Entrepreneur & Chairman of These Islands: I believe more unites us than divides us
Edinburgh
Joined March 2009
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Kevin Hague retweeted
Most of Harris been without power now for two days. Not interesting enough to make the news?
Kevin Hague retweeted
An all-time classic from Richard Murphy. A weakening S£ would make private GBP pensions go up in nominal S£ terms. But those pensioners would not be “better off” in real terms. Scotland is very import dependent. Meanwhile state & public sector pensions would crater in real terms.
Kevin Hague retweeted
Tim’s first tweet is false, but even if it were true, an opt-out system is very different to opt-in. Tim edges towards telling the truth in the second tweet. Under Laurentjoye’s proposals, depositors cannot opt-out, they must *get*-out, and that is profoundly different to opt-in.
Kevin Hague retweeted
Laurentjoye is to be commended for being frank about the draconian measures that would be necessary for an independent Scotland to establish its own currency, but this is implausible. The chaos this would cause ahead of a vote pretty much guarantees the vote itself would be lost.
Kevin Hague retweeted
The IFS says Scot Gov resource funding in 2025–26 will be 12.4% higher in real terms than in 2010–11.
@S_A_Somerville claims this is just funding of new responsibilities (eg social security). This is completely false. Obviously the IFS has adjusted for that. They are not idiots.
Kevin Hague retweeted
Does Ross know this clip is from 1987? Does he know that Dennis Healey wasn’t Chancellor then? Does he seriously think that Healey saying he didn’t support independence was why the SNP got just 14% of the vote in Scotland at the 1987 general election?
Kevin Hague retweeted
McCrone is doing the rounds again. So, a reminder of what really happened in the 1970s.
Kevin Hague retweeted
The SNP is trying to reanimate the McCrone report conspiracy theory. If you want to know what really happened, read this: these-islands.co.uk/publicat…
Kevin Hague retweeted
1/ Nationalists often claim the No campaign in 2014 told them oil & gas would run out within 5 years, and this BBC article is always the evidence. Slight problem. The article simply describes a report produced by some environmentalists. And the UK government called it “nonsense”.
UK's oil, coal and gas will run out in 5 years, researchers warn bbc.in/1qHoUo1
Kevin Hague retweeted
Some irritation at FM being asked about a reserved issue. Worth pointing out that the SG, last month, called for energy powers to be devolved to Holyrood, so it’s reasonable to expect John Swinney holds a view
Other reserved issues: whisky duty, foreign affairs, independence
Kevin Hague retweeted
the Export Statistics Scotland (ESS) report directly addresses this myth (see below) and the ESS figures have nothing to do with the figures in GERS - so if you’re purporting to be a serious think tank you might want to retract that false claim and apologise to @staylorish?
Kevin Hague retweeted
And this morning Scot Gov issued a mealy-mouthed statement saying the proceeds should be squirrelled away into an oil fund. Oh, and the proceeds should be used to cut energy bills. Not at all contradictory
Kevin Hague retweeted
Reminder: whatever he might claim today, this is what John Swinney said in February 2025. He welcomed the court’s decision to block Jackdaw, calling it “the only sustainable judgment you can arrive at in considering these questions”.
Kevin Hague retweeted
SNP couldn’t fill up a hall despite insisting they're booming and independence is imminent. For three days, the conference centre felt like an airport at 3am, while loyal attendees were asked to suspend disbelief and slip into an indy dreamworld. Column⬇️ thescottishsun.co.uk/news/16…
Kevin Hague retweeted
The indy dilemma. You can’t get indy until you are clear about currency, mortgages, pensions etc. And the clearer you are the less people want it.
Kevin Hague retweeted
SNP conference struggling to attract the crowds... cameras will doubtless focus on the audience later during John Swinney's speech, but there are only 15 rows of seats and there's a huge void at back of the main hall
Kevin Hague retweeted
And for clarity, Blount and Blunt are pronounced the same way. But I simplified it to Blunt as I was tired of people rhyming my name with “count”.
Kevin Hague retweeted
Geissler: “Did you write that document back in 2013 looking at cutting pensions?”
Swinney: “Well obviously I contributed to cabinet papers in the Scottish Government. Of course I’ve done that.”
He then tries to wriggle out of this confession by denying it was an actual plan.
Kevin Hague retweeted
John Swinney completely flummoxed under tough questioning from @KathrynSamsonC4 on the SNP’s time-limited commitment to the triple lock made during the 2014 referendum campaign. He was clearly not expecting to be challenged on this, and has no answer.