Who really owns Scotland’s whisky, wind farms and media? How do Scotland’s top lobbyists influence power?
This week in an exclusive joint investigation, The Herald has teamed up with The Ferret to answer the most important questions in modern Scotland.
Over the course of the next six days, we’ll be bringing you an in-depth look at ‘Who runs Scotland’.
We will also be providing a chance to open up the discussion to you – with a live Q+A on our social media channels each day from 12.30pm and special edition of The Brian Taylor Podcast on Thursday.
Donald Martin, The Herald’s editor-in-chief, said: “Who runs Scotland is a fascinating and in-depth look at the people and organisations with significant influence over so many aspects of our lives.
“The investigative work and the rich data provided by The Ferret highlights how much of Scotland is controlled and owned by a select few and the extent to which the wealthy and foreign firms operate within the corridors of power.
“It is important in terms of democracy and will hopefully stimulate discussion and debate.”
Read Day 1 from our exclusive 'Who Runs Scotland?' investigation:
- SNP Government held hundreds of secret lobbying meetings with rich and powerful
- Revealed: The professional lobbyists who most frequently met with Scottish Government
- Power and influence of energy companies lobbying Scottish Government raises questions
- Industry and big business dominate access to Scotland Office ministers
Karin Goodwin, Co-editor at The Ferret, added: “This investigation is about power and influence in Scotland today. It’s a large-scale set of pieces that our team of Ferret journalists have worked hard to make both informatively rich in data, as well as thought-provoking and insightful.
“The results do not attempt to be conclusive. But they’ve certainly helped us think more about who runs Scotland and we hope they drive healthy and constructive debate.
“A modern Scotland has to be one that can look itself firmly in the mirror. The best journeys start with understanding and accepting what and where you are so you can work out how best to get where you want to go.
“This is also an invitation to a discussion – we’re looking forward to hearing what you think and how you interpret our findings. “
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