Our recent report on public services and productivity in Scotland we published a series of blogs on the topic @davehawkey.bsky.social outlines the limits of comparing teacher pay between Scotland and England, and not emphasising an international perspective t.co/hyJDAaChsj

With the starting gun fired on the 2026 Holyrood election, the public deserve an honest conversation about governing Scotland. Party manifestos will be soon be released - which begs the question: What makes a good Holyrood election manifesto in 2026? Here are 5 tests: www.ippr.org/articles/wha...

Our latest report warns further public sector job cuts could hollow out essential services just as demand rises. Public services need more investment not less. 📣@CaseySmithIPPR outlines how choices made now will shape Scotland’s public services for years.

Plans to reduce public sector workforce when satisfaction and access to public services is under strain is...a choice. With growing and increasingly complex demands on the state, now is not the time to cut state services further. Rather genuine public sector reform is needed. Read our latest report

“It’s essential that the UK and Scottish governments work together to ensure this project is pushed forward and that ground is broken on the factory as soon as possible." Read our full response to Vesta's decision to invest in a new nacelle and hub factory in Scotland⤵️ www.ippr.org/media-office...

The headline child poverty rate (21% average across financial years 2022/23, 2023/24 and 2024/25) does not bode well for Scottish government to hit its 2030 target (10%). But with changes to the methodology behind the stats there is noise in the data that we should avoid over-interpreting.

With Scotland going into a major election, parties pledging to tackle child poverty must be clear that the issue is a structural feature of an unequal society. We respond to today's child poverty stats⤵️ www.ippr.org/media-office...

Good to be at Parliament today hearing from @futureeconscot.bsky.social’s Funding Scotland’s Future report - important heading into the election all parties get real about how we raise the revenues necessary to deliver on public priorities

There are plenty of assumptions about public servants and their attitude to change - we spoke with workers across the public sector & heard their thoughts on public service reform - unsurprisingly views are more nuanced than commentators and politicians would have you believe!

Rapid technological advances and the implementation of AI has the potential to transform healthcare - however this does not necessarily translate into reduced costs for public services. Read our latest blog on the limits of new technology in making healthcare cheaper www.ippr.org/articles/wil...

Scotland still feels hemmed in by the idea that the welfare state is purely burdensome, rather than a springboard to national prosperity and a more dynamic economy. Other countries manage better outcomes with higher rates of spending and investment in social infrastructure. Read out latest report

📢 It's launch day!🚀 💷 Social spending ≠ economic damage. 💪Plenty of countries prove you can have strong social security and strong economies. Read our new report, More than a Safety Net ⤵️ @stephenkb.bsky.social @davehawkey.bsky.social @caseysmithippr.bsky.social www.ippr.org/articles/mor...

For months, we have been digging into a big myth — that strong social protection holds back economic growth.🔍 Spoiler: it doesn’t.💪 We launch our findings tomorrow in our report 'More than a Safety Net'. Stay tuned.🚀 For now, hear it from @stephenboydippr.bsky.social ⤵️

📢 Starting today, we will publish a series of blogs as part of our project on Employment, Productivity and Reform in the Scottish Public Sector. First up, this blog by @davehawkey.bsky.social looking at teacher pay per pupil in Scotland in an international context. ⤵️ www.ippr.org/articles/app...

Scream it from the rooftops 🧵 on.ft.com/3XGBvuZ via @FT

As the Chancellor pulls back on changes to income tax, there are lessons from Scotland - the most taxed part of the UK is also least opposed to further rises. Politicians should be less frightened by tax reform so long as they make an argument for it. See blog below👇

Now we're onto Scottish democracy. Very interested to hear on people's opinions on democracy from a devolved government...

High levels of support from parents in Scotland for reform of UK child maintenance. The current system pushes too many parents away. We @ipprscotland.bsky.social find 78% would like to see greater state support on offer for parents who struggle to make arrangements work. opfs.org.uk/get-involved...

📊 New polling from @ipprscotland.bsky.social shows overwhelming support for reform of the child maintenance system. Read the latest blog from @IPPRScotland, part of our #TransformingChildMaintenance project with @fifegingerbread.bsky.social 📄 opfs.org.uk/get-involved...

🚸Too many children are missing out on the child maintenance support they deserve. It’s time for change! We @ipprscotland.bsky.social alongside @opfs.org.uk , @fifegingerbread.bsky.social are calling for a fairer, safer system. 📄 opfs.org.uk/betterforeve... #TransformingChildMaintenance

Excellent @IPPRScotland session on future of Scotland’s industrial strategy with Ivan McKee and Sara Thiam crucial discussion on honing Scotland’s comparative advantages and adapting to a world with rising trade barriers. #snpconference2025

#SNP25 | Maximising economic opportunities across all Scotland's regions 🕠 17.00-18.00 | Meeting Room 1, Level 1, TECA (inside the secure zone) ➡️@shonarobison.bsky.social ➡️Stacey Dingwwall, FSB Scotland ➡️Ross Martin, Adviser on regional economics ➡️@stephenboydippr.bsky.social

#SNP25 | GB Energy and the acceleration of renewables in Scotland 🕠 12.30-13.30 | Meeting Room 1, Level 1, TECA (inside the secure zone) ➡️ Stephen Flynn MSP ➡️Damien Zachlod, EnBW ➡️Zoe Holliday, Community Energy Scotland ➡️@davehawkey.bsky.social With @enbw-ag.bsky.social

#SNP25 | A modern industrial strategy for Scotland 🕠 09.15-10.15 | Meeting Room 1, Level 1, TECA (inside the secure zone) ➡️Ivan McKee MSP ➡️Sara Thiam, Prosper ➡️@stephenboydippr.bsky.social

📢 We are in Aberdeen this weekend at the SNP conference, hosting three fringe events. A conference pass is required to attend the events. Hope to see you there. Details below ⤵️

💷The investments in Scotland announced by the Chancellor today are welcome, so long as they create the kind of manufacturing jobs that provide security and opportunity for workers in the long-term, and the benefits are felt in the wider community. @caseysmithippr.bsky.social 🗣️

🎉10th ANNIVERSARY🎉 A decade ago, IPPR Scotland was established in a big moment of change to support progressive policymaking. 📢Now, as Scotland faces fresh challenges, we’re hosting a major conference to ask: What next? 🗓️Save the date: 29 Oct 2025 www.ippr.org/events/ippr-...

📢 Scotland’s Medium Term Financial Strategy is out — and it warns of a £2.6bn resource funding gap by 2029/30. The big question is: how will it be filled? @stephenboydippr.bsky.social's latest blog addresses this question 🧵(1/4) www.ippr.org/articles/fil...

🎯The broad settlement for Scotland in today's Spending Review is welcome but not enough to meet its fiscal challenges. 👀All eyes should now be on the upcoming industrial strategy. @stephenboydippr.bsky.social reacts ⤵️ Full statement on our website: www.ippr.org/media-office...

🗳️Voters in Hamilton have shown they want to a fairer, greener future, but can Scottish politicians afford to be complacent? Certainly not. ✅2026 cannot be a contest mired in negativity but a battle for the high ground. @stephenboydippr.bsky.social

The Scottish Government projects that mitigating the two-child limit in Scotland would lift 15,000 children out of child poverty. However that leaves 225,000 children still in poverty. 👨‍👩‍👦‍👦 UK Government must abolish the two-child limit as a starting point, but a far bolder action plan is needed.

⚠️The CCC published expert advice on how the Scottish government can tackle the climate crisis. 📺 @davehawkey.bsky.social spoke to @laurapiper.bsky.social of STV to elucidate further: "What we need now is a policy package that can step up to deliver [the simple things recommended by the CCC]."

"IPPR said Scottish ministers should draw up new climate 'missions' to set overarching policies for sectors with the biggest climate impacts... which would mandate action." We're quoted in @severincarrell.bsky.social's excellent piece in @theguardian.com 👇 www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Tom Hunter believes that Singapore provides a useful template for Scotland's economy. Is he right? Um, no... www.ippr.org/articles/sin...

There are different routes to national prosperity - Singapore and Scotland are not analogous - I’d suggest looking across the North Sea to the Nordics for lessons on what a better economy and society looks like…🇩🇰

An important event this evening marking 60 years of @carersscotland.bsky.social stressing society’s obligation to uphold the rights and entitlements of all carers to a decent and fulfilled life.

📺Great to have our child poverty analysis feature on @itvpeston.bsky.social!📺 👀 @johnswinney.bsky.social asked why the Scottish government is miles away from hitting its own child poverty target. We are clear child poverty is not inevitable. #ChildPoverty #Scotland www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQJp...

The First Minister has the right priorities - however it is not totally clear from today's Programme for Government how we chart a course towards meeting those priorities. We await further detail on specifically child poverty (meeting those 2030 targets) and hard yards still to go on climate.

Thank you to the Jimmy Reid Foundation for hosting today’s fringe event at @scottishtuc.bsky.social conference. We joined @ipprscotland.bsky.social for a panel discussion on tax justice, expertly chaired by Lynn Henderson. Thanks to the audience for such an engaging discussion.

📢New briefing 📢 Ahead of FM @johnswinney.bsky.social's Programme for Government, we set out proposals focused on his four priorities—eradicating child poverty, growing the economy, tackling climate change, and ensuring high-quality public services (1/2) www.ippr.org/articles/pro...

How do parents navigate the complex system of child maintenance? 📺 @davehawkey.bsky.social gave evidence virtually to the House of Lords Public Services Committee on Child Maintenance last week. ➡️ Also read our research with @opfs.org.uk and @fifegingerbread.bsky.social opfs.org.uk/wp-content/u...

"The political debate is lopsided, focusing on electricity while ignoring our dependence on gas for heating. This is an amazing omission given gas makes up half of a typical Scottish energy bill." @davehawkey.bsky.social tells @alexofbrown.bsky.social @scotsman.com www.scotsman.com/news/politic...

Child poverty stats for 2023/24: - at 22% relative child poverty remains significantly higher than the Scottish Government's interim target of 18% - Scottish figure is much lower than the UK (31%) demonstrating impact of devolved policies www.gov.scot/news/poverty...

📻 Even in a ‘better than best case employment scenario’, where no parent is paid less than the real living wage, unemployment is halved and 40,000 economically inactive parents get into work, the government's 2030 child poverty target would be missed. @davehawkey.bsky.social on BBC Radio Scotland⤵️

Today @ipprscotland.bsky.social publishes new analysis showing that by 2030 child poverty in Scotland will be: - well below the rest of the UK due to devolved policies - more than twice as high as the Scottish Government's current target @davehawkey.bsky.social www.ippr.org/articles/ach...

📢 Today we publish analysis warning that without urgent investment, over 210,000 Scottish children (22%) will be trapped in poverty by 2030 🏟️ That’s enough children to fill Murrayfield Stadium x 3 - and double the legal target Read the briefing 👇 www.ippr.org/articles/ach...

Grangemouth the town is struggling - it has been for a long while, even with the refinery in operation During this period of transition it makes it all the more urgent that locals see and feel that things are finally moving in a positive direction That means new jobs and opportunity on site ASAP 👷‍♂️

There is risk workers made redundant this summer will struggle to quickly find new jobs It's essential both governments redouble efforts to turn potential developments into tangible opportunities for those made redundant and local young people IPPR Scotland Director @stephenboydippr.bsky.social

There should be a deep and rapid reassessment of the just transition process in Scotland - it must be far less traumatic for the workers concerned 👩‍🏭 IPPR Scotland director @stephenboydippr.bsky.social responds to the Project Willow report on the closure of the Grangemouth oil refinery 👇