Category: Features
The SNP’s total but pyrrhic victory?
The 56 SNP MPs will soon get their first taste of powerlessness in Westminster as David Cameron uses his majority in Parliament to shun their demands across the board, argues Ray Perman.
Written by
Five political problems with Full Fiscal Autonomy
The newly elected Conservative Government may be considering full fiscal autonomy for Scotland in a struggle for power with the resurgent SNP. Prof Paul Cairney says it may backfire and fatally undermine the Union.
Written by
No forelock-tuggers in parliament please
‘You campaign in poetry; you govern in prose,’ as the late former New York governor Mario Cuomo famously put it. A cynic might say the UK general election campaign has produced no poetry and precious little decent prose. But we’re not cynical. From today, thanks to the Scottish Poetry Library, we are delighted to add…
Written by
A 50-hour week for bairns is the wrong answer
The Scottish Government wants pre-school kids to spend more and more hours away from home. But Laura Bird thinks there are other ways to get more women into work, boost the economy and enable parents to look after their bairns.
Written by
Windpower to the people
Politicians of all colours have failed to inspire voters with a proper definition of what devolution could bring – a real transfer of power from our centralising government to genuine grassroots roll-your-sleeves-up activity. Enterprising communities like Muck and Eigg show what people achieve when they have a common purpose.
Written by