The fiscal powers of the Scottish Government have increased significantly, resulting in the first (modest) regional differences in income tax rates within the UK. In fact, the current degree of fiscal autonomy would permit a radical shift towards a high-tax, high-spend "Scandinavian model". We find that the impact of such a change on the Scottish economy is likely to be positive only if the public value the increased public spending and are willing, and able, to accept a corresponding reduction in their take home pay. We conclude that the current bargaining system is unlikely to deliver such an outcome.

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In 2020, the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) recommended that British consumers reduce their beef, lamb and dairy consumption by 20% for both environmental and health reasons. For a region like Northern Ireland, this presents a significant challenge. Northern Ireland, considered to be performing poorly local economy within the United Kingdom and Ireland, has an export-orientated agri-food sector with an extensive domestic supply chain. This study shows the likely trade-offs required for a small regional economy with a large, established cattle herd to sustainably transition from one agri-food system to another. In so doing, the study uses the most comprehensive agricultural data collections to rebalance Northern Irish input–output tables, to better account for the nature of NI intermediate consumption within an agri-food system. The results show that a large-scale transition from beef, lamb and dairy to fruit and vegetable production would create a more emission efficient agricultural sector. The worst economic effects could be offset within current NI policy parameters, although there would still likely be some economic costs.

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