Beyond Tribal Politics
Independent journalism and commentary on politics, society, culture, climate and Scotland’s future.
What the English think and feel about the Union
The election campaign has brought the issue of English attitudes towards their neighbours and the Union into sharp relief, with UKIP making…
‘Lefties on steroids’ or pretty tame social democrats?
The SNP’s anti-austerity politics is in reality a rehash of moderate redistribution – in the tradition of post-war British Labourism
SNP surge rides the surf of social change
Polls of voting intentions in Scotland for May’s UK general election continue to suggest a huge increase in votes and seats for…
General Election 2015: a clearer view from the window seat
The view from a cruising altitude of 36,000 feet affords clearer insights into at least five crucial global issues missing from the…
Vote SNP, get Brexit
Never has a British general election caused so much concern in Europe. And never has the UK appeared closer to the EU…
Trident: the real political choice on May 7
Opposition to Trident is a vote-winner but Scottish opponents of the submarine-based nuclear weapons system face an acute dilemma in how they…
Landslide, wipeout: FPTP distorts the picture
Talk of an SNP landslide and a Labour wipeout in Scotland on May 7 simply underlines the distorting effects of the first-past-the-post…
Is Scotland the fairest of them all?
Scotland’s supposed moral superiority is too often unchallenged by media and politicians alike. Isn’t it time we took a long, hard look…
NATO’s 2% target out of reach
At times, US frustration with European debates is palpable. But most US leaders understand that while NATO remains the primary framework for…
Nicola’s premature coronation
Smear or swoon. Attitudes to Nicola Sturgeon lurch between the two. The few days since the #leadersdebate on ITV have seen her…
Parliamentary reform: Westminster shows Holyrood the way
Anyone who watched the BBC2 documentary series Inside the Commons would agree that it is not only the crumbling building which needs…
Ending the sterile row over austerity
The differences between Labour and the SNP in their plans for UK government spending and borrowing are much closer to each other’s…