Kevin Hague

A quick thread on today’s #GERS figures 1. Scotland’s GERS deficit continues to be much greater than the EU’s 3% excessive deficit threshold

22 Aug

the GERS deficit doesn’t matter [link follows]

chokkablog.com/blog/gers-de...

22 Aug

chokkablog.comWhy the GERS deficit doesn't matter | chokkablogEvery year there's a big stramash when the Government Expenditure and Revenue Scotland (GERS) figures are released. I am more guilty than most of wading…

Kevin Hague reposted

21 Aug

there’s a fundamental issue that always gets missed in the annual GERS debate: the GERS deficit doesn’t matter the latest chokkablog - which i’m sure won’t upset anybody - explains why👇 chokkablog.com/blog/gers-de...

21 Aug

why is the EU’s 1.5% deficit target and 3% excessive deficit limit relevant to the Scottish independence debate? because if you want to join the club, you have to play by the rules new blog 👉 chokkablog.com/blog/fiscal-...

21 Aug

Kevin Hague reposted

chokkablog.comDid Fraser of Allander say to ignore the GERS figures? | chokkablogIt happens every year and it's all rather tedious - but this is the first of a series of blogs I will write debunking myths or false narratives currently…

19 Aug

did the Fraser of Allander institute really say the Scottish Government’s GERS figures are irrelevant to the independence debate? the answer’s here 👉 chokkablog.com/blog/fraser-...

19 Aug

did the Fraser of Allander institute really say the Scottish Government’s GERS figures are irrelevant to the independence debate? the answer’s here 👉 chokkablog.com/blog/fraser-...

Kevin Hague reposted

14 Aug

fwiw think this is an important summary of the GERS debate - i encourage people to share and invite comments below this “insight” on gers-explorer.com - whether you agree or disagree, i’m keen to hear your views gers-explorer.com/insights/wha...

14 Aug

A quick thread on today’s #GERS figures 1. Scotland’s GERS deficit continues to be much greater than the EU’s 3% excessive deficit threshold

17. Whatever other debates the GERS figures trigger, there should be no doubt about this one simple fact: by benefitting from a higher share of public spending than the share of revenue it contributes to the UK, Scotland "gets back" more than it "sends to Westminster"

gers-explorer.comGERS Explorer — Scotland's fiscal data explainedAn independent explorer for Government Expenditure and Revenue Scotland (GERS): spending, revenue, the deficit and the fiscal transfer, 1998-99 to 2025-26.

all of these charts (in customisable form) and many other insights are available on gers-explorer.com - do please have a look and share far and wide (it was a lot of work to build, i’m hoping it wasn’t an entirely pointless exercise!)

A quick thread on today’s #GERS figures 1. Scotland’s GERS deficit continues to be much greater than the EU’s 3% excessive deficit threshold

15. North Sea revenues (including the Energy Profits Levy in recent years) sometimes partially obscure this onshore deficit gap.

16. Before the indyref, the SNP cited GERS figure to claim: “Scotland received 9.6 per cent of the UK’s taxation, and received 9.3 per cent of the UK’s spending” - in 2025/26 Scotland generated 8.0% of the UK’s revenues while benefiting from 9.1% of the UK’s public spending.

A quick thread on today’s #GERS figures 1. Scotland’s GERS deficit continues to be much greater than the EU’s 3% excessive deficit threshold

13. Despite higher income tax rates in Scotland, the gap between Scottish and UK average income tax (and NIC) revenue raised per head has widened.

14. To summarise: higher spending (primarily) and lower revenue per head (slightly) explain the large and persistent onshore deficit gap that exists between Scotland and the UK overall

A quick thread on today’s #GERS figures 1. Scotland’s GERS deficit continues to be much greater than the EU’s 3% excessive deficit threshold

10. Scotland performs relatively well in terms of revenue generation per head when compared with other devolved nations and most English regions.

12. The Energy Profits Levy - which the SNP has recently been objecting to - makes up most of the North Sea revenues attributable to Scotland.

A quick thread on today’s #GERS figures 1. Scotland’s GERS deficit continues to be much greater than the EU’s 3% excessive deficit threshold

8. The gap in social protection (pensions and benefits) spending per head between Scotland and the UK average has been growing dramatically. Social protection spending in Scotland is now £725 per head higher than the UK average

9. Excluding North Sea revenues, Scotland’s onshore revenue generation per head lags the UK average. The inclusion of North Sea revenues shows Scotland currently generating the same level of revenue per head as the UK overall.

A quick thread on today’s #GERS figures 1. Scotland’s GERS deficit continues to be much greater than the EU’s 3% excessive deficit threshold

6. Scotland’s higher spending levels per head are similar to those of London and Northern Ireland.

7. Higher spending per head for Scotland occurs across almost all spending categories. Social protection (pensions and benefits) is the largest - but far from only - source of difference.

A quick thread on today’s #GERS figures 1. Scotland’s GERS deficit continues to be much greater than the EU’s 3% excessive deficit threshold

4. The only thing which has materially changed the gap between Scotland’s GERS deficit and the UK’s overall has been North Sea revenues - strip those out and the deficit gap between Scotland and the UK is consistently around 5% of GDP

5. The main driver of Scotland’s higher deficit is the higher levels of public spending per head from which Scotland benefits - over £2,500 p.a. more for every man, woman and child in Scotland.

A quick thread on today’s #GERS figures 1. Scotland’s GERS deficit continues to be much greater than the EU’s 3% excessive deficit threshold

2. The gap between Scotland’s deficit and the UK’s overall has continued to (slightly) widen

Sunder Katwala (sundersays)

3. The scale of the challenge Scotland faces to match the UK’s deficit, meet the EU’s excessive deficit threshold or eliminate the deficit entirely is significant - a £15 - 25 billion challenge

Kevin Hague reposted

@sundersays.bsky.social

1 Aug

Replying to @sundersays.bsky.social

Andy Burnham begins his premiership with a net approval rating of +16, a 20-point rise in his approval since previous Opinium poll, when he was PM-elect in mid-July 🌹 Burnham +16 🔶 Davey +1 🌳 Badenoch +1 🌍 Polanski -20 ➡️ Farage -24

Kevin Hague reposted

Rab Boyce

@rabboyce.bsky.social

27 July

2014 to 2019 summed up nicely ;) @kevverage.bsky.social

Eugene Vinitsky 🍒@eugenevinitsky.bsky.social

honestly those people don't know anything

Kevin Hague reposted

16 Feb

i bet she tells people she doesn’t ski

@anneapplebaum.wsocial.eu

16 Feb

i bet she tells people she doesn’t ski

Kevin Hague reposted

Anne Applebaum

10 Jan

The Norwegian Nobel Prize committee has been forced to make a statement, declaring that the prize cannot be transferred. It's hard even to comprehend how stupid this has become

Kevin Hague reposted

Philippe Auclair

@philippeauclair.bsky.social

23 Dec 2025

Replying to @philippeauclair.bsky.social

He remains, to this day, the first and only songwriter to have voluntarily renounced his songwriting royalties for a charity record and forced his publisher to accept it. He could have made millions from that song. They went to the actual charity instead.

@zoegrunewald.bsky.social

24 Dec 2025

this (as with so much else Philippe writes) is a thread very much worth reading

Philippe Auclair@philippeauclair.bsky.social

A propos of nothing, it's taken as a given that Bob Geldof should be made fun of and that his Band Aid Christmas song is not just a maddening tune, but also a prime example of the White Saviour syndrome. I'd just like to add something to this take, which I've only learnt about very recently.

Kevin Hague reposted

Zoë Grünewald

27 Nov 2025

The "don't have an extra kid if you can't afford it" brigade get awfully upset when you suggest they don't stay in their £2m house if they can't afford it, don't they?

Kevin Hague reposted

Sunder Katwala (sundersays)

@sundersays.bsky.social

27 Nov 2025

Today's 70% fall in net migration to 205,000 was not one of the six stories in BBC ten o'clock news. Ta massive assymetry in whether rises in immigration and falls in immigration are considered newsworthy by broadcasters Down by 140k isn't thought to be. Up by 140k undoubtedly would be.

Kevin Hague reposted

Colin Yeo

@colinyeo.bsky.social

21 Nov 2025

Quite the correction by the Telegraph. The publication in question is @freemovement.bsky.social

linkedin.comWatch as Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes MSP unveils £50m private and public investment in Highland Broadband, Scotland’s full fibre broadband builder. We were delighted to be joined earlier this…...Watch as Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes MSP unveils £50m private and public investment in Highland Broadband, Scotland’s full fibre broadband builder. We were delighted to be joined earlier this ...

14 Nov 2025

so proud of the progress Highland Broadband has made - now fully funded to address the “digital divide” experienced in large parts of the Scottish Highlands www.linkedin.com/posts/highla...

Kevin Hague reposted

Catherine Rampell

@crampell.bsky.social

11 Nov 2025

OK this is amazing. Trump’s Truth Social has its own AI search tool, which company debuted a month after Trump signed an exec order to end use of “Woke AI” in federal government. Here's how it responds to questions about tariffs, who won 2020 election, Jan 6, etc: www.thebulwark.com/p/pardon-the...

Kevin Hague reposted

Caitlin Moran

@mscaitlinmoran.bsky.social

11 Nov 2025

Love being reminded to do this every year. It's a win/win all round

Kevin Hague reposted

Jessica Elgot

@jessicaelgot.bsky.social

10 Nov 2025

Maybe Keir should demand the heads of major US news networks any time they imply Britain is on the brink of civil war or that we live under sharia law. Or does it not work both ways?

@generalboles.bsky.social

9 Nov 2025

was a decent evening to be returning to Edinburgh

Kevin Hague reposted

General Boles

7 Nov 2025

Did someone say beveragino?

@generalboles.bsky.social

7 Nov 2025

thread

This post is unavailable.

Kevin Hague reposted

General Boles

7 Nov 2025

BBC really burying the lede there

6 Nov 2025

i’m willing to accept that there might be a worse innovation than the Dyson Airblade Tap, but if there is i have yet to see it

2 Nov 2025

great thread 😮

Sunder Katwala (sundersays)@sundersays.bsky.social

The police continue to investigate the motive for last night's stabbings. Their initial statement is they don't have grounds to believe it was a terrorist motivated attack Elected Reform Durham county councillor Darren Grimes posted this political attack on the assumption it was an Islamist attack

2 Nov 2025

Wordle 1,597 2/6* ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 #lol

Kevin Hague reposted