” Instead, there is every prospect of a bitter war with many thousands more Palestinians killed, tens of thousands of young Palestinians all too ready to fight in the future, and a peaceful resolution of the Israel/Palestine conflict delayed by at least another generation.
Blog
Who owns Scotland’s sea lochs?
“ ‘This effectively means no one can scrutinise the activities of these farms which are basically self-monitored as it is. It’s a very, very dangerous ruling.’ ”
Flawed plan to ‘explain and retain’ controversial statues
“There are, though, exciting ways that monuments could be used to throw light on the events of the past. They hold the possibility of being key objects for understanding the writing of history itself, and of how biased and complex that act can be.
What do Humza Yousaf’s new policies mean for Scotland?
“It may be that the process of establishing and issuing the bonds is seen as strengthening the Scottish state in advance of a future independent Scotland. But in a constrained fiscal environment, it will be fair to ask whether borrowing in a more expensive way makes sense.”
What Poland’s new government will mean for Europe
“the very fact that Poland has shown that the drift towards right-wing populism, and the undermining of democratic institutions and the rule of law, can be stopped will be a great encouragement and morale-booster for those in other European countries facing similar threats…
Back to the National Gallery of Scotland after 30 years
Jackie Kemp revisits a once favourite haunt: ” I felt that what would be better was just to hang Scottish paintings among the European and world artists who influenced them. They should be enjoyed for themselves, I felt, instead of being forced into the template of a national story.”
Labour needs a thumping majority at Rutherglen to win big in the UK
A thumping Labour gain “would signal that currently the key swing voters in Scotland – that is, those on the left torn between expressing their support for independence and kicking the Tories out – are giving a higher priority to the latter. This is a precondition for Labour progress in Scotland.”
Climate change at the Edinburgh festivals
“Governments working together to regulate the production of greenhouse gases is our planet’s best, perhaps only, only hope. To get there, we need these issues to be in the spotlight. More power to your elbow, Greta.”
GERS 2023: uptick in oil revenues narrows the budget deficit
“And here the challenge is stark, with a likely deficit far in excess of the UK as a whole, other comparable countries or that which is deemed to be sustainable in the long-term. It is not enough to say ‘everything will be fine’ or ‘look at this country, they can run a sensible fiscal balance so why can’t Scotland?’. Concrete proposals and ideas are needed.”
Zombie Scotland must wake up to its future
“…suggestions of a return to ‘a government of all the talents’ with bells on and other ideas should form part of an honest Scottish/British conversation about the years ahead – and the best policies and institutions for achieving that rejuvenation and reinvention. One shorn of nostalgia and delusions….”