Scotland’s £5 Billion Warning: Hunter & Haughey Sound the Alarm

Air Date: March 1st, 2026 Hosts: Lord Willie Haughey and Sir Tom Hunter This is a catch-up version of the weekly, Go Radio Business Show, Sundays from 11am. PLAY and HIT SUBSCRIBE, and NEVER miss an episode!

In this week’s episode, Hunter & Haughey tackle some of Scotland’s most pressing economic issues — from soaring business rates to the future of energy, employment, and growth. With trademark honesty and humour, they cut through political noise to ask the big questions: Where is Scotland headed… and who’s brave enough to tell the truth? Big Economic Decisions & Political Realities North Sea windfall tax may be reduced — potentially boosting investment and protecting jobs. Scotland’s energy bills set to drop 7%, but confusion around energy caps remains. UK’s sky‑high energy costs are pushing investors away — and damaging competitiveness. Scotland’s Fiscal Cliff Independent bodies warn of a looming £5 billion gap between revenue and spending. Shock revelation: 1 million Scots are projected to claim disability benefits in coming years — raising sustainability concerns. Political parties accused of avoiding honest conversations with voters. Quangos, Agencies & Accountability Scotland currently has 133 quangos costing £6.6 billion to run. Debate over merging major bodies like Scottish Enterprise, SNIB, and others into one agency. Tom calls for leadership that’s agile, honest, and focused on economic growth. Business Rates Uproar Hospitality and other sectors escalating protests with nationwide billboard campaigns. Some business owners prepared to refuse payment altogether. Call for the Scottish Government to freeze or pause the rate system for 12 months. Young People & the NEET Crisis Alarming increase in 16–24‑year‑olds not in education, employment, or training. Concerns that early disengagement leads to lifelong unemployment. Ideas from abroad: tiered youth wages (like in the Netherlands) to get young people into work. Practical suggestion: large‑scale youth skills programmes, including infrastructure repair. Growth, Entrepreneurs & the Ecosystem The Scottish Ecosystem Support Fund returns to fuel early‑stage projects. Praise for Kate Forbes and concerns about losing one of the few “growth‑literate” leaders. Call for a national plan focused on entrepreneurship, scale‑ups and innovation. Election Season Ahead Willie plans to invite economic spokespeople from all major parties for honest debate. Special shout‑out to the hospitality sponsors — and regret that Sir Alex Ferguson won’t be joining this particular episode (but will appear on the Go Radio Football Show).

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