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What’s happening on the jobs front – part two

Aug 16

Posted by The Burd in Economy, Holyrood | 5 Comments

Continuing my look at recent data on unemployment in Scotland, you can catch part one over at the ither place. And the briefing covering a wide range of employment-related issues is available at the Scottish Government’s website.

So which areas of Scotland are suffering the most?  And what is being done to stem the jobless flow?

Unsurprisingly, areas with traditionally high unemployment continue to experience high levels of joblessness.  This table shows the local authority areas in Scotland with above average numbers of people claiming Jobseekers’ Allowance (JSA):

Claimant count rate above national average
Total %age %age change since 2010
Scotland 140,557 4.1 5
Clackmannanshire 1,876 5.7 14
Dundee City 5,504 5.9 15
East Ayrshire 4,399 5.6 7
Falkirk 4,617 4.6 15
Fife 10,762 4.6 9
Glasgow City 25,300 6.2 2
Inverclyde 2,674 5.2 10
North Ayrshire 5,451 6.3 7
North Lanarkshire 11,801 5.5 4
Renfrewshire 5,456 4.9 9
South Lanarkshire 8,936 4.4 3
West Dunbartonshire 3,610 6.0 12
South Ayrshire 2,757 4.0 6
West Lothian 4,533 4.0 -6

So far so predictable.  But what about the areas experiencing increased unemployment – which local authority areas in Scotland are losing jobs the fastest?

Local authority Biggest %age change since 2010
Orkney Islands 24
Falkirk 15
Dundee City 15
Clackmannanshire 14
Aberdeenshire 13
West Dunbartonshire 12
Argyll & Bute 11
Perth & Kinross 11
Stirling 10
Inverclyde 10
Dumfries & Galloway 9
Fife 9
Renfrewshire 9
Shetland Islands -7
West Lothian -6

The table shows that as well as some of the usual suspects, like Dundee, Clackmannashire, Inverclyde and West Dunbartonshire,  other parts of Scotland are struggling to hold on to jobs.  Those “enjoying” the double whammy of high unemployment and also rapidly increasing unemployment are highlighted in yellow.  We will return to them in a moment.

Orkney has shown the biggest increase in numbers out of work in the last year, and while those numbers are relatively small compared to the numbers of jobless in Glasgow, the impact on the local economy and communities will be huge.  Other areas experiencing fast growing unemployment are predominantly rural and only two local authority areas in Scotland have seen the numbers claiming JSA come down in the last year.

But why are some areas of high unemployment appearing to fare better than others.  Why, for example, has the claimant count in Glasgow grown by only 2% compared to 15% in Falkirk?  Why lower numbers coming onto the dole in both Lanarkshires than in West Dunbartonshire?

The answer may lie – partly – in where new jobs are being created and existing jobs safeguarded.  Regional Selective Assistance (RSA) is the main national scheme providing financial assistance to industry.  Managed by Scottish Enterprise, grants are awarded to investment projects that will create and safeguard employment in designated Assisted Areas.  These are the areas which qualify for regional aid under European Community law.  Other grants are available under “Tier 3” which can be made in other designated areas to small and medium sized enterprises.

Looking at grants offered and accepted throughout 2010-11 and in the first quarter of 2011-12, there is some evidence of intervention working to limit the impact of the recession in areas where unemployment is high.  The table below sets out how many new jobs were created and the number of existing jobs safeguarded through the award of RSA grants and in which local authority areas these jobs were located.

RSA Grants 2011-12 RSA Grants 2010-11
Local authority No. New jobs Jobs safeguarded No. New Jobs Jobs safeguarded
Glasgow 213 Glasgow 2028 337
Lanarkshire 50 49 North Ayrshire 139 225
West Lothian 14 2 Fife 1096 148
East Ayrshire 12 15 Lanarkshire 384 379
West Dunbartonshire 44 82 Renfrewshire 783 41
Dundee 24 Stirling 70 1
Renfrewshire 120 West Dunbartonshire 79 7
Stirling 27 Dundee 228 15
South Ayrshire 18 40 Edinburgh 87 31
Falkirk 200
Highland 127
Inverclyde 200
Aberdeenshire 16
South Ayrshire 205 25
East Ayrshire 27 7
East Lothian 4 12
West Lothian 17
Clackmannanshire 23 200
Angus 12
Scottish Borders 9

All the areas highlighted in green are local authorities with above average JSA claimant count but which did not experience rapid growth in unemployment (relatively speaking) in the past twelve months.  From this perspective, the approach being taken by Scottish Enterprise can be seen to be working in at least slowing down the growth in unemployment in traditional blight areas.  Moreover, the inclusion of two areas just below the national average for claimant count in this exercise – South Ayrshire and West Lothian – has a point.  Both areas have benefitted from jobs growth and safeguarding since April 2010, even though other areas have higher unemployment.  Yet, they can be seen as hub areas – investment in South Ayrshire is just as likely to benefit the jobless in East and North Ayrshire due to the good transport links and relatively short travelling distances.  Investment here then has a potential ripple effect on other unemployment blackspots.  The same can be said to apply to West Lothian, with North and South Lanarkshire, Falkirk, Clackmannanshire and Fife all within easy commuting distance.

Despite this, there are clearly areas that are struggling – all those highlighted in red are managing to gain some new and safeguard other jobs with grant aid, but it is not enough to offset the loss of still more in their areas.  Unemployment remains high and is still growing in West Dunbartonshire, Renfrewshire, Fife, Inverclyde, Renfrewshire and Clackmannanshire.  And here’s a thought – given that everything we have done since 1999 has failed to “solve” endemic unemployment in these local authorities, isn’t it time we tried something new?  These communities have been blighted by inter-generational joblessness and deprivation since the 1980s and still they suffer the most when we experience economic downturn.

That said, this is nothing these local authorities ain’t seen before:  their resilience at coping will be being tested but it will be there.  What might be more worrying for the Scottish Government in the short term, is that they are being joined by a whole new group of rural local authorities with rapidly growing unemployment.  The ability of their public sector agencies to lead and to cope – to know what to do and how to apply it to weather the storm – is more questionable.  Having been in this situation less recently and intensely, with some of these areas like Stirling, Aberdeenshire and Perth and Kinross, having enjoyed very low levels of unemployment throughout the noughties, how resilient are these communities and populations?

Recovery too might be more difficult, given that some of these areas have historically found it hard to attract investment due to sparsity of population and poor infrastructure.  Also they are heavily reliant on public sector employment – councils and health boards are probably the biggest employers – and job losses are only just starting from this source.  Moreover, a glance at the RSA table shows that few of these local authorities have featured in awards in the last twelve months, mainly because they are not Assisted Areas.  Thus, we have considerable increases in people losing their jobs but no state mechanism to help safeguard existing or create new jobs.  What will the Scottish Government be able to do to stem the jobless flow here?

There are patterns here to be concerned about.   The areas traditionally blighted by unemployment are not being spared this time round and some of them are suffering fast rising unemployment even with state intervention to create jobs.  It is not good in either the short or long term.

And there is a whole new group of local authorities struggling to weather the storm where traditional job-creating methods are largely unavailable because of their relative affluence in the 90s and noughties.  As yet, there seems little that can be done at national level to slow the impact of job losses or foster new employment.   Will these areas manage to bounce back without help from the state?

At the very least, these sorts of statistics should prompt the need for some fresh thinking by the Scottish Government on how to create and safeguard jobs in communities in the future.  What we have in place works but not nearly enough.

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Motion sickness and sense of humour bypass at Holyrude

Aug 13

Posted by Jeff in Holyrood | 32 Comments

We here at Better Nation like to gaze into the future in the hope of glimpsing a better tomorrow, we want to grasp the jaggy thistle and emerge stronger and united as a result and, finally, we want to avoid the pettiness that blights our dear and pleasant land.

But, you know, sometimes a good old bit of gossip can’t be avoided.

So, while we’re talking about motions, I thought I would paste up this (redacted for anonymity) exchange from the Parliament between an SNP’s camp and a Tory’s MSP’s camp that was kindly forwarded onto me.

Email 1:
From: (SNP assistant)
Sent: Friday, August 12
To: DL MSPs
Cc: DL MSP Researchers
Subject: Big Lottery Fund, Time 4 Us, Bellshill

(SNP MSP) would appreciate your support for the motion below. Voting button attached.

Short Title: Big Lottery Fund, Time 4 Us, Bellshill
S4M-00651 () (Scottish National Party): That the Parliament congratulates Time 4 Us, Bellshill, on receiving an award from the Big Lottery Fund; is confident that the purchase of new IT equipment will improve the administrative capability of the group, and hopes that the facilities will enhance parent-child bonds.

Regards
(SNP assistant)

Email 2:
From: (Tory assistant)
Sent: Friday, August 12, 2011
To:
Cc: DL MSP Researchers
Subject: Re: Big Lottery Fund, Time 4 Us, Bellshill

(Dear SNP assistant)

While I am delighted that you appreciate the Big Lottery Fund, set-up by a UK Government under Sir John Major, who created the National Lottery, your motions are becoming somewhat repetitive and frankly tedious.

As ever
(Tory assistant)

Email 3:
From: (SNP MSP)
Subject: Re: Big Lottery Fund, Time 4 Us, Bellshill
Date: 12 August 2011 18:12:31 GMT+01:00

(Dear Tory assistant)
I find your comments offensive to a new member of my staff who is only working to my instruction.
I request that you send an apology for your unwanted comments to all.
If not received I intend to make an official complaint re your email.
If you have a problem speak to me personally in future.
Staff members work to members instruction and as xxxx only started on the 1st August your email is not welcome.

(SNP MSP)

An official complaint? Yes, that’ll get taken seriously I’m sure. Nice to see that the Parliament is bickering while England burns. I do hope that the big-stick removal department wasn’t part of John Swinney’s efficiency savings, it might be needed on Monday…

NB – Normal service in helping to build a better nation shall resume in due course….

Worst motion of the week – er, lots

Aug 12

Posted by Jeff in Holyrood | 23 Comments

So week two and frankly, our riches were embarrassed. To pick out just one proved impossible. Too many contenders, far too little time and space to do them all justice.

But trawling through the list of current motions prompted a few observations. It’s all a bit formulaic no? And there is a definite need to refresh the system and its purpose.

There are what can only be termed the micro-motions – wee, timrous, cowrin’ beasties. Where MSPs line up to outdo each other in the hyper-local and this week they seem to be concentrated in Lanarkshire, for some inexplicable reason. So, Cumbernauld BMX club got a nice wee grant from the lottery fund – thanks for sharing that with us Jamie Hepburn MSP; ditto Plains Community Futures for some “planned events”, Archibald Kelly Court Residents Committee in East Kilbride got some lottery dosh for “film nights”, Gill Park Residents and Tenants Association got theirs for a playpark and 1st East Kilbride scout group got a grant to renovate its hall. All worthy of fulsome praise from SNP Central Scotland list MSP Richard Lyle, who finished the latter motion with a flourish: “hopes that the central heating system makes the Scottish winters more bearable”. Gosh.

And then there are the charity touts. Where Parliament will inevitably congratulate, note, recognise, hope, admire and welcome but never, ever ask for something to be done. Redefining anodyne beyond our wildest dreams. Oh we know these are all good, important causes that deserve recognition but there appears to be a textbook template for drafting them that turn them into a snoresfest. Thus, this wee gem from Kezia Dugdale MSP makes Amnesty International, one of the world’s feistiest, bravest and more essential organisations, seem like a knitting bee:

Motion S4M-00627 – Kezia Dugdale ( Lothian ) ( Scottish Labour ) : Standing Up for Freedom

That the Parliament congratulates Amnesty International on what it considers its excellent programme of work at the 2011 Edinburgh Festival; believes that events such as Stand Up For Freedom, the Comics versus Critics football match, Amnesty’s imprisoned writers series and the Amnesty International Freedom of Expression Award, which this year has received a record number of entries, are excellent means of celebrating and promoting freedom of expression, and further congratulates Amnesty on 50 years of relentlessly campaigning for human rights across the world and never letting legislators or governments forget that human rights are important and should be enjoyed by all by virtue of their common humanity.

Campaigning charities exist because they want to right wrongs, and to change the world, or at least their part of it. Often they are radical and fearless and work with the sort of people, the rest of us cross the street to avoid. Scotland is pretty good at the charitable thang – we have lots of voluntary organisations doing great things and folk dig deep to support them. They deserve better from our elected tribunes and actually as well as warm words, most would also welcome a little call to action. Even a teeny weeny one. Once in a while.

Then there are the milestone motions, that mark an anniversary of some kind. Current and recent motions in this vein include one wishing the NHS a happy 63rd birthday, the 25th anniversary of East Kilbride Yamakai Karate club, the 25th anniversary of Burngreen Peace Garden in Kilsyth, and 45 years of East Kilbride and District Engineering Training Association. But our favourite is this one:

S4M-00581 Mark McDonald: Aberdeen University Shinty Club 150th Anniversary—That the Parliament congratulates Aberdeen University Shinty Club on celebrating its one hundred and fiftieth anniversary; notes that the club is recognised as shinty’s oldest constituted club; welcomes the decision by the Camanachd Association to hold the final of the 2011 Aberdein Considine Sutherland cup final between Kingussie and Kyles Athletic at King’s College pitches at the University of Aberdeen as part of the celebrations; further welcomes the outreach work by the Camanachd Association in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire schools to encourage more young people to take up the sport and hopes that this work will boost the profile of shinty across Scotland; congratulates Kingussie on its 6-1 victory; further notes that past and present players attended a celebration ceilidh and participated in the city of Aberdeen’s Tartan Day parade; also notes that a book celebrating the club’s history, Keeping the Camanachd Flag Flying: 150 Years of Aberdeen University Camanachd, compiled by Steven MacKenzie, has been published with all proceeds going to the club, and wishes Aberdeen University Shinty Club a long and successful competitive future.

Of course, motions that are hyper-local, have a charitable bent AND mark a milestone are the high watermark of achievement – look out for ones in future editions of Worst Motion of the Week…

Finally we have piping wars. No we are not making this up. Last week, we had Colin Keir, SNP MSP for Edinburgh Western, celebrating the return of the Edinburgh Pipe Band championships and Derek MacKay, another of the newsbies, marking similar in Paisley. This week, we have this from Marco Biagi MSP about bagpipes on the Royal Mile:

“Motion S4M-00612 –
That the Parliament welcomes the agreement between the City of
Edinburgh Council and Royal Mile traders to ensure that the volume of
bagpipe music played by retailers does not exceed irresponsible levels
from August 2011; recognises the importance of residents, traders and
tourists all being able to carry out their daily activities in a
respectful environment; believes that this action will reflect well on
the Royal Mile’s status as part of a World Heritage Site, and would
welcome greater variety overall in the commercial offerings on the
Royal Mile so that Edinburgh’s medieval heart continues to thrive.

while Stuart McDonald MSP for the West of Scotland proclaims the World’s Biggest Week of Piping:

“That the Parliament welcomes what is considered to be the world’s biggest week of traditional music, held between 8 and 14 August 2011 in Glasgow; notes that tens of thousands of traditional music fans and 8,000 pipers, drummers and performers will descend on the city for Piping Live!, Glasgow’s International Piping Festival and the World Pipe Band Championships; further notes that the World Pipe Band Championships or ‘the Worlds’ have predominantly been held in Glasgow for around 70 years while Piping Live! is entering its 8th year and has established itself as one of the world’s top celebrations of Scottish culture, showcasing a diverse blend of traditional music; acknowledges the importance of these cultural events, and wishes the festival and all participants the very best.”

One man’s peace is clearly another man’s pipe.

Beware the worms lurking in cans!

Aug 10

Posted by The Burd in Holyrood, Parties | 49 Comments

Can WormsIt seems that in the absence of anything meaningful to offer the populace, and despite being given a kicking of the first order at the polls, Scottish Labour has decided that it’s groundhog day.

Carping, sniping, empty posturing. That’s what the people rejected, so we’ll give them more of the same.

How else do you explain the shitstorm its elected representatives have been trying to generate in the last few weeks? First, with tongue firmly not in its cheek, it demanded to know just how close the SNP and Alex Salmond had got to Rupert Murdoch and his News International empire in Scotland. In an extremely linear approach which would keep no person out of jail, Paul Martin determined that because the Scottish Sun had supported the SNP in the last election, ergo this was damning evidence of the SNP being in Murdoch’s pockets.

So the Scottish Government duly publishes a full list not only of First Ministerial contacts with the media since 2007 but those of key Cabinet members AND copies of correspondence between Eck and Rupe. The latter ain’t pretty and caused many toes to curl in discomfort. Yes, the First Minister might have been really, really trying to portray himself as the global media mogul’s equal and really, really trying to persuade Murdoch to become a Caledonian champion. But frankly if there had been anything to hide, the goverment would have hidden it.

But like much of its interventions in the last year, Labour might well have scored an own goal. Disclosure of Labour leaders’ contacts with the media has been asked for and… we’re still waiting. Oh why are we waiting? What’s so hard about pulling together a list of all the meetings, lunches, receptions, letters etc exchanged between the Scottish Labour leadership – Iain Gray, Wendy Alexander in opposition and Jack McConnell and Henry McLeish during their time as First Minister – and Scottish media representatives? The longer they take, the worse it looks, even if there is nothing untoward at all. But they started it.

But the real can of worms opened up by Scottish Labour recently involves the insinuation that the SNP Government offered Brian Souter honours for political donations. They haven’t actually come out and said it, but the inference is of cash for honours on our ain doorstep. Siller for hallions no less.

A whole webpage has been set up over at Scottish Labour’s website – the Souter files, powered exclusively with righteous indignation, over-wrought hyperbole, and rank hypocrisy and inaccuracy. Cathy Jamieson MP suggests that “The First Minister and his party must look seriously at the relationship they have developed with wealthy individuals handing them large sums of cash. The public will rightly be asking what’s next on Mr Souter’s shopping list and waiting for the First Minister to deliver.”

Individuals plural. Who exactly? Apart from Souter’s admittedly eye-watering donation in 2011, other donations to the SNP were five figure sums, the vast majority of its donations far, far lower. The SNP does not have that many supporters with deep pockets: Souter’s donation was matched by hundreds more, much smaller ones by members and supporters. The only person who out-donated Brian Souter was the late Edwin Morgan through a bequest in his will. What’s that? Nothing nasty to say about the Makar appointed by a Labour First Minister? Oh.

Apparently, Souter’s donation(s) are why the SNP has not re-regulated bus provision in Scotland. I acknowledge – it’s a policy that makes sense and it should be done. But then again, I don’t recall Labour-LibDem Scottish Executives, in power for double the time the SNP has been, rushing to re-regulate. Indeed, in four years of opposition, I don’t recall Labour making this a big issue and pushing for it to happen. How curious.

So let’s overturn the can and see what comes wriggling out. What’s this? A number of individuals – all of them wealthy, some of them longstanding Labour supporters or who have donated to the Labour party and bestowed honours while Labour was the lead partner in the Scottish Executive and Ministers were involved in nominating people for honours.

Moir Lockhead is one such, Willie Haughey is another, as is Duncan Bannatyne and Tom Hunter. All of them distinguished businessmen in their own right, who have also made huge charitable contributions during their lifetime. These are the reasons their honours were bestowed but following Scottish Labour’s current logic, all were given awards at the time they were active supporters and/or donors to the Labour party. Though historic, the worms in its can are far more juicy than the ones in the SNP’s.

Frankly, the Scottish public doesn’t give a damn. It holds all politicians and political parties in equally low esteem. Labour might think it is landing blows on the SNP but all such activity achieves is to confirm what people think of all parties, its ain included. In May the people spoke loud and clear – the SNP was the party they liked better or at least, disliked least. Given the current electoral mood, Labour will continue to come off second best if it persists in pursuing this kind of puerile politics. Making the road back to electoral credibility a whole lot harder.

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Worst motion of the week – John Mason

Aug 4

Posted by Jeff in Holyrood | 107 Comments

Many moons ago, I started up a blog called Crap Holyrood Chat, a half serious and half fun look at the motions that were lodged at the Scottish Parliament with a view to pulling out the ones that were a blatant waste of time either due to sycophancy, idiocy or just general crapness.

The venture ultimately failed because I only rarely found myself scrolling through the hundreds of important motions that make it onto the Scottish Parliament website each week but, now, with a team of four, the other three of which being much closer both geographically and, em, mentally(?) to Holyrood than I am, we think it might be time to start something similar up again.

So, without further ado, I am pleased to announce Better Nation’s weekly feature – worst motion of the week!

By all means feel free to forward suggestions (editors@betternation.org) but we have a doozy to kick things off. Take a bow, John Mason:

The Equal Marriage Debate
That the Parliament notes the current discussion about same-sex marriages and the Scottish Government’s forthcoming public consultation concerning equal marriage; further notes that, while some in society approve of same-sex sexual relationships, others do not agree with them; desires that Scotland should be a pluralistic society where all minorities can live together in peace and mutual tolerance; believes that free speech is a fundamental right and that even when there is disagreement with another person’s views, that person has the right to express these views, and considers that no person or organisation should be forced to be involved in or to approve of same-sex marriages.

Supported by: Bill Walker, Dennis Robertson, Gil Paterson, Richard Lyle, Mike MacKenzie

Now, I don’t know what is more surprising in the above, that John Mason believes that people may be forced to approve of anything or that five MSPs (all SNP) felt the need to support this.

There is a valid question to be asked here – should, for example, a Catholic priest be forced by law into marrying two people of the same sex? My answer to that would be no but, nonetheless, there is no absolution from me for the sheer cack-handed and completely unnecessary motion pasted in full above.

Congratulations John Mason, the first of many I am sure to win the award of Better Nation’s Worst Motion of the Week.