David Bell

Professor of Economics
University of Stirling

Biography

Beliefs about how the Scottish economy may perform after independence will be critical to the outcome of the 2014 referendum on Scottish independence. Aside from its effect on income, another major concern for voters will be whether an independent Scottish economy will be able or wish to support the level of public services they currently enjoy. Taxpayers will want to know how taxes may change to pay for public services after independence.

This fellowship will produce original research looking at fiscal aspects of the constitutional change debate in the UK. It will encompass both taxes and spending, and will offer insights into questions such as: How would public services be funded in an independent Scotland? Would current levels of services – and the taxation that funds them – be similar, or vary up or down?

Fellowship website: Scottish Fiscal and Economic Studies (ScotFES)

Expertise

Constitution
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Posts by this author

Scottish Border
Brexit, Independence and the Union

The Economics of Scotland-rUK Border

| David Bell
David Bell, University of Stirling, for the Scottish Centre on European Relations latest report 'An Independent Scotland in EU: Issues for Accession' discusses what the implications would be for Scotland in creating an EU-rUK border should they rejoin the EU after independence, arguing that this is a completely different debate to 2014, and explaining the close analogies with Brexit and the border with Ireland.
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Pounds
Brexit

Regional Funding after Brexit

| David Bell
The Shared Prosperity Fund (SPF) is intended to replace the EU structural funds, worth around £2.1 billion per year. David Bell, University of Stirling, discusses whether the UK Government will see this as a mechanism for highlighting their role in supporting regional policy across the UK, or will it lead to further disagreements between the devolved institutions.
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Scottish Fishing
Brexit

Scottish Fisheries: The First Brexit Battleground

| David Bell
Fishing and Brexit go hand in hand. The UK fishing industry is dominated by Scottish production, and the Scottish Government will argue for a prominent role when negotiations around EU market access take place, states David Bell. But, how will this impact intergovernmental relations between the Scottish and UK Governments?
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Infrastructure
Public policy

Infrastructure spending: reversing or encouraging regional inequality?

| David Bell
The gap between rich and poor areas in the UK is larger than any other Western European country. David Bell, Professor of Economics at University of Stirling, analyses the General Election 2019 manifesto pledges to reverse the upward trend in regional inequality.
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Donald Trump and Boris Johnson
Brexit

The collapse of the WTO court: how will it impact UK trade deals post-Brexit?

| David Bell
On 10th December, the World Trade Organisations appeal court will collapse, after the US failed to appoint sufficient judges to keep it quorate. David Bell, University of Stirling, analyses where this will leave the UK when negotiating trade deals post-Brexit.
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Brexit

GM foods, the US-UK Trade Negotiations and Scottish Food Production: A Heady Mix

| David Bell
Professor David Bell, of the University of Stirling, looks ahead to the US-UK trade negotiations post Brexit and how US demands will inevitably produce pitched battles over food quality standards, not least in Scotland.
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