Angus Armstrong, Francesco Caselli, Jagjit Chadha, Wouter den Haan
In 2014, Scotland voted against becoming independent. But the UK’s decision to leave the EU has reignited the debate over Scottish independence. A majority of Scottish voters backed remaining in the EU (Sobolewska and Ford 2020) and the Scottish National Party has pledged to use the 2021 Scottish Parliament elections to seek a mandate for a second referendum. Although there is no guarantee the UK government will agree to a new vote, recent opinion polls show a majority of Scots favour independence (
The Herald 2020).
In recent work, we analyse the economics of independence and how Brexit affects its costs and benefits (Huang et al. 2021). We seek to answer two main questions. First, how do the estimated effects of independence compare to the impact of Brexit on the Scottish economy? Second, would an independent Scotland be better off economically inside or outside the EU?
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2021 assessment changes mean teachers need “extensive support” to avoid unconscious bias, experts urge
The cancellation of 2021 exams mean teachers need “extensive guidance” on how to minimise the threat of unconscious bias while assessing pupils’ work
The cancellation of 2021 exams mean teachers need “extensive guidance” on how to minimise the threat of unconscious bias while assessing pupils’ work, experts have said.
Systems for judging the achievements of pupils this year also need a series of checks and balances to ensure fairness for those from all backgrounds, according to the researchers, who warn without this there is a risk of further exacerbating educational inequalities.
Demand for out-of-work benefits in Reading remains well above pre-pandemic levels THE number of people claiming unemployment benefits in Reading at the end of last year was more than double that seen at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, figures reveal. Office for National Statistics data shows 6,880 people were claiming out-of-work benefits as of December 10, compared to just 3,070 in early March – an increase of 3,810. That is 6.4 per cent of the area s working-age population, up from 2.8 per cent. The figures include those aged 16 to 64 on Jobseeker’s Allowance and some Universal Credit claimants, who are unemployed and seeking work or employed but with low earnings.