In this week's eposide we give first reactions to Rachel Reeves' speech outlining all the terrible problems of the UK which land us with some of the highest Governent borrowing costs in the world.  We look at what might lie ahead in the UK budget and discuss how Reform's economic strategies are falling off the edge at a rate of knots with the council they actually run Kent County Council looks set to increase council taxes rather than managing to save money.

We also discuss the land reform legislation that was going through Holyrood last week, which seems destined to make no difference whatsoever, except to complicate things even more. All this with a sprinkling of Edinburgh trams, Highland Council's seemingly robust response to SSEN's High Votage Transmission plans, and forays into the US and New York's mayoral election. But we end (before Lesley has to run out the door) with reflections on Scottish cultre and the life of the curator Elspeth King.

Links
Tacking stitches - The first thing you should do when you buy a new coat
https://www.esquire.com/uk/style/a46500500/tacking-stitch-coat-jacket-vent-men/

Elspeth King
https://www.thenational.scot/news/25589816.former-glasgow-peoples-palace-curator-elspeth-king-dies/

https://news.stv.tv/west-central/peoples-palace-curator-elspeth-king-on-becoming-the-glasgow-midden-raker - great STV interview with Elspeth King 2022.

Land Reform
Briefing by Andy Whiteman
https://andywightman.scot/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/stage_3_briefing.pdf

Council Tax (not) Reform
https://www.commonweal.scot/articles/magazine-e2ype

Edinburgh Trams

https://padfletcher.substack.com/p/edinburgh-council-and-its-tram-extension

Paddy Fletcher piece on economics of new edinburgh tram.