Sceptical Scot

David Gow Memorial Archive

David Gow Memorial Archive

Writing, tributes and reflections from David Gow’s Sceptical Scot archive.

David Gow was co-founder and co-editor of Sceptical Scot from March 2015 to October 2025. This page gathers David Gow’s work for Sceptical Scot, alongside tributes and reflections published in his memory. Over time it can also expand to include selected work from beyond the site.

Featured from the archive

A different David Gow article is highlighted each day.

Politics

Can tactical voting stop Brexit?

November 8, 2019

Millions will probably opt for tactical voting but caveat emptor! The very sites that claim to be giving sound advice based on geekish methods such as MRP are at odds with each other….

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David Gow on Sceptical Scot

A running archive of David’s published work on the site.

  • Walking with poems

    The Corbenic Community in Perthshire, home to people with learning difficulties, is a special place too for poets, sculptors – and the rest of us Read article

  • Euro at 20: time for reform

    Post-Brexit (if/when?) the EU will undertake a big debate on how to reform the eurozone: does Scotland wish to take part? Read article

  • Sturgeon’s strategic passivity

    ‘Certainly, the tawdry displays of English chauvinism, the ugly racist sentiments behind it, the Dad’s Army nostalgia for empire, quite apart from the liars and cheats that delivered Leave, are reason enough to stay in (and reform) Europe – and quit the rotting ship of the British unitary state before it’s too late.’ Read article

  • Brexit and the coming break-up of Britain

    Westminster and the three devolved governments should conclude a new constitutional settlement for pooling sovereignty within the UK, with fresh powers and competences given to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to control their people’s destinies. Otherwise, it will only undermine the current devolution settlement and assume even greater central powers in the name of national… Read article

  • NHS Scotland should look to EU for funding models

    ‘But this is the sad truth about a would-be full European state: its references/comparisons on health issues (as at the opening First Minister’s Question Time of 2018) are always to/with England. In some cases, it borders on an obsession. At the very least, we should rather investigate how EU member states perform and what we… Read article

  • A Scottish progressive alliance is vital

    ‘Certainly, if Brexit in some shape happens in March 2019 and a 20 or 24-month transition brings nothing but economic pain and social conflict along with a revived Far Right, then the ‘progressive alliance’ between Labour and SNP at least in Scotland and/or in Westminster may not just be desirable but essential to save democracy… Read article

  • Think again on Brexit

    ‘In a democracy, it is always possible to think again and to choose a different direction. We need to think again about Brexit, to have a UK-wide debate about calling a halt to the process and changing our minds.’ Read article

  • Standing up for Scotland in Europe

    “But as good as nobody is speaking out loud for what has always been the preferred option: EU membership as an independent country on a par with Denmark, Latvia and Slovakia.” How Scotland’s GE2017 campaign is missing a golden opportunity to confound dreary Mayism. Read article

  • What kind of Scotland?

    “Yet we all still need to ask and find answers to these questions: is Scotland genuinely more egalitarian? How does Scotland tackle early mortality, poor health outcomes, rising poverty, educational under-achievement – and with what instruments?” This boring binary campaign ignores all these. Read article

  • A fitting place for Joan Eardley

    “Joan Eardley is finally assuming the status she so richly deserves(d): a great Scottish artists who belongs to the world.” She came to Scotland at 19, died tragically young at 42 in 1963 and, half a century later, is rated among the modern greats. Read article

  • Single market route to home rule

    “We are going to put forward proposals, that we would hope that the UK Government would be prepared to listen to, that would allow Scotland to preserve its place in the single market and preserve aspects of its relationship with the EU.” Nicola Sturgeon opts for post-Brexit Home Rule – indy comes later… Read article

  • Sturgeon’s diminishing timeframe for Scottish indy

    Nicola Sturgeon is about to launch the SNP’s much-delayed “summer” initiative to win over No voters to support independence and, maybe, #indyref2. But two books by two prominent Scottish professors, reviewed here, suggest she has a very steep hill to climb. Read article

Tributes and reflections

Articles written in tribute to David Gow and his editorial legacy.