Beyond Tribal Politics
Independent journalism and commentary on politics, society, culture, climate and Scotland’s future.
Swinney must move beyond old orthodoxies
Scotland cannot transform its economy using the policy playbook from the 1990s, argues this leading economic commentator/analyst. It needs a huge injection…
Swinney a shoo-in? Nae thanks
‘My idea is that one tries to exit this quagmire by staging Scottish (and maybe Welsh and Northern Irish) and UK elections…
Blind men and the elephant
‘Scottish policy making remains too top-down, centralised with bureaucrats at the centre assuming their expertise trumps all others. Disconfirmatory evidence that things…
What next for Yousaf and the SNP?
“Scotland has harvested much of the low-hanging fruit when it comes to reducing carbon emissions – although there are still big gains…
What about climate policies in this political crisis?
“As Humza Yousaf’s future as First Minister hangs in the balance, the more important question is what happens to the push for…
The war against Gazans continues unabated
“In short, the burst of tension over Israeli-Iranian relations and the risk of war has eased and the emphasis returns to the…
Ignore farmers’ protests at your peril
Farmers are protesting across Europe, including Wales, at loss of income and green regulations – prompting support from the Far Right and…
Peat Bog Soldiers: how a Scottish band contributes to a German concentration camp archive
Professor David Archibald takes a radical approach to history through ‘wild research’ which has one foot in higher education, and one foot…
Can the EU rise to the democratic moment?
The European Parliament’s last plenary session, before the 6-9 June elections, is next week. Is the EU rising to the democratic moment…
Diplomatic largesse is not on the agenda
The First Minister wants to curtail Scotland’s culture of excessive alcohol. But why impose a ban on diplomats you’re trying to woo…
Flying the flag for Belarusian dissidents
“Belarusian troops are not being sent to the front in Ukraine. That is because the response of a patriotic Belarusian in these…
SNP, Labour and the general election
“Labour’s fiscal caution and policy U-turns, not least with Starmer dumping his £28bn green investment plan, have left the door wide open…