#public-finance

#public-finance

Moody's said its rating was supported by the well-established devolution framework that Scotland operated under, with a requirement to maintain a balanced budget and predictable grant allocation. The ratings agency added that the Scottish National party (SNP) government had demonstrated prudent fiscal management. Swinney said: The Scottish government's high credit ratings are testament to Scotland's strong institutions, track record of responsible fiscal management and pro-business environment. He said the proceeds would be used to fund, capital investment in key infrastructure.

The population should be stable by 2065, increasing at just 0.1pc a year. By then, however, there will have been a "transformative" 26pc increase in the number of people living here. The working-age population will increase from 3.55 million to 3.98 million by the early 2040s, at which point it will level off before declining to 3.89 million by 2065.

With over €150bn sitting on deposit in Irish banks right now, we need to make investing a more attractive option

It's delusional in the extreme to think that investors, even in magical-thinking Silicon Valley, would be willing to put money into a project with absolutely no possibility of being profitable. Public projects are for public benefit, not profits. The central question respecting the high-speed rail now is whether, short of making all the money in the world available to build it, it can be built at all in the current century.

Rachel Reeves is in favour of radical tax reform or at least she was in 2018. We need a radical overhaul of the tax system because our current system of wealth taxation isn't working, she argued in her pamphlet The Everyday Economy. Seven years later, in her second year as chancellor, Reeves appears to be returning to some of the themes in that pamphlet, especially as it relates to the UK's convoluted and unpopular system of taxing property.

UK government borrowing costs surged as speculation over Rachel Reeves's role as chancellor intensified. City investors flagged a multibillion-pound deficit due to Labour's welfare policy reversal.

The Independent has been essential in covering critical issues from reproductive rights to climate change, ensuring trustworthy journalism remains accessible to all readers.

"Bologna's reliance on private credit during the communal period reveals a unique financial structure compared to other Italian cities, highlighting the elite's role in public finance."