Why our pandemic saviours need a national champion
Practitioners tell The Business DealMakers’ event that life science sector is hampered by lack of funding and policymaking support Scotland desperately needs a national champion to re-ignite its struggling life...
A home is an opportunity for investment and a building block of our economy
Here in Scotland, housing is too often discussed in the context of crisis and emergency rather than opportunity. I write this with a clear understanding of why these labels have necessarily...
Retirement planning: Are baby boomers footing the bill for lacklustre economy?
Surge in number of pensioners paying income tax at the highest rates From whatever political standpoint there is general agreement that Scotland is a wealthy country. But there remains a...
PE investment must respect need for audit quality: ICAS calls for a review
Supporters of the buyout trend maintain that private equity will help mid-tier firms gain the financial backing and expertise to compete with the Big Four accounting firms – Deloitte, EY,...
Accountancy review: A hotbed of dealmaking opportunity
Private equity investment and consolidation is reconfiguring Scotland’s fragmented and dynamic accountancy sector Only a few years ago, the accountancy profession was viewed as industrious but rather staid. Today, it’s...
Bellfield shows the way for community share schemes
A former church near Portobello’s seafront offers a practical lesson in community finance. Action Porty raised £186,750 from more than 1,000 shareholders to help improve Bellfield, now a hub for...
The numbers don’t add up: Why is no-one addressing this imminent financial black hole?
The challenge facing Holyrood: Scottish Government’s own projections show a £4.8bn shortfall between spending and funding by 2030. Our political parties spent this year’s Holyrood election campaign promising more spending,...
How to ensure professional and business services sector powers growth
Scotland has a professional and business services sector that is both economically important and historically deep-rooted. Our culture of high professional standards, specialist knowledge and international credibility helps shape Scotland’s...
NHS governance is in poor health: here’s how to fix it
One of Scotland’s most senior corporate figures has written a book which contains many harsh truths about the way Scotland’s public sector is run The state of corporate governance within...
Power points: Ten things to do to reach Clean Power 2030
In the beginning there was net zero, a target for 2050 enshrined in the Climate Change Act 2008. It committed the UK to an ambitious target of producing no pollution...