Professor Emer Smyth,from the Economic and Social Research Institute, Dublin, on the widespread, but little studied, issue of the underperformance of boys at all stages of education from pre-school to first degree. What are the causes and what can be done?
Archives for April 2017
Scottish Labour’s unravelling continues
“A similar stiff upper lip will be required amongst many Labour candidates going into this election with the hope that they too might in time sit on the Commons’ green benches with similar majorities some time in the future.” Prof James Mitchell on ScoLab’s vale of tears
ScoLab’s spectacular decline, Scots Tories’ revival
“It says something about Labour’s demise in Scotland that its chief role in the 2017 election may well be as a third-party influence on contests between the SNP and the Conservatives, rather than as a direct contender to win the largest share of Scottish seats.”
Widening national horizons with poetry
Maybe poetry can help us clarify our thinking about some of the important issues facing Scotland, indeed the world, today? With the help of poet Christine De Luca, Sceptical Scot sets out to explore wider horizons.
Corbyn: Scarlet Pimpernel of UK politics?
“Perhaps Corbyn’s rather diffident manner and his failure to communicate effectively will be put to one side now that the election campaign is underway, and he channels his inner Percy Blakeney.”
Police Scotland changes course
“Policing 2026 is not an officer reduction exercise, nor is at a ‘time-bomb’. Clearly Scottish policing is facing an eye-watering deficit: around £200 million by 2020/21 at the latest estimate. Still, putting it dryly, there are probably less painful ways to cut costs than devising and negotiating a ten-year national policing strategy.” A welcome shift to forward-looking, evidence-based policing strategy.
Hunting for elephants
” Meanwhile, the SNP will hope that the request for #indyref2 will hold renewed credence. Or perhaps May will use any possible gains in Scotland as an excuse for maintaining her current rebuff.”
#GE2017: proxy vote for #indyref2
“Any Tory gains may well not be enough to stop the SNP using the return of over 30 MPs to further its agitation for a second referendum. But the party’s high command would not be filled with confidence at seeing its battalion of MPs substantially reduced and its total vote decreasing.”
GERS and fake news, inadequate facts…
“All told, we need much more interest shown by the public on demanding detail about how the government spends our money, and then, most likely, demanding change.” Still true now – a look back at this August 29016 warts-and-all analysis to remind us of the fundamentals.
Nationalist ultras defy people’s sovereign will
“Far from denying Scots their right to decide their own destiny, Theresa May is seeing that the sovereign will of the Scottish people is upheld in defiance of the attempt by Nicola Sturgeon to thwart it.” A Conservative Leave voter takes issue with the FM.