“So, why should leaders of the SNP be exempt from a bout of passion, especially if loads of their supporters are keen, see it as a last opportunity for decades, and hope that they can change some minds during the next campaign?”
Archives for February 2017
UK future outside Customs Union will be SAD
“Any retailer who imports goods – any manufacturer who imports parts, anyone who receives a present – from mainland Europe will have to process a mound of paperwork that the EU has completely done away with within the Union.” The post-Brexit future in miniature outside the customs union.
Padlocked: a European life in limbo
‘It’s embarrassing to admit there are nights I wake up trembling, ‘They can deport me’. Waiting to hear if her permanent residency application is accepted, Polish writer Kasia Kokowska describes what it’s like to live her Scottish life in limbo.
Critical – or complaisant – friends on education
“The government should, of course, be consulting with experts and gathering evidence, but it is difficult to shake off the feeling that this particular group has been constructed with an eye on PR rather than policy, as a means of generating put-downs for FMQs rather than a serious desire to invite scrutiny.” Advisers – or cheer-leaders?
Scottish fast-track to the EU
“There is considerable political goodwill to Scotland in EU capitals since it is facing Brexit despite having voted to remain. That political goodwill, on current trends, is likely to feed into an effort to fast-track Scotland’s EU membership in the event of a successful independence vote.”
Conventional wisdom: Brexit, devolution and Sewel
“It is inevitable that the balance of power between the devolved and central governments will shift, with more power going to the former, unless the UK government actively chooses what Welsh First Minister Carwyn Jones has described as a ‘land grab’ “. The Sewel implications of the UK Supreme Court judgment.
Making another world possible: a tribute to Word Power Books
A book lover pays tribute to Word Power Books, the Edinburgh independent bookseller whose closure was announced this week.
Save our NHS before it’s too late
Almost 70 years old, the NHS has saved countless millions of lives, now it’s up to us to keep our NHS alive. Pat Sutherland makes a robust and moving case for action.
Don’t count on more powers post-Brexit
“If the UK Parliament, as part of the UK government’s ‘Great Repeal Bill’ measure, decides it wishes to amend the Scotland Act to specify that all, or some, of the powers returned from the EU will be reserved to Westminster, it has the power to do that.”
European solidarity or national responsibility?
“For anyone who regards the European project as essential and is dismayed by the events of recent years, the creation of a new and revitalised vision for Europe seems essential. Is this it? Is the analysis and prescription sound?” A review of latest book by Yanis Varoufakis and of his movement.