Sceptical Scot

David Gow Memorial Archive

David Gow Memorial Archive

Writing, tributes and reflections from David Gow’s Sceptical Scot archive.

This page gathers David Gow’s work for Sceptical Scot, alongside tributes and reflections published in his memory. Over time it can also expand to include selected work from beyond the site.

Featured from the archive

A different David Gow article is highlighted each day.

Culture

Sturgeon’s diminishing timeframe for Scottish indy

August 31, 2016

Nicola Sturgeon is about to launch the SNP's much-delayed "summer" initiative to win over No voters to support independence and, maybe, #indyref2. But two books by two prominent Scottish professors, reviewed here, suggest she has a very steep hill to climb.

Read article

David Gow on Sceptical Scot

A running archive of David’s published work on the site.

  • A quiet election for a tired and poorly Scottish parliament

    Scottish party manifestos pledge extra spending without addressing huge challenges facing the next Scottish government – likely to be SNP again despite almost 20 years of underachievement in power. John McLaren sets out four lessons to learn from the state we are in. When the last election took place, in 2021, the country was in Read article

  • What’s ‘good for Scotland’ in 2026 election?

    Read article

  • Four poems in defiance of an uneasy spring

    Read article

  • Mind the (implementation) gap: Neurodivergence in Scotland

    Read article

  • Les enfants de la patrie – but the enduring trap of populism is not unique to France

    Trump has seized on opportunities Macron and Starmer have created. Macron and Starmer. alike in their determination to ignore politicians of the left, have allowed Farage and Le Pen to set the agenda, writes Tony O’Donnell Read article

  • UK Budget 2025? Get real. The world has changed

    John McLaren explains in no uncertain terms why the UK Budget is such a disappointment, doing nothig when so much needs to be done, further eroding trust in mainstream politicians, pushing voters towards outlying parties making even wilder promises Read article

  • Enough campaigning. Is the next Scottish government prepared to govern?

    Hot on the heels of Anton Muscatelli’s hard-hitting report comes Jim Gallagher’s rigorous investigation into Scotland’s failing governance. Fixing Broken Government comes with positive recommendations for a radical re-set in time for the May 2026 elections. But will Scotland wake up in time to avert fiscal crisis? We have to, says, James Mitchell” “we cannot… Read article

  • Fraser of Allander takes another bite at the Budget

    “The proposed pay-per-mile charge raises important questions of fairness and is likely to be a source of public debate.” After the endless leaky build up, the 2025 UK Budget raises many questions and uncertainties about fairness, efficiency and effectiveness. The FAI investigates some likely outcomes. Read article

  • #MuscatelliReport: is Scotland ready for radical action on regional economic development?

    Carried out on behalf of the Scottish Labour Party but after the 2026 election the Muscatelli Report is likely to fall to an SNP Government – judging from past behaviour how successful would it be? Read article

  • Well tempered steel beneath David Gow’s jovial irreverence

    Under David’s editorship Sceptical Scot soon established itself in a crowded field, gaining a reputation for well written, thoughtful contributions to the debate. It is a testament to David’s determination that there was never really any doubt that it would do so. Read article

  • Honest, rigorous and kind: David Gow as mentor

    “As an editor David was rigorous and kind, but most of all never patronising. He would never accept a pitch out of politeness, no matter how long you’d been writing…” Read article

  • David Gow’s legacy of friendship

    Read article

  • AI, Creativity and Humanity (3): Responsibility

    “AI isn’t going anywhere. You interact with it many times a day whether you know it or not. You don’t need to fear it and I encourage you to embrace it. But you should also challenge it, and those who are developing it. Keep an open mind, balance optimism with scepticism and use creativity to… Read article

  • AI, creativity and humanity (2): Obstacles

    “As a creative producer, my team and I are able to do more, better, faster; we’re expanding and experimenting with techniques we weren’t previously able to do. Ideas I’ve never had the time, headspace or resources to realise are now coming to life.” Read article

  • AI, creativity and humanity (1)

    ‘“I resisted ChatGPT for so long because I felt it was wrong to use it. But then I caved in and now I can’t stop!” one arts organisation CEO told me. She’s hooked, having discovered the joy of drafting policy documents and analysing big data sets rapidly.”‘ Read article

  • Two worlds collide or stories Geoff Palmer told

    “Geoff worked tirelessly to bring the hidden world of slavery – the subjugation and the struggle – into the light and to make people aware of the connections between the unpaid labour of slaves and three centuries of Scottish history. He wanted people to know about the huge wedge of privilege and prosperity it brought… Read article

  • Israel’s biggest security threat: Netanyahu

    “Perhaps the most damning result of what is happening is the mass radicalisation of young Palestinians and of future Palestinian generations. As Israeli and US security experts have acknowledged, talk of Hamas being defeated is delusional – Hamas is as much an idea as a movement, and that idea will not only persist but will… Read article

  • Build, baby, build

    The Scottish Parliament has just passed a new housing bill that, inter alia, removes the council tax cap on second homes but we need a much more consequential approach to solve the housing polycrisis. Read article

  • Does Starmer have a vision?

    “Starmer, in his speech, said both Farage, the Tories, ‘the extremes of the left’ and the SNP want Britain to fail. But as the Prime Minister struggles on, the biggest risk is that Starmer will fail and Labour will end up where the Tories were, desperately swapping one bad leader for another. The UK does… Read article

  • Scottish education: genuine partnership or pre-election fix?

    “The Scottish educational establishment, over many decades, has been successful in resisting attempts to disturb its culture of complacency. Sadly, it may take a further decline in public confidence and trust before real change – as distinct from yet another exercise in public relations – can take place.” Read article

  • Walking with poems

    The Corbenic Community in Perthshire, home to people with learning difficulties, is a special place too for poets, sculptors – and the rest of us Read article

  • Euro at 20: time for reform

    Post-Brexit (if/when?) the EU will undertake a big debate on how to reform the eurozone: does Scotland wish to take part? Read article

  • Sturgeon’s strategic passivity

    ‘Certainly, the tawdry displays of English chauvinism, the ugly racist sentiments behind it, the Dad’s Army nostalgia for empire, quite apart from the liars and cheats that delivered Leave, are reason enough to stay in (and reform) Europe – and quit the rotting ship of the British unitary state before it’s too late.’ Read article

  • Brexit and the coming break-up of Britain

    Westminster and the three devolved governments should conclude a new constitutional settlement for pooling sovereignty within the UK, with fresh powers and competences given to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to control their people’s destinies. Otherwise, it will only undermine the current devolution settlement and assume even greater central powers in the name of national… Read article

  • NHS Scotland should look to EU for funding models

    ‘But this is the sad truth about a would-be full European state: its references/comparisons on health issues (as at the opening First Minister’s Question Time of 2018) are always to/with England. In some cases, it borders on an obsession. At the very least, we should rather investigate how EU member states perform and what we… Read article

  • A Scottish progressive alliance is vital

    ‘Certainly, if Brexit in some shape happens in March 2019 and a 20 or 24-month transition brings nothing but economic pain and social conflict along with a revived Far Right, then the ‘progressive alliance’ between Labour and SNP at least in Scotland and/or in Westminster may not just be desirable but essential to save democracy… Read article

  • Think again on Brexit

    ‘In a democracy, it is always possible to think again and to choose a different direction. We need to think again about Brexit, to have a UK-wide debate about calling a halt to the process and changing our minds.’ Read article

  • Standing up for Scotland in Europe

    “But as good as nobody is speaking out loud for what has always been the preferred option: EU membership as an independent country on a par with Denmark, Latvia and Slovakia.” How Scotland’s GE2017 campaign is missing a golden opportunity to confound dreary Mayism. Read article

  • What kind of Scotland?

    “Yet we all still need to ask and find answers to these questions: is Scotland genuinely more egalitarian? How does Scotland tackle early mortality, poor health outcomes, rising poverty, educational under-achievement – and with what instruments?” This boring binary campaign ignores all these. Read article

  • A fitting place for Joan Eardley

    “Joan Eardley is finally assuming the status she so richly deserves(d): a great Scottish artists who belongs to the world.” She came to Scotland at 19, died tragically young at 42 in 1963 and, half a century later, is rated among the modern greats. Read article

  • Single market route to home rule

    “We are going to put forward proposals, that we would hope that the UK Government would be prepared to listen to, that would allow Scotland to preserve its place in the single market and preserve aspects of its relationship with the EU.” Nicola Sturgeon opts for post-Brexit Home Rule – indy comes later… Read article

  • Sturgeon’s diminishing timeframe for Scottish indy

    Nicola Sturgeon is about to launch the SNP’s much-delayed “summer” initiative to win over No voters to support independence and, maybe, #indyref2. But two books by two prominent Scottish professors, reviewed here, suggest she has a very steep hill to climb. Read article

Tributes and reflections

Articles written in tribute to David Gow and his editorial legacy.