Politics
The UK needs a reformed second chamber
Nicola Sturgeon announced her decision not to run in the next Holyrood election, echoing sentiments from other longstanding MSPs. The House of Lords lacks Scottish independence supporters and fails to represent Scotland’s interests. A reformed…
Insurgent, disruptive or flailing Labour?
A six-hour cabinet meeting last Friday appears to have done little to give the flailing Labour government much of a new strategy. It came at the end of a week when a YouGov poll put…
Europe’s centrists are empowering the Far Right
Austria’s thirtieth anniversary in the EU is marred by failed coalition talks between the ÖVP, SPÖ, and NEOS, allowing the far-right FPÖ, led by Herbert Kickl, an opportunity to form a government. The ÖVP’s willingness…
The gift nobody wants to open
Spare a thought this Christmas/New Year for the person at the Fiscals’ office on whose desk the file marked ‘Operation Branch Form’, the investigation into the SNP’s finances, is resting.
A new way to govern Scotland: co-opposition
Labour and Plaid Cymru ran Wales pretty successfully for three years (2021-24) without a formal coalition. Could Swinney and Sarwar take a leaf out of the same boat?
Too big to be local
The new UK government has made a commitment to devolution within England and to resetting the relationship with the devolved administrations in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. At the same time there is a growing…
Who owns the news?
“We pay a licence fee and in return deserve a fearless and objective public broadcaster. That may at last change the gloomy media weather forecast. It will require the departure of a number of staff…
Seven questions on the Council of the Nations and Regions
Keir Starmer is due to chair the inaugural meeting of the UK government’s newly created ‘Council of the Nations and Regions’ in Scotland this Friday. The summit is due to focus on investment and growth…
Ten years on: the story behind a front-page pic
“The British government – whether Conservative or Labour – has decided to veto another independence referendum for Scotland. I think in the end that strategy may prove counterproductive for the Unionist cause. Whether Scotland’s future…
Ten years after: the enduring case for indy in Europe
“The EU and independence debate have been inevitably intertwined in the last ten years since the independence referendum. The case for independence in the EU is strong in many ways. But why did Brexit not…
The SNP must get serious on tax
“So where do things go from here? Blaming Westminster, finger-pointing at Labour and shouting “wiznae us!” will not suffice. Not now, and certainly not in 2026 and 2027, when the Holyrood and council elections occur….”
Is Scotland heading for an early election?
The parlous state of UK public finances and spillover impact of the October 30 Budget could mean Holyrood refuses to pass next year’s Scottish Budget, triggering the government’s resignation