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Sceptical Scot

Asking Questions. Seeking Answers.

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What are Scotland’s real choices?

February 27, 2022 by Andrew Cumbers Sheila Dow and Robert McMaster Leave a Comment

‘Clearly the political and institutional landscape has changed dramatically since 2014. One inescapable fact about any future debate on the economic case for Scottish independence is that the terrain – by which we mean the political, economic, social and cultural context – has shifted significantly.’

Scotland must lead in confronting its imperial past

January 24, 2022 by Fraser Cameron 2 Comments

‘A speech by the First Minister acknowledging Scotland’s role would be useful; a fund to promote research on Scotland and the empire, including a virtual museum, would be even better….As Scotland struggles with new questions about identity, it is important to confront the reality of what happened in the empire.

Time to shake up Scotland

January 8, 2022 by John McLaren 8 Comments

“…now would be a good time to shake things up even further. Who will make that happen? I expect little from the Government or the Parliament, it’ll be for others to push for change..”

Year of the Squeeze

January 4, 2022 by Torsten Bell Leave a Comment

Dawn filtering through woodland

“For all the talk of the pandemic (somehow) boosting worker power, it looks more likely to deliver the third real wage squeeze in a decade, and to leave workers substantially worse off than they would have been otherwise. By the end of 2024, average earnings are set to be £740 a year lower than they would have been if even the sluggish wage growth prior to the pandemic had continued.”

Is Scotland really open to immigrants?

December 10, 2021 by Marcus Nicolson 1 Comment

my own

“Despite these barriers and traumatic experiences, the young adult migrants we spoke with strongly believed that Scotland was welcoming to everyone because the country “needs more people” and because they had been given equal opportunities to study and work.”

Biggest increase in alcohol-related deaths for 20 years

December 9, 2021 by Ian Hamilton and Harry Sumnall Leave a Comment

“Previous research shows us that people with common mental health disorders (such as depression and anxiety) are twice as likely to report an alcohol use disorder as those without. While many people may have used alcohol during the pandemic to cope with poor mental health, this short-term relief could lead to longer-term risks to both mental and physical health.”

Democratic backsliding under Johnson

November 10, 2021 by Meg Russell and Alan Renwick Leave a Comment

“Cross-party calls for a culture of ‘kindness’ deserved to develop into a movement to rebuild civility and public trust. Amidst the Paterson controversy, such hopes looked very distant again – but perhaps the furore will in time spur recognition of the need for deeper cultural change.”

Would Scots vote for indy? What’s the question…!

October 6, 2021 by Rob Ford Rob Johns and John Garry Leave a Comment

Could the outcome of a second Scottish independence referendum depend on the precise wording of the ballot question?  
Rob Ford, Rob Johns, and John Garry discuss three likely wordings and their potential implications.

A Welsh rethink

September 16, 2021 by Anwen Elias and Matt Wall 1 Comment

A conversation about a future which has already been decided from the top won’t encourage people to talk. Genuine consensus must emerge from the bottom up.

Not up to the courts

September 15, 2021 by Ciaran Martin Leave a Comment

Whether or not Scotland can legally hold a referendum without the consent of Westminster has provoked much debate. Ciaran Martin argues that the answer to this question does not really matter: regardless of the legality of any referendum, it is unrealistic to think that Scotland will leave the Union without the consent of Westminster. This makes the key question a political one, which the courts cannot resolve.

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Welcome to Sceptical Scot, Scotland’s premier non-tribal forum for passionate, informed debate. Sceptical Scot is for all who care about Scotland’s future, regardless of how they vote: for party, independence or union, EU or Brexit. We aim to provide an arena that is both broader and deeper than current online/print offers with a rich diet of well-researched, polemical, thought-provoking writing. Read more » about About Sceptical Scot

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