In 1829 Thomas Carlyle wrote: “Let us, instead of gazing wildly into the obscure distance, look calmly around us, for a little, on the perplexed scene where we stand.” I was reminded of the Dumfriesshire-born historian and philosopher while listening to the economy secretary Fiona Hyslop announcing the Scottish government’s response to its own much-trumpeted economic recovery report, from the advisory group led by former banker Benny Higgins. In case you missed it, Hyslop endorsed the aspirations outlined in the Higgins report, most notably its commitment to growth being linked to “wellbeing”. She added that the Scottish government would invest £50m to support youth employment and make it easier for smaller firms to compete for public-sector contracts. How will they do that?

Source: The Times August 08, 2020 23:00 UTC