‘It will simply not be sufficient for the UK Government to highlight risks with independence. The status quo itself has important policy challenges, whether that be the economic costs of leaving the EU Single Market or the economic effect of limits on immigration.’
European Union
Ten predictions for #EU2020
As the UK gets set to leave the EU on January 31 2020 after 47 years of membership, we look forward to what’s likely to happen in mainland Europe in 2020…
EU academics: no thanks
‘The procedures are daunting and of Kafkaesque complexity – one form runs to 85 pages and requires examples of proof that make acquiring Catholic sainthood look simple.’
Strong and stable democracy under PR?
No PR system would have been likely to produce a workable majority for any sustainable coalition, but that is a reflection of the highly fragmented multi-party political system in the UK.
GE2019: the Scottish dimension
Ahead of the Westminster election on 12 December, James Mitchell explains how party competition in Scotland is shaped by interrelated questions of policy, competence, independence and Brexit…’
Drowning in a sea of unknowns
‘Given the 1000s of permutations/flavours of possible exit, you’d stand a much greater chance of getting a final flavour you liked the most from a blind-folded Quality Street sweet selection.’
A new strategy for the Union
‘The Sewel convention will need to be revived and reformed, with stronger guarantees that Westminster will not rewrite the rules of devolution without agreement.’
Independence and sovereignty
‘It’s being in charge of your own destiny that matters as Scotland has found out but thereafter aspects will have to be shared for political and economic advantage.’
Johnson’s toxic illegality
“We call on Mr Johnson urgently to set an example by ending his, and his colleagues’, populist and inappropriate rhetoric and to act from now on to defend, not undermine, our democratic institutions.”
UK finally disunited?
‘Where Scottish politics and independence goes in the face of no Brexit is one more open question. Independence, after all, would be much more straightforward to manage if the UK remains in the EU.’