Frankly is a major political occasion which has got people talking and taking sides – either defending or defenestrating Nicola Sturgeon as a leader, politician and her legacy. Sturgeon invites strong reactions. There are those who feel loyalty, even affinity, to her and what she represents. Equally there is a significant body of opinion who regard her as divisive, out of touch … [Read more...] about Lonely at the top: Sturgeon, leadership and regrets
Independence
Defence spending in GERS: anatomy of a myth
The Scottish Government’s Finance Secretary’s latest attempt to spin the GERS figures is both incorrect and misleading.The day the 2024-25 Government Expenditure & Revenue Scotland (GERS) figures were published, the Scottish Government put out a news release which included the following quote, attributed to Finance Secretary Shona Robison: “GERS allocates Scotland a … [Read more...] about Defence spending in GERS: anatomy of a myth
Independence, GERS and how not to have a debate
With the dust settled on another GERS bun fight, what next? For the uninitiated, GERS is the annual ‘Government Expenditure and Revenue Scotland’ publication by the Scottish Government. This year it has figures up to 2024-25. In effect, it tells us what Scotland’s fiscal balance - government revenues less public expenditure - is under current constitutional conditions. And at … [Read more...] about Independence, GERS and how not to have a debate
GERS 25: making Scotland pay for Starmer’s wars
It’s that time of year again. Merry GERSmas. The Scottish Government has published its annual report on revenue and expenditure in (and for) Scotland. What was once an almost festive affair in Scottish political circles (something that I likely had some hand in creating after my commentaries on the release went viral in 2015) has faded not quite down to the level of obscurity … [Read more...] about GERS 25: making Scotland pay for Starmer’s wars
Starmer Y1: what now for Scotland and a fractured union?
As the mostly scathing assessments of Keir Starmer’s first year of government roll in, the UK’s Labour government looks wobbly and lacking direction. After his disastrous, deeply inept week on disability benefits reform, perhaps the most common question remains, what does Starmer actually believe in? Starmer, in remarkably Soviet style, seems above all to believe – in some … [Read more...] about Starmer Y1: what now for Scotland and a fractured union?