Charlie Ellis surveys the 2026 election landscape and finds, as in football, a strangely unpredictable shifting pitch'I Don't Recognise My Country'That was former footballer turned pundit Pat Nevin after St Mirren's late equaliser in the Scottish Cup semi-final against Celtic. His words captured the mood of a Scottish football season that has been, as Richard Gordon … [Read more...] about ‘I don’t recognise my country’ – in crisis, but what crisis?
Politics
And the winner is…The Absent Voters Party
"Since 1999 of the roughly 4 million people registered to vote, those actually voting averaged out at around 2.2million. That’s a difference of 1.8 million – meet the Absent Voters." George Thorley makes the case for an active, participating democracy (on behalf of of The Mercat Group* of former Council CEOs/Parliamentary Returning Officers)* Register to vote by 20 April. … [Read more...] about And the winner is…The Absent Voters Party
What’s ‘good for Scotland’ in 2026 election?
Why is John Swinney talking about a second referendum? Professor James Mitchell takes a long view of the incumbent party's election campaign.The Scottish Sun’s Chris Musson suggested that this election could see a ‘loveless landslide’ for the SNP. This lovelessness might have been explained by the mounting challenges that will face the incoming Scottish Government except … [Read more...] about What’s ‘good for Scotland’ in 2026 election?
Public pay settlements: a crisis waiting for the next Scottish government
The Scottish government has long practised the exercise of kicking problematic cans down the road. Perhaps wider world crises will keep eyes off Scotland's immediate pay problems but in yet another hard hitting assessment, Fraser of Allander's deputy director Dr João Sousa predicts "...whoever is in power after May will have to seriously grapple with implausible settlements in … [Read more...] about Public pay settlements: a crisis waiting for the next Scottish government
Beyond the Binary: how progressives risk aping the radical right in Scotland
'The long-held belief that Scottish politics is relatively immune to these forces now looks dangerously complacent, especially in the context of Reform UK's strong polling ahead of the Holyrood elections.' Charlie Ellis explores how the populist right exploits local grievances, and warns that some progressive voices risk adopting the same binary logic. The Complacency … [Read more...] about Beyond the Binary: how progressives risk aping the radical right in Scotland