Beyond Tribal Politics
Independent journalism and commentary on politics, society, culture, climate and Scotland’s future.
Time to shake up Scotland
“…now would be a good time to shake things up even further. Who will make that happen? I expect little from the…
The paywall keeping the public out of history
“At a time when digital resources are a godsend, the general public cannot engage with Census data to advance their own historical…
Year of the Squeeze
“For all the talk of the pandemic (somehow) boosting worker power, it looks more likely to deliver the third real wage squeeze…
Prophets without honour in their own land
“Scots have a self-image of being frank and forthright. Within the professions at least, this is rarely justified. Agreement with official policy…
Kathleen Jamie: the poetry of natural resistance
“But another important thing is that poetry is for everyone. Don’t for one minute think poetry was ever a highfalutin thing. It…
Why is inflation at its highest for decades?
As UK inflation hits a 10-year high of 5.1%, a leading Scottish economist asks why global prices are rising so fast -…
A hundred years of selling
“The Barras is a historic spot. But could it benefit, if not from gentrifiction, from some fresh blood – perhaps the kind…
A Labour-SNP coalition is the answer to gridlock
“What Scotland needs is something similar: a Scottish Labour-SNP pact – probably after 2024 or 2026 – with or without the Greens…
2021: cause for celebration the year live music came back
“It’s good to care about something. Whatever way the world changes in the next few years, I hope the infrastructure that makes…
Time for the SNP to get serious
“The issues are whether and how an independent Scotland would make the transition, at what cost, paid for by whom, over how…
Is Scotland really open to immigrants?
“Despite these barriers and traumatic experiences, the young adult migrants we spoke with strongly believed that Scotland was welcoming to everyone because…
Biggest increase in alcohol-related deaths for 20 years
“Previous research shows us that people with common mental health disorders (such as depression and anxiety) are twice as likely to report…