A JOB guarantee scheme for an independent Scotland could the first meaningful step towards increasing local democracy, a new study has suggested. It is one of the progressive forms of economic thought to tackle the social blights of unemployment, poor employment and underemployment, said the policy group Modern Money Scotland. This was formed just after the pandemic started, to counter the mainstream media’s “narrative of post-Covid austerity”, which it said was “unnecessary and deadly”. The paper was written by journalist and Public Policy student Cameron Archibald, and Kairin van Sweeden, a coordinator for the SNP Common Weal group and convener of Yes Edinburgh North and Leith, who also sits on the SNP policy development committee.