‘In both camps, there are those who are closer to those in the other camp than the binary choice would suggest. The challenge five years on is to allow the richness of the debate that emerged to find voice again and to play a more direct role in the next stage of Scotland’s continuing journey.’ Self-government fully debated stages a comeback? asks Prof Mitchell
Politics
Caution: 5G ahead
‘The Scottish and Westminster Governments are silent on any 5G health issue, including its potential impact on children. How can the Scottish Government square this with its desire for Scotland to become ‘the best country in the world to bring up children’?
GERS 2019 and indyref2
‘The comment by the Scottish Finance Secretary at the time of publication that “Scotland’s economy and public finances are strong” seems fanciful given any reasonable analysis of recent low economic growth figures and a still high, by international standards, fiscal deficit.’
Beware Brits bringing gifts
Stuart ‘Wings over Scotland’ Campbell’s floated and controversial idea of setting up a pro-indy party for Holyrood 2021 is dissected here by a pro-Yes blogger – and by a political scientist…Tks to @jayceebrownbook for pointing us to it.
Scottish Parliament at 20
‘The Parliament has been curiously conservative with little appetite across the political parties for bold reform, especially in addressing many of the wicked problems that continue to scar Scotland.’
Culture
Winners and losers on #MoultriesHill Part 3
Having won a battle that they should have lost (over the hotel), the bosses of Edinburgh St James are now engaged in one they should lose.
New Brutalism in St James Square: #MoultriesHill Part 2
Enough was enough. The cost and the disruption were too much. It made more sense to build the new Scottish Office elsewhere and leave the old gaunt, grey building to the pigeons.
The tangled history of Edinburgh St James
‘So St. James Square remained the province of a handful of small businesses and workshops and 3,700 or so of Edinburgh’s lower orders and their exploitative, ever-neglectful landlords. The long decline of James Craig’s tenement buildings continued. Rack followed ruin and ruin begat rack.’
Who’s it for – yon McMenace?
“So they come and see what the McManus has to offer and then the museum changes from something ‘we can do’ with our kids to ‘this is something we NEED to do with our kids.’”