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Sceptical Scot

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James Mitchell

About James Mitchell

Professor of Public Policy at Edinburgh University. Former member of the Christie Commission and now member of the 'Enabling group' advising Scottish Government and Convention of Scottish Local Authorities on the review of local governance.

Scotland’s centres of power need reform: Part 2 (Holyrood)

May 15, 2023 by James Mitchell 2 Comments

James Mitchell’s survey of Scotland and its centres of power ends with reflections on the glaring need for reforming Holyrood after two decades of devolution. “The Scottish Parliament is not a delicate flower that needs protection but a robust institution that required robust critiques, especially from those who support it.”

Scotland’s centres of power need reform: Part 1 (Westminster)

May 14, 2023 by James Mitchell 10 Comments

“No progress can be made so long as the governments – the centres – remained unreformed.  No amount of new machinery of Intergovernmental Relations will work – indeed it could make matters worse – if centres are looking for a fight.  Providing a gladiatorial arena for constitutional one-upmanship is counter-productive.”

The SNP’s new fundamentalism

December 6, 2022 by James Mitchell 4 Comments

“The SNP has dug itself into a fundamentalist hole and will need a dramatic pragmatic turn to hope to take advantage of the changing political context.  Its best hope under its current fundamentalist leadership remains that the Tories win the next general election, opinion remains polarised and might finally shift decisively in favour of independence.”

Labour’s revival puts SNP on the defensive

October 11, 2022 by James Mitchell 5 Comments

“The process of recovery has begun for Scottish Labour.  It can now focus on winning back what Anas Sarwar describes as ‘soft SNP’ voters.  This will not be plain sailing.  The SNP remains a formidable campaign organisation…” Prof James Mitchell on how Labour’s revival has put the SNP on the defensive.

Time for the SNP to get serious

December 11, 2021 by James Mitchell 9 Comments

“The issues are whether and how an independent Scotland would make the transition, at what cost, paid for by whom, over how long and, crucially, what policies would be needed to get to a position where people are at least no worse off.  These are not insurmountable but they are challenging.  But the SNP, as the main advocates of independence, does not appear up to the challenge.”

Emerging from the shadows

September 7, 2021 by James Mitchell 3 Comments

“Opportunities for Labour arise from an SNP that excels in performative politics but fails in policy performance.  The respective and competing nationalisms of Edinburgh and London governments are shrill and limited in their understanding of self-government.  You cannot ‘take back control’ by focusing on empowering London or Edinburgh at the cost to all else.  Labour has some way to go but with an independence referendum unlikely any time soon it does have some time.”

Time to deliver

July 9, 2021 by James Mitchell 2 Comments

“The failure to reduce demand in acute services through prevention is evident in the increasing proportion of Scottish budget spend on the National Health Service.  This has had many consequences.  Money required for acute services means less for other services.” A member of the Christie Commission on delivering public services in Scotland looks back/forward in sorrow

Where’s the great transformation?

May 18, 2021 by James Mitchell 1 Comment

‘If the 2021 Holyrood election is remembered as a turning point it will be because it was the catalyst for a referendum.  The manifesto and style of politics adopted by the SNP do not suggest that Scotland is about to be transformed in any way comparable to critical elections of the past in terms of public policy.’

Battle of the mandates

May 5, 2021 by James Mitchell 2 Comments

“If the polls have been consistent on anything, it is that the next Parliament will consist of an overall majority supporting a referendum.  The absence of clear, agreed rules on what constitutes a mandate for a referendum means that the battle of the mandates will prove at least as contentious as the election itself.”

Holyrood needs a second, reforming chamber

March 27, 2021 by James Mitchell 2 Comments

Scottish Parliament designed by Enric Miralles bearing strong resemblance to Barcelona market

“Holyrood needs to revive its commitment to power sharing and subsidiarity.  At its inception, the Scottish Parliament could legitimately claim to be bold and innovative.  It can be again.”

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