The term neurodivergence covers a multitude of human experiences. What does it mean? In March 2026, within weeks of the May election, the Scottish Government produced a report which suggests a possible umbrella definition as it works towards a “learning disabilities, autism and neurodivergence bill” [LDAN]For example, learning disabilities, Down’s Syndrome, attention deficit … [Read more...] about Mind the (implementation) gap: Neurodivergence in Scotland
Policy
AI, creativity and humanity (2): Obstacles
In the second part of his series Douglas Perman examines the risks AI may pose to a trio of issues: copyright, the environment, and employment. Other issues such as privacy feature in Part 3. I’ve written in Sceptical Scot before about the significant challenges faced by the creative industries in Scotland since the pandemic. The economic challenge has not gone away. Costs are … [Read more...] about AI, creativity and humanity (2): Obstacles
Build, baby, build
Ross Greer MSP, co-leader of the Scottish Greens, thinks I'm "super-rich" as the owner of a small (50m2) second home (lodge) overlooking Loch Earn. “All over Scotland people are being priced out of the communities they’ve grown up in, all while tens of thousands of homes sit empty for most of the year. They are being hoarded by a small number of wealthy people who clearly do … [Read more...] about Build, baby, build
Political change across Britain and Ireland (2)
Politics happens not only between Ireland, Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom, but across them as well. There is a British-Irish and an Irish-British politics, along with growing relationships between state and political actors in Scotland, Wales and parts of England with their counterparts in Ireland North and South. Such relations are built into the three-stranded … [Read more...] about Political change across Britain and Ireland (2)
Scottish education: genuine partnership or pre-election fix?
It is safe to predict that education will remain high on the political agenda in the run-up to the 2026 Holyrood elections. In recent years, many aspects of educational provision have attracted criticism and all parties will be anxious to claim that their policy proposals will lead to improvements. Among the topics that have featured in hostile press reports are these:the … [Read more...] about Scottish education: genuine partnership or pre-election fix?