Why does this remind me of Robert Maxwell, who plundered his own workers’ pension fund and used to demand obsequious write-ups in the newspaper he owned, The Daily Mirror?

“Neoliberalism has put us on the road to 21st-century fascism,” says Nobel prize winning economist Joseph E. Stiglitz

There’s “no ethical or economic argument” for wealth to be taxed at a lower rate than income, as it is in Britain. By Will Dunn newstatesman.com/the-weekend-in…

Both of these people have PPEs from University of Oxford but it seems to have addled their brain cells.

#MarkLittlewood #LizTruss #PopCons

Edinburgh feels like a different planet tonight

Incredible #aurora

As driven by Sophia Loren, playing Yasmin Azir, in ‘Arabesque’

Mad cow disease found at a farm in Ayrshire, Scotland, prompting authorities to limit animal movement while they investigate and risking trade disruptions. The last case in Scotland was in Aberdeenshire in 2018 #BSE #BovineSpongiformEncephalopathy
bloomberg.com/news/articles/…

A nation of grocers?

Northern lights!

#Auroraborealis

Post Office deceived barrister reviewing Horizon conviction, inquiry hears. Simon Clarke, who advised postal firm to stop prosecutions a decade ago, says key document was “deliberately withheld” from him. Jane Croft
theguardian.com/uk-news/articl…

Constraining litigation funders by cutting the number of cases they can take on might serve large corporates but it certainly wont be in claimants’ interests, writes Alan Bates, hero of #MrBatesVsThePostOffice theguardian.com/commentisfree/…

A bit more on BBC Radio 4 Today presenter Amol Rajan’s ‘Don’t Look Up’ moment. By Bill McGuire theguardian.com/commentisfree/…

Oh, Emmanuel.

The prison where Israel's army keeps Gazans: prisoners stripped naked, blindfolded and handcuffed for so long sometimes their limbs have to be amputated. Army dogs unleashed to run over their bodies.
edition.cnn.com/2024/05/10/mid…

Andy Maciver Scotland’s chronically low investment has nothing to do with income tax. We’ve had the lowest investment in the OECD for decades, as has the UK

The problems lie elsewhere - lack of demand, austerity, short-termism, and a finance sector that’s allergic to productive investment

Mavisbank House, Scotland’s first palladian mansion, built by William Adam in 1723–7 and described by Historic Environment Scotland as “one of Scotland’s most important country houses”, has been saved thanks to £5.3m from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

bbc.com/news/articles/…

Founded exactly a year ago Future Economy Scotland is the most exciting new policy institute to burst onto Scotland’s political and environmental scene (though I’m clearly biassed). For more, read Neil Mackay’s interview with co-founders Miriam Brett and Laurie Macfarlane plus thread below.