The Fraser of Allander Institute Podcast

Timestamps (0:30) Overview of the Scottish budget (5:02) Fiscal sustainability  (10:28) Clarity of planned transfers between portfolios (14:00) Future spending plans

(00:00) - Introduction (03:22) - Rationale for the Policy (04:40) - Glasgow City Council's Evidence (06:45) - Emissions & Air Quality (10:23) - Piecemeal Approach to Implementation (11:37) - Concerns of Businesses & Residents (16:19) - Using Revenue Raised

Timestamps:  0:30 Budget expectations, OBR leak, and response  4:29 Lifting of the two-child limit on the child element of Universal Credit 10:23 Clearing confusion around child benefit, two-child limit, and the benefit cap 14:01 Freezing tax thresholds 19:25 Smorgasbord of smaller taxes  28:26 Spencer reflects on his first Budget with the FAI  

This episode explores whether the energy sector – and particularly the North East of Scotland – is at a genuine turning point. The conversation looks at how a “just transition” could play out for workers and supply chains as the North Sea continues to decline, and how policy choices over the next five to seven years could mean either many more jobs in offshore energy or a sharp loss of capacity an...

(06:25) Setting the Scene: Sector Snapshot & Data Challenges - Opening context, series aims, and the recurring measurement/data issues in the sector. (11:43) — Jobs & Output: 47k Roles and £15.5bn Activity - Headline figures and what they signal about deployment and momentum. (17:02) — Beyond Either/Or: Oil & Gas and Renewables Together - Why “one rises as the other falls” is a false dichotomy; th...

In the final episode of our Key Figures series Mairi Spowage speaks to Professor in Economics at the Adam Smith Business School, and previous director of the Fraser of Allander Institute, Graeme Roy.

Our next episode of Key Figures features the esteemed David Bell, Professor of Economics at the University of Stirling and a core original member of the Fraser of Allander Institute.

In the third installment of our Key Figures series, Mairi Spowage speaks to Kim Swales and Peter McGregor: two economists who were director of the Fraser of Allander Institute at various times, and instrumental to our longstanding work in CG modelling.

In the second episode of our Key Figures interview series, we talk to Elizabeth Ashcroft, one of the original editors of our long-running Economic Commentaries. We cover her life, the origins of the Institute, and her thoughts on the rapidly changing economic landscape in Scotland.

Clarification 15/9/25 -  Victor Bulmer-Thomas did not resign as Director of Chatham House in 2003 over the Iraq war. He left at the end of 2006, although he did author a paper on Blair's foreign policy that was very critical of the invasion. 

Participants Dr Hannah Randolph - Fellow at the Fraser of Allander Institute Dr João Sousa - Deputy Director at the Fraser of Allander Institute Time stamps (0:40) What pressures does the chancellor face ahead of the autumn budget statement? (8:30) Prospects for improved economic conditions (11:00) Potential policy changes in the Autumn Budget statement (17:00) Impact on the Scottish budget proces...

(00:25) Price changes after removal (01:37) Reasoning behind peak fares and removal   (03:23) Learning from the peak fares removal pilot (06:00) What policies might shift commuters away from cars?   (08:47) Alternatives to rail travel (10:57) Policy costs and potential for financial neutrality 

Participants Dr Hannah Randolph - Fellow at the Fraser of Allander Institute Allison Catalano - Fellow at the Fraser of Allander Institute and the Scottish Health Equity Research Unit (SHERU) Time stamps (00:06) Introduction (01:20) What is the LFS and what are the issues it's been having?  (6:57) Alternative data sources for understanding the labour market (18:23) Misunderstandings around what's...

(00:29) What is GERS and why is it important? (10:19) What do the latest figures tell us and what factors are driving changes? (14:23) What were our thoughts on the Scottish Government response? (25:51) How likely is GERS to feature in the upcoming general election?

04:27 - What does the UK innovation survey say about innovation in Scotland? 07:10 - Is there really a decline in innovation across Scotland?  12:00 - Is business investment in Scotland really less than rest of UK? 15:44 - Product innovation versus process innovation 21:00 - How do skills shortages affect innovation? 24: 00 - How does company size affect innovation? 27:04 - How can businesses coll...

(00:38) What is the Scottish Business Monitor? (02:44) What business types are represented and what is the sample size? (04:28) Has poor business sentiment from Q1 2025 recovered in Q2? (06:50) What changes have we seen based on the changes to employer national insurance contributions? (08:37) What does business sentiment look like for 2026? (11:26) What factors are contributing to current busines...

Timestamps (00:23) What is congestion charging? (02:59) Exemptions (04:49) Similarities with LEZs (07:10) Timing of charges (10:26) Use of discounts & revenue (14:54) Clyde Tunnel Toll (16:26) Edinburgh’s failed proposal (20:13) Other UK charges (21:43) Effectiveness of congestion charges (23:37) Glasgow’s public transport system (25:57) Public attitudes

Timestamps:  (01:55) The Social Policy Association (SPA) and the East Asian Social Policy Research Network (EASP) (04:15) The Hospitality Sector – Serving the Future Project  (07:30) Learning Disabilities & Employment  (10:30) Child Poverty  (14:40) Housing & Health  (19:10) Labour One Year in Office: Tax Policy & Wealth Taxes?  (24:30) Key Takeaways from the Conference 

Yesterday, the Scottish Government published their medium-term financial strategy, which kicks off the Scottish Budget process. Hannah Randolph is joined by FAI Director Mairi Spowage to share their reactions. (2:08) What does the medium-term financial strategy do? (8:47) Financial strategy across spending areas (18:04) Public sector reform (25:06) Looking ahead to the Scottish spending review

PARTICIPANTS Dr Hannah Randolph, Economics Fellow, Fraser of Allander Institute, University of Strathclyde Professor Mairi Spowage, Director, Fraser of Allander Institute, University of Strathclyde  Ben Cooper, Economics Fellow, Fraser of Allander Institute, University of Strathclyde TIME STAMPS (0:20) History of the FAI (5:30) FAI conference plans (10:15) Parliamentary reception plans (11:40) Whe...

Introduction   What are investors saying? 03:43   Why is policy certainty so important? 10:27   Energy companies versus energy investors: 13:05   Where should government focus on? 17:52   Why the grid is so important? 24:42   Importance of effective carbon pricing regime: 31:04   Policy Responses from UK and Scottish Government: 42:11  

PARTICIPANTS  Ben Cooper, Economics Fellow, Fraser of Allander Institute, University of Strathclyde  Mairi Spowage, Director, Fraser of Allander Institute, University of Strathclyde  Joao Sousa, Deputy Director, Fraser of Allander Institute, University of Strathclyde  TIMESTAMPS   (00:30) A summary of the spending review announcements  (08:00) What did we hear on capital investment?  (11:50) What...

Timestamps: (0:00) Introduction (00:38) What do the latest child poverty statistics say? (01:49) What was JRF's reaction to the stats? (03:09) Can we see an impact from Scottish Child Payment? (06:09) How do we achieve the 2030 targets from here? (09:24) Modelling of options to meet 2030 targets (12:57) What about cost? (19:27) How might UK Government proposed benefits changes impact poverty level...

PARTICIPANTS Dr Hannah Randolph, Economics Fellow, Fraser of Allander Institute, University of Strathclyde Professor Mairi Spowage, Director, Fraser of Allander Institute, University of Strathclyde  Dr João Sousa, Deputy Director, Fraser of Allander Institute, University of Strathclyde TIME STAMPS (0:30) Economic conditions leading up to the spring statement (16:15) What announcements were made an...

PARTICIPANTS Professor Mairi Spowage, Director, Fraser of Allander Institute Angela Mitchell, Senior Partner for Scotland & Northern Ireland, Deloitte Lesley McEwan, Director in Deloitte's Infrastructure and Capital Programme Team, Deloitte TIMESTAMPS (10:50 ) What purposes could public land be put to? (14:10) Taking the demand to the supply – data centres (15:40) Grid infrastructure issues must s...