Scottish public spending deficit grows as oil revenue drops again
The total spending by Scottish, Westminster and local governments in Scotland - as well as a share of spending on shared provision such as defence and debt - came to £117.6bn.All the revenue raised from Scots totalled £91.4bn - reflecting a reduction in tax revenue last year from oil and gas production.As a share of all the output from the economy, that takes the deficit if Scotland had separate public finances to 11.7%, while the equivalent figure for the UK was 5.1%
What is Gers?
Gers is a National Statistics publication and is prepared by Scottish government officials independently of ministers.It estimates the amount of revenue raised through tax collected from people living in Scotland by both the Scottish and UK governments, and the amount that is spent by governments in and for Scotland.That includes reserved spending such as the state pension, devolved spending such as the health service, and a share of spending that may take place in the rest of the UK or overseas on behalf of Scots, such as the armed forces and UK embassies.The difference between revenue and spending is called the "net fiscal balance" - commonly referred to as the deficit.
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South Wales Argus
9 minutes ago
- South Wales Argus
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The current figure was down 4% from 32,103 for the previous 12-month period. Mairi MacRae, director of campaigns and policy at Shelter, said: 'It is unconscionable that more than a year after the Government came to power, thousands of renters continue to be marched out of their homes by bailiffs because of an unfair policy that the Government said would be scrapped immediately. 'For far too long, tenants' lives have been thrown into turmoil by the rank injustice of no-fault evictions. At the whim of private landlords, thousands of tenants are being left with just two months to find a new home, plunging them into a ruthless rental market and leaving many exposed to the riptide of homelessness. 'The Renters' Rights Bill will overhaul a broken system and usher in a long-overdue era of stability and security for tenants. To curb record homelessness and ensure renters can live free from the threat of no-fault eviction, the Government must deliver on this commitment, pass the Bill, and name an implementation date when Section 21 will finally be scrapped.' Shelter described no-fault evictions as one of the leading causes of homelessness, giving landlords the power to evict tenants without any reason given. Rushanara Ali resigned last week as homelessness minister (David Woolfall/UK Parliament/PA) The charity said its analysis of the latest figures suggested that for every month a ban on no-fault evictions is delayed, around 950 households could be removed from their homes by bailiffs. Echoing the call for an urgent ban, homelessness charity Crisis said many are at risk of homelessness if faced with eviction. The charity's chief executive, Matt Downie, said: 'Despite good intentions from the Westminster Government, thousands of people are still being unjustly evicted from their homes and threatened with – or even forced into – homelessness. 'We know the UK Government has had a packed agenda, but we now need ministers to rebuff efforts to weaken the Renters' Rights Bill and get this new legislation onto the statute book as soon as possible when Parliament returns. Unfreezing housing benefit in the autumn would also ensure that more people in England can afford a safe and stable home.' The Renters' Reform Coalition, said the year-on-year fall in accelerated procedure claims 'blows apart the myth of a 'landlord exodus' and eviction surge caused by the Renters' Rights Bill' and urged the Government to 'press on and abolish section 21 immediately once the Bill is passed'. The new data comes a week after Rushanara Ali resigned her role as homelessness minister following a report that she gave tenants at a property she owned in east London four months' notice to leave before relisting the property with a £700 rent increase within weeks. Ms Ali's house, rented on a fixed-term contract, was put up for sale while the tenants were living there, and it was only relisted as a rental because it had not sold, according to the i newspaper. Such a move would likely be prohibited under the Renters' Rights Bill, which is set to introduce new protections for tenants including banning landlords who evict tenants in order to sell their property from relisting it for rent for six months. In her resignation letter Ms Ali insisted she had 'at all times' followed 'all legal requirements' and taken her responsibilities 'seriously', but added that continuing in her role would be 'a distraction from the ambitious work of the Government' and therefore was stepping down. Responding to Thursday's figures, a Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesperson said: 'No one should live in fear of a Section 21 eviction and these new figures show exactly why we will abolish them through our Renters' Rights Bill, which is a manifesto commitment and legislative priority for this Government. 'We're determined to level the playing field by providing tenants with greater security, rights and protections in their homes and our landmark reforms will be implemented swiftly after the Bill becomes law.'
The Independent
9 minutes ago
- The Independent
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The Independent
9 minutes ago
- The Independent
Morecambe announce agreement in principle for sale of club to Panjab Warriors
An agreement in principle has been reached for the sale of Morecambe to new owners, the club have announced. The club are currently suspended by the National League over their financial issues and at risk of closure, but a statement was published on the club's website on Thursday afternoon announcing a deal was now in place for the transfer of majority shareholding to Panjab Warriors from the Bond Group. Bond Group said in a statement: "We would like to thank all of the staff at the club for their forbearance and can only apologise for the stress this has caused." The club said final legal documentation was now being prepared, and that "immediate steps" were being taken to inform key stakeholders, including the National League. The club said they hoped the agreement "paves the way for continued stability and a positive future both on and off the pitch". Panjab Warriors have been contacted for comment. There have been fears Morecambe could follow the same path as Bury, who were expelled from the EFL in 2019 over their financial issues. The club's plight has drawn political attention, with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer expressing his concern last week and urging everyone involved to "do the right thing". That followed Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy writing to Morecambe owner Jason Whittingham calling on him to sell up.
