A New Scotland

Description

Inequality and unfairness still stalk Scotland after more than twenty years of devolution. Having done little to shield against austerity, Brexit and an increasingly right-wing Westminster agenda, calls for further constitutional reform to solve pressing political, economic and social problems grow ever louder. The debate over further devolution or independence continues to split the population.

In A New Scotland, leading activists and academics lay out the blueprints for radical reform, showing how society can be transformed by embedding values of democracy, social justice and environmental sustainability into a coherent set of policy ideas.

Structured in two parts, the book takes to task the challenges to affect radical change, before exploring new approaches to key questions such as healthcare, education, public ownership, race, gender and human rights.

List of Figures

Acknowledgements

About the Jimmy Reid Foundation (JRF)

Foreword - Rozanne Foyer (Scottish Trades Union Congress)

Introduction: Social Justice in Scotland - Gregor Gall

Part I: Key Issues

1. The Structural Development of Poverty and Inequality - Carlo Morelli (University of Dundee) and Gerry Mooney (Open University Scotland)

2. Towards Climate Justice - Mary Church (Friends of the Earth Scotland), Niamh McNulty (Climate Camp Scotland) and Eurig Scandrett (Queen Margaret University)

3. Neoliberalism and Scotland - George Kerevan (former SNP MP)

4. Economic Democracy and Public Participation - Andrew Cumbers (University of Glasgow) and Robert McMaster (University of Glasgow)

5. Re-thinking Public Ownership for an Independent Scotland - Alex de Ruyter (Birmingham City University) and Geoff Whittam (Glasgow Caledonian University)

6. Can Democracy Go Hand-in-Hand with Efficiency? - David Erdal (author on employee ownership) and John Bratton (sociologist)

Part II: Policy Areas

7. Towards an Effective Right to Housing in Scotland - Regina Serpa (University of Stirling) and Emma Saunders (housing campaigner)

8. Creating a Healthier Scotland - Iain Ferguson (University of the West of Scotland) and Gerry McCartney (University of Glasgow)

9. Improving Learning: Education after the Pandemic - Brian Boyd (University of Strathclyde), Larry Flanagan (EIS union), Henry Maitles (University of the West of Scotland) and Mary Senior (UCU union)

10. Income, Wealth and Inequality in Scotland - Mike Danson (Heriot-Watt University) and Francis Stuart (Scottish Trades Union Congress)

11. Fiscal Policy in Scotland: Under Devolution and Under Independence - Jim Cuthbert (Scottish Office Chief Statistician, retired)

12. Governing Scotland - Robin McAlpine (Common Weal), James Henderson (independent researcher) and Claire Bynner (University of Glasgow)

13. Decent Work in Scotland: A Charter for Change - Jane Carolan (Institute of Employment Rights Scotland), Ruth Dukes (University of Glasgow) and Eleanor Kirk (University of Glasgow)

14. Alienation and Exclusion to Empowerment and Inclusion? Human Rights in Scotland - Carole Ewart (independent consultant), Janis McDonald (human rights campaigner) and Sean Whittaker (University of Dundee)

15. Towards Gender Justice: Enhancing Participation, Reimagining Economics and Ending Gender-based Violence - Kirsty Alexander (University of Strathclyde) and Jenny Morrison (University of Glasgow)

16. Race and Migration in Scotland - Gareth Mulvey (University of Glasgow), Talat Ahmed (University of Edinburgh) and Colin Clark (University of the West of Scotland)

17. Land Ownership and Community Development - Mike Danson (Heriot-Watt University) and Craig Dalzell (Common Weal)

18. Confounding the Capitalist Car-centric Culture - Caitlin Doyle Cottrill (University of Aberdeen), Ellie Harrison (Bring Back British Rail and Get Glasgow Moving) and David Spaven (railway author)

Part III: Political Practice

19. Leisure and culture - Kathryn A. Burnett (University of the West of Scotland) and Douglas Chalmers (Glasgow Caledonian University)

20. Radical Scotland - Rory Scothorne (University of Edinburgh) and Ewan Gibbs (University of Glasgow)

21. Social Democracy and Labourism - Alex Law (University of Abertay) and Kenny MacAskill (Alba MP)

22. ‘The People’s Parliament’, Political Classes and ‘The Missing Scotland’ - Gerry Hassan (Glasgow Caledonian University) and Hannah Graham (University of Stirling)

23. Community Campaigns: the Power to Change - Willie Sullivan (Electoral Reform Society Scotland), Lynn Henderson (PCS union), Linda Somerville (Scottish Trades Union Congress) and Ruth Lightbody (Glasgow Caledonian University)

24. Constitutional Conundrums: Is There Still a Third Way? - Michael Keating (University of Aberdeen)

Afterword: From National to Local - Dave Watson (former Head of Policy and Campaigns at UNISON Scotland)

Contributors’ Biographies

Index

Sujets

• Environmental Policy
• Public Policy
• Political Ideologies
• Political Science
• Escocia
• Scottish nationalism
• Devolution
• General officer
• LAW
• General
• Scotland

Informations

• Publié par: Pluto Press
• Date de parution: 20 mai 2022
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780745345086
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

A New Scotland
The push for Scottish devolution came with a well-respected agenda for political reform. What would be the equivalent agenda for Scottish independence? This book provides an impressive list of ways to connect constitutional change to social justice reform.
-Paul Cairney, Professor of Politics and Public Policy, University of Stirling
An important contribution to the debate about the state of our society. It comes against a backdrop of rising social and economic inequality, class division and poverty impacting on too many of our fellow citizens.
-Neil Findlay, former councillor in West Lothian and Labour MSP
A refreshing and challenging antidote to the stale arguments currently dominating Scottish politics. It roots debate firmly in the search for equality, fairness and sustainability with an impressive array of contributors, ideas and critiques.
-James Mitchell, Professor of Public Policy, University of Edinburgh
A New Scotland
Building an Equal, Fair and Sustainable Society
Edited by Gregor Gall
First published 2022 by Pluto Press
New Wing, Somerset House, Strand, London WC2R 1LA
www.plutobooks.com
Copyright Gregor Gall 2022
The right of the individual contributors to be identified as the authors of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN 978 0 7453 4507 9 Hardback
ISBN 978 0 7453 4506 2 Paperback
ISBN 978 0 7453 4510 9 PDF
ISBN 978 0 7453 4508 6 EPUB
This book is printed on paper suitable for recycling and made from fully managed and sustained forest sources. Logging, pulping and manufacturing processes are expected to conform to the environmental standards of the country of origin.
Typeset by Stanford DTP Services, Northampton, England
Simultaneously printed in the United Kingdom and United States of America
To Bob Thomson, for ensuring - without fear, favour or any financial recompense - that the Jimmy Reid Foundation, the progenitor of this collection, has survived and prospered since its launch in 2011.
Contents
List of Figures
Acknowledgements
About the Jimmy Reid Foundation (JRF)
Foreword
Rozanne Foyer
Introduction: Social Justice in Scotland
Gregor Gall
PART I: KEY ISSUES
1. The Structural Development of Poverty and Inequality
Carlo Morelli and Gerry Mooney
2. Towards Climate Justice
Mary Church, Niamh McNulty and Eurig Scandrett
3. Neo-liberalism and Scotland
George Kerevan
4. Economic Democracy and Public Participation
Andrew Cumbers and Robert McMaster
5. Re-thinking Public Ownership for an Independent Scotland
Alex de Ruyter and Geoff Whittam
6. Can Democracy Go Hand-in-hand with Efficiency?
David Erdal and John Bratton
PART II: POLICY AREAS
7. Towards an Effective Right to Housing in Scotland
Regina Serpa and Emma Saunders
8. Creating a Healthier Scotland
Iain Ferguson and Gerry McCartney
9. Improving Learning: Education after the Pandemic
Brian Boyd, Larry Flanagan, Henry Maitles and Mary Senior
10. Income, Wealth and Inequality in Scotland
Mike Danson and Francis Stuart
11. Fiscal Policy in Scotland: Under Devolution and Under Independence
Jim Cuthbert
12. Governing Scotland
Robin McAlpine, James Henderson and Claire Bynner
13. Decent Work in Scotland - a Charter for Change
Jane Carolan, Ruth Dukes and Eleanor Kirk
14. Alienation and Exclusion to Empowerment and Inclusion? Human Rights in Scotland
Carole Ewart, Janis McDonald and Sean Whittaker
15. Towards Gender Justice: Enhancing Participation, Reimagining Economics and Ending Gender-based Violence
Kirsty Alexander and Jenny Morrison
16. Race and Migration in Scotland
Gareth Mulvey, Talat Ahmed and Colin Clark
17. Land Ownership and Community Development
Mike Danson and Craig Dalzell
18. Confounding the Capitalist Car-centric Culture
Caitlin Doyle Cottrill, Ellie Harrison and David Spaven
PART III: POLITICAL PRACTICE
19. Leisure and Culture
Kathryn A. Burnett and Douglas Chalmers
20. Radical Scotland
Rory Scothorne and Ewan Gibbs
21. Social Democracy and Labourism
Alex Law and Kenny MacAskill
22. The People s Parliament , Political Classes and the Missing Scotland
Gerry Hassan and Hannah Graham
23. Community Campaigns - the Power to Change
Willie Sullivan, Lynn Henderson, Linda Somerville and Ruth Lightbody
24. Constitutional Conundrums: Is There Still a Third Way?
Michael Keating
Afterword: From National to Local
Dave Watson
Contributors Biographies
Index
Figures
1.1 Income growth by income percentiles, 1988-2008
4.1 Economic Democracy Index: rankings by OECD member state, 2017
4.2 The relationship between the EDI and poverty
4.3 The relationship between the EDI and inequality
5.1 Private and social benefits of consumption of merit goods
10.1 Share of total wealth in each 2% wealth band, and share of total household income in each 2% income band, Scotland, 2016-2018
10.2 The labour share, unadjusted for mixed income
10.3 Union membership and top 1% share of income in the UK
10.4 Number of industrial stoppages (UK) and income inequality (GB)
Acknowledgements
Thanks are due to all the authors for contributing to this collection, given it merely added to their workloads during the demanding period of the pandemic. Particular thanks are due to Mike Danson for his help in the initial stages of preparing this project. Although the professional-managerial class comes in for criticism in this collection, it should be noted that not all its members are culpable. Certainly, those contributing to this collection as academics, practitioners and policy analysts are also activists of different sorts, and it is their commitment to this activism to achieve radical social change that not only marks them out as being different, but also being willing to contribute to the collection.
About the Jimmy Reid Foundation (JRF)
The JRF ( https://reidfoundation.scot/ ) is a registered charity (SC051331) which seeks through the advancement of education to raise critical understanding and analytical and intellectual skills among the general public on key contemporary issues in Scottish society through conducting structured and well-balanced research and writing, based upon evidence, analysis and reasoning. It is concerned with not only diagnosis through critique, but also prognosis, in terms of proffering an array of progressive options for ameliorating economic, environmental, human rights and social issues. The JRF is pleased to work with Pluto Press in this regard.
Foreword
Rozanne Foyer
I was delighted to be invited to write the Foreword to this book on building a fairer Scotland, because on first sight of the chapters and names of the contributors, I could already see that it was going to be a stimulating read. Having now read its contents, it did not disappoint. But that is not to say it was an easy or a light read, because it is a challenging collection. I would not recommend attempting to read it straight through, because your head may well explode with the sheer breadth and volume of the issues it explores and the facts, figures and ideas it contains! Rather, this book should be viewed as a comprehensive, wide-ranging collection of very well evidenced and argued, often standalone, essays covering all essential aspects of Scotland s society, democracy and economy. It requires a slow and deliberate approach and should be dipped into, reading the chapters one by one and ensuring time to process, react to and mull over the content. Each of the chapters in their own ways are challenging, they are educational, and they demand your complete concentration and consideration.
The chapters are delivered by an impressive range of progressive academics, economists, policy-makers, campaigners and trade unionists who have a high degree of experience in their respective fields and seek not only to identify the key problems we face, but to set out solutions that can put Scotland firmly on the road to rebuilding a fairer economy and society. Many of the 24 chapters are written in a collaborative way by more than one author, which gives a real sense of a collective endeavour, bringing their expertise together to develop and promote a shared vision. This book represents a huge combined effort by nearly 60 contributors who know their various subject areas very well indeed.
One of the fundamental themes running through almost all of the chapters is the need, if we are to make any substantive and manifest progress towards a genuinely fairer society, for us to address and eliminate the all-encompassing, institutionalised neo-liberal strictures. This is because they underpin and adversely influence almost all aspects of our economic systems, laws, democratic structures, fiscal arrangements and public services, making a change in approach in any one area a deeply difficult prospect without a wholesale reappraisal of direction.
For example, in Chapter 11 looking at fiscal policy under devolution and any future independence, Jim Cuthbert lays out in detail how the current UK taxation system and fiscal settlement has been designed to disable socially progressive government and actively encourage a neo-liberal approach to running our economy. On the constitutional question, there are a variety of views and opinions within these pages, but the one I most concur with is where George Kerevan states in Chapter 3 : Independent or not, Scotland and its people will have to escape the siren embrace of neo-liberalism if they are to prosper.
Similarly, in Chapter 8 on creating a healthier Scotland, Iain Ferguson and Gerry McCartney conclude that much-needed reforms in health and social care are unlikely to be realised unless we are able to create a powerful grassroots movement which insists that our health and social well-being should t