Beyond Tribal Politics
Independent journalism and commentary on politics, society, culture, climate and Scotland’s future.
Sturgeon discovers Blairite pragmatism
Scotland’s First Minister has signalled a strictly non-ideological, flexible approach to improving education. “What works best” is a very Blairite concept.
Modernity and Hogg’s Confessions of a justified sinner
One of the highlights of this year’s Edinburgh International Festival is undoubtedly a new production of Paul Bright’s Confessions of a Justified…
Wer ist dieser Jeremy Corbyn? Wofür steht er?
‘Corbynmania’ has crossed the Channel, prompting a former Labour Europe Minister to examine what his ex-colleague stands for and what his prospects…
Corbyn has no solution for Scottish Labour
Dundee probably hasn’t seen the like since the independence referendum. The university’s main lecture hall was full to the point that the…
A Very British Coup, revisited
A Very British Coup, Chris Mullin’s 1982 thriller about a radical Labour leader brought down by a fearful establishment makes for fascinating…
Scottish Government’s GM crop ban could damage public health
The GM crop ban deprives a nation with a high incidence of heart disease of a potentially ready supply of Omega-3, an…
Scotland’s heightened role in the EU renegotiation process
Some time in the next two years, Scots will face another referendum, on whether the United Kingdom should remain in the European…
Fringe no longer defies the norm but plays safe
This year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe slogan – “defying the norm since 1947” – might make for good marketing. But it hardly reflects…
The real Europe for desperate refugees in Calais
Three University of Birmingham specialists visit The Jungle in Calais and report on its intolerable conditions – and the real causes of…
Five little known truths about Scottish politics
Scots are said to be more left-wing than the English but there are plenty of other myths – and surprising truths -…
Stale old news from Hume and Salmond
It’s the silly season, so before turning to Alex Salmond’s wishful thinking about the inevitability of a second referendum on independence for…
Corbynomics: economic reason and political fantasy?
Jeremy Corbyn’s economic programme has been dismissed as “a return to Bennism and the 1980s” but is in tune with the views…