The French and German economy ministers have come up with some radical ideas to get the EU out of its trough – and offer the Tories a way out of their membership renegotiation impasse.
The abuse of social democracy
Everybody’s talking social democracy, not least in Scotland. But nobody defines what it means, recognises how it’s in crisis and sees how analysts/activists are starting to rethink it.
The Bavarian Christian Social Union: a model for Scottish Labour?
In light of discussion whether it’s time for Scottish Labour to sever formal links with the wider UK Labour Party David Gow considers whether the Bavarian Christian Social Union offers a possible model.
‘Lefties on steroids’ or pretty tame social democrats?
The SNP’s anti-austerity politics is in reality a rehash of moderate redistribution – in the tradition of post-war British Labourism
Nicola’s premature coronation
Smear or swoon. Attitudes to Nicola Sturgeon lurch between the two. The few days since the #leadersdebate on ITV have seen her vilified as a secret Tory supporter (good for a second referendum with a positive outcome this time, supposedly) and “the most dangerous woman” in UK politics.
Ending the sterile row over austerity
The differences between Labour and the SNP in their plans for UK government spending and borrowing are much closer to each other’s than they are to those bequeathed by George Osborne.
Latvia: no template for Scotland
It’s a commonplace of Scottish political discourse to compare our nation of 5.2m to independent near-neighbours such as the Nordics – Denmark, say, with its 5.6m – or, more recently, the Baltics, with their 6.2m in three countries. ‘We could be just like them.’ But comparisons can be facile. Latvia, with its 2m people, is a case in point.