A better connected country would also be a wealthier one, says IAN RITCHIE Back in the Seventies, ahead of a first visit to Skye, I called the tourist information office to book accommodation and was offered a ‘B&B with evening meal’. When I said I would prefer to eat out the agent replied, “and where […]
Ian Ritchie
Low expectations of high growth pledge
Another ministerial promise to create business unicorns has failed to impress IAN RITCHIE Soon after has his re-election in May John Swinney told the Holyrood Parliament that the government will “establish a High‑Growth Unit to identify and support businesses with the potential to grow, and to grow significantly.” A new team, said the First Minister, […]
Scotland’s slippery path to growth
Past strategies to grow the economy have been denied time and funding to take root, writes IAN RITCHIE In launching the SNP manifesto, First Minister John Swinney, declared that ‘economic growth’ would be a central mission for a re-elected SNP government. He proposes a ‘high-growth unit’ to identify businesses that have the potential to achieve […]
New MSPs will need digital ambitions
Holyrood’s next intake must look to small nations like Estonia and Denmark to solve Scotland’s inefficient public services, writes IAN RITCHIE As politicians campaign for the right to govern at Holyrood next year a key question they face will be how cost-effectively public services are being delivered by the devolved government. The answer, unfortunately, is […]
Pioneer who helped invent the future
TERRY MURDEN reviews The Web Before The Web, by Ian Ritchie Long before Gareth Williams, Nigel Eccles and Mike Welch, the instigators of Skyscanner, Fanduel and Blackcircles, became synonymous with Scotland’s tech sector there was one man who could justifiably be regarded as its godfather. Ian Ritchie is not only a veteran of more than […]