Director Mairi Spowage and Deputy Director João Sousa join FAI economist Hannah Randolph to discuss GERS statistics for 2023-24, including the net fiscal balance, details of changes in revenues and spending, how Scotland compares to other UK nations and regions, and what it all means for the independence debate.
GERS 2023-24 can be found on the Scottish Government website here.
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
(0:20) What is GERS and what do the statistics show this year?
(3:40) Why are there versions with and without North Sea revenues?
(8:55) How do these figures compare to previous years?
(10:45) How do these figures compare across UK regions and nations?
(15:20) More on revenue and spending – income tax, pension, social protection, and locally administered taxes
(23:55) What implications does GERS have for the independence debate?
Authors
Hannah is a Fellow at the Fraser of Allander Institute. She specialises in applied social policy analysis with a focus on social security, poverty and inequality, labour supply, and immigration.
Mairi is the Director of the Fraser of Allander Institute. Previously, she was the Deputy Chief Executive of the Scottish Fiscal Commission and the Head of National Accounts at the Scottish Government and has over a decade of experience working in different areas of statistics and analysis.
João is Deputy Director and Senior Knowledge Exchange Fellow at the Fraser of Allander Institute. Previously, he was a Senior Fiscal Analyst at the Office for Budget Responsibility, where he led on analysis of long-term sustainability of the UK's public finances and on the effect of economic developments and fiscal policy on the UK's medium-term outlook.