is…an admission that the government can create money at will. So the 'magic money tree' exists, as a matter of fact.”

A LETTER from the Economic Secretary of the Treasury has confirmed that the government does not need to raise money from taxation to fund government spending, leading to advocates of increased public investment to declare “the magic money tree exists, as a matter of fact”.

New data reveals a majority of Scots think having a low income leads to poorer health – and they’d be happy to pay more to help

A NEW REPORT from the Scottish Centre for Social Research (ScotCen) indicates that 58 per cent of Scots would be willing to pay higher taxes to improve the health of poorer people.

Time-series data from ScotCen provided to CommonSpace on attitudes to taxation, public spending and benefits suggests that a growing number of people in Scotland would be willing to pay more tax to support public services.