The Foundation is delighted that poet and author Jackie Kay will deliver its 2026 annual lecture. She will talk about responding creatively to the challenges we face and the impact responding creatively can make. The… Read More »2026 Jimmy Reid Memorial Lecture
The Scottish Government’s Programme for Government 2026-31 includes a plan to reduce the current 14 territorial health boards to two. This briefing examines the proposal and its consequences. The driver is efficiency savings, and we explain that… Read More »Cutting Health Boards
The UK Government is undertaking a ‘once in a generation’ reform of the pensions system. In this major paper, we explain that while the reforms are moving in the right direction, they may not be… Read More »The Future of Pensions in the UK
The growth and use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rarely out of the news, with a debate over its merits and consequences. More recently, there has been an increase in proposals for huge data centres… Read More »Artificial Intelligence and Data Centres
The interim report of the Milburn review into young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) has highlighted the growing number of young people falling into this category. In this briefing, we review the… Read More »Young People and Work
Local authorities in Scotland are responsible for enforcing health and safety legislation in 45 per cent of workplaces, while the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is responsible for the remainder. In this briefing, we examine… Read More »Council Health & Safety Enforcement
In August 2023, the Jimmy Reid Foundation published an Assessment of Fair Work in Scotland, supported by the Alex Ferry Foundation. The Scottish Government set a target for Scotland to become a Fair Work Nation… Read More »Is Scotland a Fair Work Nation?
Water and sewage systems often operate unnoticed in Scotland because of the belief that we don’t face the main problems confronting the industry in England – water scarcity and privatisation. However, this belief is mistaken.… Read More »Scottish Water – The Case for Change
Scottish Futures Trust (SFT) is a government-owned company established in 2008 to improve the planning, funding, and delivery of public infrastructure across Scotland. This briefing examines the SFT today in the context of renewed interest… Read More »Scottish Futures Trust & Private Finance
An important theme for the Jimmy Reid Foundation in recent years has been community. There are many types of communities, and all are important. However, there is a risk that we forget the importance of… Read More »The Policy of Place