The Go Radio Business Show with Hunter & Haughey. Scotland’s Business Podcast.

Air Date: March 1st, 2026
Hosts: Lord Willie Haughey and Sir Tom Hunter
This is a catch-up version of the weekly, Go Radio Business Show, Sundays from 11am.
PLAY and HIT SUBSCRIBE, and NEVER miss an episode!

In this week’s episode, Hunter & Haughey tackle some of Scotland’s most pressing economic issues — from soaring business rates to the future of energy, employment, and growth. With trademark honesty and humour, they cut through political noise to ask the big questions: Where is Scotland headed… and who’s brave enough to tell the truth?
Big Economic Decisions & Political Realities
North Sea windfall tax may be reduced — potentially boosting investment and protecting jobs.
Scotland’s energy bills set to drop 7%, but confusion around energy caps remains.
UK’s sky‑high energy costs are pushing investors away — and damaging competitiveness.
Scotland’s Fiscal Cliff
Independent bodies warn of a looming £5 billion gap between revenue and spending.
Shock revelation: 1 million Scots are projected to claim disability benefits in coming years — raising sustainability concerns.
Political parties accused of avoiding honest conversations with voters.
Quangos, Agencies & Accountability
Scotland currently has 133 quangos costing £6.6 billion to run.
Debate over merging major bodies like Scottish Enterprise, SNIB, and others into one agency.
Tom calls for leadership that’s agile, honest, and focused on economic growth.
Business Rates Uproar
Hospitality and other sectors escalating protests with nationwide billboard campaigns.
Some business owners prepared to refuse payment altogether.
Call for the Scottish Government to freeze or pause the rate system for 12 months.
Young People & the NEET Crisis
Alarming increase in 16–24‑year‑olds not in education, employment, or training.
Concerns that early disengagement leads to lifelong unemployment.
Ideas from abroad: tiered youth wages (like in the Netherlands) to get young people into work.
Practical suggestion: large‑scale youth skills programmes, including infrastructure repair.
Growth, Entrepreneurs & the Ecosystem
The Scottish Ecosystem Support Fund returns to fuel early‑stage projects.
Praise for Kate Forbes and concerns about losing one of the few “growth‑literate” leaders.
Call for a national plan focused on entrepreneurship, scale‑ups and innovation.
Election Season Ahead
Willie plans to invite economic spokespeople from all major parties for honest debate.
Special shout‑out to the hospitality sponsors — and regret that Sir Alex Ferguson won’t be joining this particular episode (but will appear on the Go Radio Football Show).

Join the Conversation 
What did you think of this episode?  Email: GoBusiness@thisisgo.co.uk 
Follow us @thisisgoradio on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Tik Tok 
Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBoA8NYTpHtff-aHpC2es4NU-DfV7CdEG 
For more Go Studio Podcasts, head to: https://thisisgo.co.uk/podcasts/ 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1ATeQD...

Show Notes

Air Date: March 1st, 2026

Hosts: Lord Willie Haughey and Sir Tom Hunter

This is a catch-up version of the weekly, Go Radio Business Show, Sundays from 11am.

PLAY and HIT SUBSCRIBE, and NEVER miss an episode!

In this week’s episode, Hunter & Haughey tackle some of Scotland’s most pressing economic issues — from soaring business rates to the future of energy, employment, and growth. With trademark honesty and humour, they cut through political noise to ask the big questions: Where is Scotland headed… and who’s brave enough to tell the truth?

Big Economic Decisions & Political Realities

North Sea windfall tax may be reduced — potentially boosting investment and protecting jobs.

Scotland’s energy bills set to drop 7%, but confusion around energy caps remains.

UK’s sky‑high energy costs are pushing investors away — and damaging competitiveness.

Scotland’s Fiscal Cliff

Independent bodies warn of a looming £5 billion gap between revenue and spending.

Shock revelation: 1 million Scots are projected to claim disability benefits in coming years — raising sustainability concerns.

Political parties accused of avoiding honest conversations with voters.

Quangos, Agencies & Accountability

Scotland currently has 133 quangos costing £6.6 billion to run.

Debate over merging major bodies like Scottish Enterprise, SNIB, and others into one agency.

Tom calls for leadership that’s agile, honest, and focused on economic growth.

Business Rates Uproar

Hospitality and other sectors escalating protests with nationwide billboard campaigns.

Some business owners prepared to refuse payment altogether.

Call for the Scottish Government to freeze or pause the rate system for 12 months.

Young People & the NEET Crisis

Alarming increase in 16–24‑year‑olds not in education, employment, or training.

Concerns that early disengagement leads to lifelong unemployment.

Ideas from abroad: tiered youth wages (like in the Netherlands) to get young people into work.

Practical suggestion: large‑scale youth skills programmes, including infrastructure repair.

Growth, Entrepreneurs & the Ecosystem

The Scottish Ecosystem Support Fund returns to fuel early‑stage projects.

Praise for Kate Forbes and concerns about losing one of the few “growth‑literate” leaders.

Call for a national plan focused on entrepreneurship, scale‑ups and innovation.

Election Season Ahead

Willie plans to invite economic spokespeople from all major parties for honest debate.

Special shout‑out to the hospitality sponsors — and regret that Sir Alex Ferguson won’t be joining this particular episode (but will appear on the Go Radio Football Show).

Join the Conversation 

What did you think of this episode?  Email: GoBusiness@thisisgo.co.uk 

Follow us @thisisgoradio on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Tik Tok 

Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBoA8NYTpHtff-aHpC2es4NU-DfV7CdEG 

For more Go Studio Podcasts, head to: https://thisisgo.co.uk/podcasts/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1ATeQD...

What is The Go Radio Business Show with Hunter & Haughey. Scotland’s Business Podcast.?

A weekly podcast from Glasgow that brings sharp commentary and real-time reaction to the ever-evolving world of business. Hosted by two of Scotland’s most influential entrepreneurs, Sir Tom Hunter and Lord Willie Haughey.

This is a front-row seat to how global economic shifts, political turbulence, and technological disruption are impacting businesses in Scotland and beyond.

Each episode also features candid conversations with Scotland’s top CEOs, founders, and innovators, unpacking how they are navigating uncertainty, adapting to change, and seizing new opportunities.

Through a no-nonsense Scottish lens, Hunter and Haughey offer grounded insight and practical advice for anyone in business - whether you’re scaling a startup or steering a legacy brand.

Made in Glasgow. Relevant Worldwide.