Jacob sits down with Laurie McFarlane, co-director of Future Economy Scotland, for a (non-Gulf War related, finally) conversation about what makes Scotland one of the more fascinating geopolitical underdogs around. The two dig into Scotland's constrained economic agency within the UK, the squandered promise of North Sea oil, the renewable energy transition, and why Scotland - like much of Europe - risks sleepwalking into managed decline.

Timestamps:

(00:00) - Welcome And Setup

(01:30) - Why Scotland Now

(02:35) - Future Economy Scotland Origins

(05:54) - Early Impact And Strategy

(07:55) - Devolution Limits And Agency

(13:11) - North Sea Oil And Missed Fund

(15:24) - Managed Decline And Renewables

(20:26) - Who Benefits From Wind

(22:04) - UK Pricing And Regional Bills

(24:16) - Decoupling Gas And Next Steps

(27:03) - Green Transition Jobs

(29:26) - Avoiding Deindustrialization

(31:20) - Searching For Analogies

(34:19) - Ireland And Independence

(36:51) - Renewables Leverage Limits

(39:18) - Water As Strategic Asset

(40:57) - Brexit And Global Power

(43:47) - Nukes And Security Debate

(46:41) -Future Growth Model

(49:37) - Sharing Growth Fairly

(52:35) - Europe Coordination Vision

(53:56) - Closing

Referenced in the Show:

Jacob Shapiro Site: jacobshapiro.com

Jacob Shapiro LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jacob-l-s-a9337416

Jacob Twitter: x.com/JacobShap

Jacob Shapiro Substack: jashap.substack.com/subscribe

The Jacob Shapiro Show is produced and edited by Audiographies LLC. More information at audiographies.com

Jacob Shapiro is a speaker, consultant, author, and researcher covering global politics and affairs, economics, markets, technology, history, and culture. He speaks to audiences of all sizes around the world, helps global multinationals make strategic decisions about political risks and opportunities, and works directly with investors to grow and protect their assets in today’s volatile global environment. His insights help audiences across industries like finance, agriculture, and energy make sense of the world.