@ProfJMitchell

Professor of Public Policy, Edinburgh University

sps.ed.ac.uk/staff/politics/james_mitchell
Joined March 2014
  • Tweets7.8K
  • Following220
  • Followers4.8K
171Media
James Mitchell retweeted
Sam Taylor@staylorishOct 22
Replying to @ProfJMitchell
I wrote about that mythology here: these-islands.co.uk/publicat…

The McCrone Mythology

A 1974 memo written by Scottish Office economist Gavin McCrone has acquired a mythical status for Scottish nationalists. But how much of the mythology is true?

these-islands.co.uk
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James Mitchell retweeted
Stuart Adam@StuartAdam_IFSOct 21
Horrible decision from Welsh ministers not to go ahead with a much-needed update of property valuations for council tax in 2028, having previously voted for the legislation. Inexcusable. 1/3 bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c6ly…

Decision to delay council tax shake-up in Wales is 'absurd', says IFS

Plaid Cymru Welsh government criticised after it delays planned revaluation for 2028 to 2032.

bbc.co.uk
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James Mitchell retweeted
Chris McCall@DennynewsOct 19
Buses will not be publicly owned under the SNP proposals.
Laura Webster@LauraEWebsterrOct 19
Find it just so typical that rather than Scotland's media explore what public ownership of busses means to the public, or how it works outside of Scotland - or even how it works in our own capital city - the amplified central voices are reactionary businessmen.
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James Mitchell retweeted
Louise Slorance@LouiseSloranceOct 11
“It appeared that the environmental consideration to make the hospital as energy efficient and as green as possible took priority over the clinical requirement,” [Poplett] said. @JohnSwinney loves to quote Poplett, will he quote this? 🧵
Louise Slorance@LouiseSloranceOct 10
Lives lost, lives forever changed. The #QEUHinfectionscandal is complex but the overriding message simple Putting reputation above safety must NEVER happen 👇 thetimes.com/magazines/the-s…
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James Mitchell retweeted
The Nobel Prize
@NobelPrizeOct 9
In awarding this year’s #NobelPeacePrize, the Norwegian Nobel Committee wants to remind the world that the rule of law – national and international – underpins the system we have set up to ensure peace and resolve conflicts non-violently. Peace requires justice. History has shown that a world operating without the rule of law is unjust, unwise and inhumane. The judges – those who guard the thin red line between order and chaos – are therefore highly deserving of our praise. But today, as these same judges are sanctioned, and their institutions are attacked, we need people of courage, vision and determination – qualities that 2026 peace laureate Navi Pillay demonstrates in her work on the bench. #NobelPrize
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James Mitchell retweeted
Johann Lamont@JohannLamontOct 8
Re taking Ministerial role seriously. In my experience, there was a divide in committee appearances by Ministers between those who knew - and understood - their brief and those who simply regurgitated the lines to take and were at least wise enough to ask officials to respond.
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James Mitchell retweeted
Johann Lamont@JohannLamontOct 8
Replying to @JohannLamont @ProfJMitchell
And worth adding that nowadays instant briefing updates are easily available and accessible. It is not as if they have to be etched on calf skin….
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James Mitchell retweeted
Johann Lamont@JohannLamontOct 8
Replying to @ProfJMitchell
He’d have been briefed on all the issues relevant to his responsibilities when he was appointed. Ministers routinely have a pre meeting on the morning of a committee appearance where the most recent issues can be been flagged up. The flippancy is all his own - not the system’s.
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James Mitchell retweeted
Sam Taylor@staylorishOct 8
Scot Gov has just published several FOI responses seeking the briefing pack provided to Stephen Flynn before his disastrous Transport Committee session last month. His briefing did cover the ferry gas leak story, proving that Stephen Flynn had not read his briefing pack. Oops.
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James Mitchell retweeted
Fay Young@fay_youngOct 6
“in an attempt to be seen as dynamic, Scottish Government plans for a rushed restructuring of the public sector.” it will further weaken local democracy, local accountability and local delivery. ScepticalScot #PublicServiceReform sceptical.scot/2026/09/refor…

Reform in haste, repent at leisure

Scottish Government rushed ‘reforms’ will weaken local democracy, accountability and delivery…

sceptical.scot
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James Mitchell retweeted
Jasmin Mujanović
@JasminMujOct 3
Folks may think I am being pedantic but I genuinely believe Dzeko’s decision to go out now, on his own terms, when - in typical Balkan fashion - he probably could have hung on for another half decade or more, and thereby suffocated the emergence of new talent, that this will be one of his greatest legacies. A legacy that I hope will far transcend football. Leadership, in the end, is also about knowing when it’s time for you to hang it up. Dzeko is modeling something vitally important for young and old alike to understand.
Bosnian Football
@BosniaNTBallOct 3
This video got everyone crying. Words can’t describe what Dzeko meant to most of us.💔
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James Mitchell retweeted
Holyrood@HolyroodDailyOct 2
Local government reform must find consensus and not lead to a further centralisation of powers, writes @ProfJMitchell holyrood.com/inside-politics…

Local government reform must find consensus and not lead to a further centralisation of powers

The relentless forward march of centralisation and uniformism lies at the heart of many policy failures

holyrood.com
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As someone with elderly relatives at the sharp end of this in Scotland and in England right now, I’m going to say that oneupmanship is an unserious, useless, and actually unpleasant response, for families trying to deal with the reality of the system.
John Swinney
@JohnSwinneySep 29
In Scotland, we provide free personal care for older people without punishing pensioners. Andy Burnham removing the triple lock would simply repeat the mistakes of Keir Starmer. The blame for the UK’s financial mess lies with successive Westminster governments, not pensioners.
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James Mitchell retweeted
James Bundy@jamesbundySep 30
Scotland is about to redraw the map of local government. But before we do so, we should ask a more fundamental question: what is local government actually for? My reflection on this question. jamesbundy.substack.com/p/th…
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James Mitchell retweeted
Stuart McIntyre@stuartgmcintyreSep 29
Replying to @ProfJMitchell
@ProfJMitchell, @DavidWglasgow and I have written for @Strath_FAI on Scottish Government’s proposals for local government reform. The proposals raise five important questions that deserve careful consideration as proposals are developed. 1/3
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James Mitchell retweeted
Joe Fagan@JoeJFaganSep 28
One lesson from history is that major reform followed years of development. Even the controversial 90s reorganisation. Reorganising the council map of Scotland isn't fast, isn't easy and isn't cheap. A curious and late addition to a Public Service Reform agenda.
Holyrood@HolyroodDailySep 28
Local government reform must find consensus and not lead to a further centralisation of powers, says @ProfJMitchell holyrood.com/inside-politics…

Local government reform must find consensus and not lead to a further centralisation of powers

The relentless forward march of centralisation and uniformism lies at the heart of many policy failures

holyrood.com
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James Mitchell retweeted
COSLA@COSLASep 27
Today Cllr Steven Heddle talked to the Sunday Show about Local Government reform proposals. He highlighted that the key challenges facing councils are not their structures. They are sustainable funding, workforce capacity and growing demand for services. ow.ly/9sqP50ZRYKk
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James Mitchell retweeted
Scott Wortley@Scott_WortleySep 26
The Scottish universities should keep repeating this. They are capped in how many school leaver scottish students they can take, and they are not appropriately paid by scottish govt for that intake. This is the scottish government policy.
Colin Smith
@NoteTaker_XSep 25
The Vice-Principal of St Andrews has literally just had to publish an article explaining that the Scottish Government dictates "precisely how many they can admit every year". If the university goes "even one student beyond our cap, they are fined". Trying to frame St Andrews as anti-Scottish when it is the SNP’s own funding model that restricts domestic student numbers is entirely dishonest.
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Oh my good God!! this is unconscionable nonsense. Like the safe injecting spaces, happy to have any "world firsts" irrespective of evidence or positive outcome but unable to provide any real evidenced strategy to prevent deaths. SNP have completely lost it for me.
James Mitchell@ProfJMitchellSep 23
Citizens will continue to die so long as this shameful, irresponsible nonsense is the response. I'd hope there would be some in the SNP who will publicly condemn this disgraceful MSP.
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James Mitchell retweeted
Fay Young@fay_youngSep 25
How is Scotland doing? Sceptical Scot publishes different views. What resonates? Here's top three Sceptical reads of the week: Number 1: (still) @HubrisTheBook long view on data centre boom. What Scotland can learn from past sceptical.scot/2026/08/data-… 1/3

Data centre mania: Scotland should learn from the past

How to control the new gold rush in Scotland? Ray Perman takes the long view of disruptive technology – history can point the way to a strategy that brings real benefits. And it leads to Shetland.

sceptical.scot
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