Jimmy Reid Foundation
@reidfoundation.bsky.social
Scottish think tank founded in memory of trade unionist Jimmy Reid, to continue his legacy of radical political thinking and action. His words still echo.
Pinned
Jimmy Reid Memorial Lecture 2025 – The Jimmy Reid Foundation
reidfoundation.scot
If you were unable to attend the memorial lecture or would like to hear Professor Ghassan Abu-Sittah again, you can watch the lecture on our YouTube channel or read the transcript here. reidfoundation.scot/2025/08/jimm...
FTSE 100 CEOs earn more than average worker’s yearly pay by noon on 6 January. High Pay Centre calculates bosses will pass milestone on third working day of 2026 with median pay of £1,353 an hour. www.theguardian.com/business/202...
FTSE 100 CEOs earn more than average worker’s yearly pay by noon on 6 January
High Pay Centre calculates bosses will pass milestone on third working day of 2026 with median pay of £1,353 an hour
www.theguardian.com
January 6, 2026 at 8:53 AM
FTSE 100 CEOs earn more than average worker’s yearly pay by noon on 6 January. High Pay Centre calculates bosses will pass milestone on third working day of 2026 with median pay of £1,353 an hour. www.theguardian.com/business/202...
US will be exempt from global tax deal targeting profits of large multinationals. “This deal …allows the largest, most profitable American companies to keep parking profits in tax havens,” Great for billionaires, bad for working people, including the USA. www.theguardian.com/business/202...
US will be exempt from global tax deal targeting profits of large multinationals
Agreement finalised by the OECD waters down a landmark 2021 deal that set a minimum global corporate tax of 15%
www.theguardian.com
January 6, 2026 at 8:34 AM
US will be exempt from global tax deal targeting profits of large multinationals. “This deal …allows the largest, most profitable American companies to keep parking profits in tax havens,” Great for billionaires, bad for working people, including the USA. www.theguardian.com/business/202...
Overhaul to bridge Scotland's skills gap is long overdue. Yes, the skills structure is complex and underfunded, as we reported. But firms are not investing either. Awareness is not the same as action, creating dislocation between rhetoric and reality. www.heraldscotland.com/opinion/2573...
Overhaul to bridge Scotland's skills gap is well overdue
Good intentions also require good mechanisms to avoid the road to ruin
www.heraldscotland.com
January 6, 2026 at 7:51 AM
Overhaul to bridge Scotland's skills gap is long overdue. Yes, the skills structure is complex and underfunded, as we reported. But firms are not investing either. Awareness is not the same as action, creating dislocation between rhetoric and reality. www.heraldscotland.com/opinion/2573...
Record levels of work-related stress in Britain’s workplaces. TUC declares work-related stress “crisis” as HSE stats show 22 million working days were lost due to stress in 2024/2025. 79% of safety reps identified stress as the biggest workplace risk. www.tuc.org.uk/news/tuc-rec...
TUC - Record levels of work-related stress in Britain’s workplaces
Britain is facing a work-related stress crisis, according to new TUC data released today (Monday).
www.tuc.org.uk
January 5, 2026 at 12:49 PM
Record levels of work-related stress in Britain’s workplaces. TUC declares work-related stress “crisis” as HSE stats show 22 million working days were lost due to stress in 2024/2025. 79% of safety reps identified stress as the biggest workplace risk. www.tuc.org.uk/news/tuc-rec...
Resolution Foundation: A zombie apocalypse, will kill off struggling firms and leave the door open for new, more productive ones to replace them. Good news for medium-term prospects, the short-term impact could be job displacement and higher unemployment. www.theguardian.com/society/2026...
Collapse of ‘zombie’ UK firms forecast to fuel unemployment in 2026
Businesses being hit by rising cost of interest rates, energy costs and wages, says Resolution Foundation
www.theguardian.com
January 5, 2026 at 8:32 AM
Resolution Foundation: A zombie apocalypse, will kill off struggling firms and leave the door open for new, more productive ones to replace them. Good news for medium-term prospects, the short-term impact could be job displacement and higher unemployment. www.theguardian.com/society/2026...
Strike ballots open at four Scottish universities in face of widespread fears over pay and jobs. University and College Union (UCU) Scotland union is to ballot staff at Aberdeen, Heriot-Watt, Stirling and Strathclyde universities. www.scotsman.com/education/st...
Strike ballots open at four universities amid widespread fears over pay and jobs
Four Scottish universities are facing the prospect of industrial action as strike ballot over job losses open from the University and College Union (UCU) Scotland union
www.scotsman.com
January 5, 2026 at 8:20 AM
Strike ballots open at four Scottish universities in face of widespread fears over pay and jobs. University and College Union (UCU) Scotland union is to ballot staff at Aberdeen, Heriot-Watt, Stirling and Strathclyde universities. www.scotsman.com/education/st...
Wealthy should be taxed more to help pay for health and social care, says Kirk moderator. Highlights social care as a sector that is in need of funding. That is also a key driver of the problems facing the NHS.
www.scotsman.com/news/politic...
www.scotsman.com/news/politic...
Tax wealthy to help pay for health and social care, says Kirk moderator
The Rt Rev Rosemary Frew said the social care sector is under pressure
www.scotsman.com
January 4, 2026 at 6:57 AM
Wealthy should be taxed more to help pay for health and social care, says Kirk moderator. Highlights social care as a sector that is in need of funding. That is also a key driver of the problems facing the NHS.
www.scotsman.com/news/politic...
www.scotsman.com/news/politic...
Record year for wind and solar electricity in Great Britain in 2025. But “what we're not seeing is kind of the exponential scale-up that you'd need to get to clean power 2030, because those targets are very, very ambitious," www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Record year for wind and solar electricity in Great Britain in 2025
Wind, solar and other renewables hit a new high last year but the government is still some way off its clean power target.
www.bbc.co.uk
January 3, 2026 at 8:35 AM
Record year for wind and solar electricity in Great Britain in 2025. But “what we're not seeing is kind of the exponential scale-up that you'd need to get to clean power 2030, because those targets are very, very ambitious," www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
UK government should end rail outsourcing ‘racket’. RMT estimates six cleaning, security and catering suppliers made £150m profits last year. www.theguardian.com/business/202...
UK government should end rail outsourcing ‘racket’, says union
RMT estimates six cleaning, security and catering suppliers made £150m profits last year
www.theguardian.com
January 2, 2026 at 8:46 AM
UK government should end rail outsourcing ‘racket’. RMT estimates six cleaning, security and catering suppliers made £150m profits last year. www.theguardian.com/business/202...
Scotland's £1.5bn council tax debt. COSLA is right, we need a "fairer and more proportionate council tax system that reflects the needs of our communities and supports our local services. Reform is long overdue.”
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2571818...
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2571818...
Scotland's £1.5bn council debt mountain exposes broken SNP promises
Campaign groups have called on the SNP to honour its pledge to abolish council tax as Scotland sits on a debt mountain of over £1.5 billion, with…
www.heraldscotland.com
January 2, 2026 at 7:37 AM
Scotland's £1.5bn council tax debt. COSLA is right, we need a "fairer and more proportionate council tax system that reflects the needs of our communities and supports our local services. Reform is long overdue.”
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2571818...
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2571818...
Reposted by Jimmy Reid Foundation
🚨 “Can I tell you how many times in the last 45 years the European Court of Human Rights has ruled against the UK when it comes to deporting people from this country - only 13 times - in 45 years”
Please remember this in 2026 when Nigel Farage tells you we must leave the ECHR to control our borders
Please remember this in 2026 when Nigel Farage tells you we must leave the ECHR to control our borders
Human rights are universal - politicians may not always find them politically convenient but it shouldn’t fall to any government to say who those rights should & should not apply to. Because none of us then has rights, just privileges that can be taken away by those in power
youtu.be/bl0Lm7v_T18?...
youtu.be/bl0Lm7v_T18?...
The government won’t achieve ‘decency’ over ‘division’ by trying to be Reform Lite
YouTube video by Peter Stefanovic
youtu.be
December 31, 2025 at 5:52 PM
🚨 “Can I tell you how many times in the last 45 years the European Court of Human Rights has ruled against the UK when it comes to deporting people from this country - only 13 times - in 45 years”
Please remember this in 2026 when Nigel Farage tells you we must leave the ECHR to control our borders
Please remember this in 2026 when Nigel Farage tells you we must leave the ECHR to control our borders
Focus on communities. Developing redundant spaces in towns and cities rather than New Towns and out-of-town sites. This would deliver housing faster and more sustainably, and in ways that strengthen existing communities rather than displacing them. www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
Focus on communities in new towns and old | Letters
Letters: Readers respond to criticism by senior planners of the government’s building drive, citing a lack of ambition and insufficient social housing
www.theguardian.com
January 1, 2026 at 8:33 AM
Focus on communities. Developing redundant spaces in towns and cities rather than New Towns and out-of-town sites. This would deliver housing faster and more sustainably, and in ways that strengthen existing communities rather than displacing them. www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
Chaos, fun and fireballs: Working the Hogmanay night shift. As Hogmanay approaches, spare a thought for those who make our celebrations happen. The unsung heroes working - including volunteers - while we party. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Chaos, fun and fireballs: Working the Hogmanay night shift
BBC Scotland meets some of the workers and volunteers keeping events, restaurants and the transport network running this New Year's Eve.
www.bbc.co.uk
December 31, 2025 at 6:50 AM
Chaos, fun and fireballs: Working the Hogmanay night shift. As Hogmanay approaches, spare a thought for those who make our celebrations happen. The unsung heroes working - including volunteers - while we party. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Civil servants receive more than £1million in exit payments. The numbers and amount is small over five years and mainly ill-health reasons. A non-issue holiday PR. www.heraldscotland.com/news/2572775...
Civil servants receive exit payments totalling more than £1million
Civil servants working for the Scottish Government's core departments have received exit payments costing the public purse more than £1 million, it…
www.heraldscotland.com
December 30, 2025 at 7:44 AM
Civil servants receive more than £1million in exit payments. The numbers and amount is small over five years and mainly ill-health reasons. A non-issue holiday PR. www.heraldscotland.com/news/2572775...
2025 - A year in view. Six major papers, eight briefings, an inspiring memorial lecture and other events and interventions. Many thanks to our affiliates and supporters who make all this possible. More to come in 2026. reidfoundation.scot
December 29, 2025 at 10:51 AM
2025 - A year in view. Six major papers, eight briefings, an inspiring memorial lecture and other events and interventions. Many thanks to our affiliates and supporters who make all this possible. More to come in 2026. reidfoundation.scot
Whether it’s a ‘productivity puzzle’ or the ‘British disease’, the UK and European economy has been underperforming for decades. Long-term radical action and a renewed understanding of the causes of the disease are needed.
theconversation.com/whether-its-...
theconversation.com/whether-its-...
Whether it’s a ‘productivity puzzle’ or the ‘British disease’, the UK economy has been underperforming for decades
Economists have argued for decades about the best treatment for the UK’s persistent economic malaise.
theconversation.com
December 29, 2025 at 7:29 AM
Whether it’s a ‘productivity puzzle’ or the ‘British disease’, the UK and European economy has been underperforming for decades. Long-term radical action and a renewed understanding of the causes of the disease are needed.
theconversation.com/whether-its-...
theconversation.com/whether-its-...
How Hannah Arendt can help us understand this new age of far-right populism. A second warning sign that politics is increasingly driven by what Arendt described as “forces that cannot be trusted to follow the rules of common sense and self-interest”. theconversation.com/how-hannah-a...
How Hannah Arendt can help us understand this new age of far-right populism
One of the main lessons of Arendt’s Origins of Totalitarianism is that we must actively think in the now, and try to grasp new realities on their own terms.
theconversation.com
December 29, 2025 at 7:20 AM
How Hannah Arendt can help us understand this new age of far-right populism. A second warning sign that politics is increasingly driven by what Arendt described as “forces that cannot be trusted to follow the rules of common sense and self-interest”. theconversation.com/how-hannah-a...
Dave sets out the big finance questions facing Holyrood in 2026 in The National, and solutions from Tax Justice Scotland. Now Scotland must choose: keep letting services quietly crumble, or invest in the people and places that make this country tick. www.thenational.scot/politics/257...
The big finance questions facing Holyrood in 2026
THE UK Budget has offered some respite for Scotland’s Finance Secretary as she drafts her spending plans but it has far from solved Scotland’s…
www.thenational.scot
December 28, 2025 at 8:07 AM
Dave sets out the big finance questions facing Holyrood in 2026 in The National, and solutions from Tax Justice Scotland. Now Scotland must choose: keep letting services quietly crumble, or invest in the people and places that make this country tick. www.thenational.scot/politics/257...
The fight for true freedom of information in Scotland - who's in? We are! “It is pretty preposterous that the Government said in its submission that it has not been going slowly. If this is not slow, I do not know what slow is, because progress is glacial” www.scotsman.com/news/opinion...
The fight for true freedom of information in Scotland - who's in?
Let’s see who is really committed to open and transparent government
www.scotsman.com
December 27, 2025 at 9:06 AM
The fight for true freedom of information in Scotland - who's in? We are! “It is pretty preposterous that the Government said in its submission that it has not been going slowly. If this is not slow, I do not know what slow is, because progress is glacial” www.scotsman.com/news/opinion...
Scottish workers '£700 worse off under SNP' as wage growth lags. Although wages in Scotland are still around the UK average, and other economic indicators have been better than the UK average. All of this depends on poor labour market data in Scotland. www.heraldscotland.com/news/2572037...
Scottish workers ‘£700 worse off’ as Scotland records low pay growth
Scottish workers are around £700 a year worse off under the SNP, Labour claims, as figures show Scotland has the lowest pay growth in the UK…
www.heraldscotland.com
December 27, 2025 at 8:29 AM
Scottish workers '£700 worse off under SNP' as wage growth lags. Although wages in Scotland are still around the UK average, and other economic indicators have been better than the UK average. All of this depends on poor labour market data in Scotland. www.heraldscotland.com/news/2572037...
Fears raised over 'illegal' profits in Scotland’s child care system. Operating surplus of £9,100 per child compared to £8,600 across UK. One company is paying £670,000-a-year to a parent for-profit care firm for management services. www.heraldscotland.com/news/2571143...
'Illegal gain' in Scotland’s child care system sparks ScotGov action demand
Ministers are under pressure to intervene in Scotland's publicly funded foster care system amid fears of illegal profits sparked by an official…
www.heraldscotland.com
December 26, 2025 at 8:02 AM
Fears raised over 'illegal' profits in Scotland’s child care system. Operating surplus of £9,100 per child compared to £8,600 across UK. One company is paying £670,000-a-year to a parent for-profit care firm for management services. www.heraldscotland.com/news/2571143...
The politics of the hyper-polluting private transport used by the world’s super-rich is hotting up. The 125 wealthiest billionaires alone emit 3m tonnes of carbon annually. This is close to the carbon footprint of Madagascar, a country of 30m people. theconversation.com/the-politics...
The politics of the hyper-polluting private transport used by the world’s super-rich is hotting up
Inequality is damaging the cohesion needed to fight climate change.
theconversation.com
December 24, 2025 at 7:52 AM
The politics of the hyper-polluting private transport used by the world’s super-rich is hotting up. The 125 wealthiest billionaires alone emit 3m tonnes of carbon annually. This is close to the carbon footprint of Madagascar, a country of 30m people. theconversation.com/the-politics...
An open letter signed by some of the biggest names in Scottish music and culture calls for consultation before BBC Radio Scotland presses ahead with replacing its curator-led specialist music programmes - severing a key route for emerging Scottish artists. www.scotsman.com/arts-and-cul...
300 musicians and culture figures call on BBC Scotland to pause cuts to music shows
The letter comes amid plans for a radical shake-up of programming with late-night curated music shows to be replaced by ‘mainstream, easy listening’ programmes led by playlists
www.scotsman.com
December 22, 2025 at 8:05 AM
An open letter signed by some of the biggest names in Scottish music and culture calls for consultation before BBC Radio Scotland presses ahead with replacing its curator-led specialist music programmes - severing a key route for emerging Scottish artists. www.scotsman.com/arts-and-cul...
MSPs demand reforms to public inquiries amid soaring costs. There is currently limited ability for ministers to control expenditure and stop costs spiralling – or to stop an inquiry dragging on for years once it’s up and running. www.heraldscotland.com/news/2571487...
MSPs call for radical reforms to public inquiries amid soaring costs
Public inquiries in Scotland should have agreed budgets and timescales amid fears over soaring costs, a Holyrood committee has said.
www.heraldscotland.com
December 22, 2025 at 7:44 AM
MSPs demand reforms to public inquiries amid soaring costs. There is currently limited ability for ministers to control expenditure and stop costs spiralling – or to stop an inquiry dragging on for years once it’s up and running. www.heraldscotland.com/news/2571487...