'And remember to give them hope.'Looking back, the words seem to echo. On 19 December 2023, Rachel Reeves was speaking from the pulpit at the memorial service of Alastair Darling in an overflowing St Mary’s Cathedral, the Episcopal one at Edinburgh’s West End.Then shadow chancellor, she paid tribute to the much-respected man she described as her mentor, most … [Read more...] about ‘Give them hope’ – four (or more) poems for the budget
democracy
Scottish devolution and the new democratic deficit
Yes, that’s a whopping 111 National Public Bodies (quangos) for Scotland's 5.4m people. Sceptical Scot's guiding editorial principle is rejection of the prevalent binary approach to Scottish politics – as if being pro or anti indy is all that matters. In line with that policy, we favour articles such as those by James Mitchell, John McLaren and Walter Humes who … [Read more...] about Scottish devolution and the new democratic deficit
Democratic backsliding under Johnson
The Brexit vote happened more than five years ago, but many of the the worrying constitutional trends that characterised the years that immediately followed the referendum remain a part of public life. Here, in the lead article from Monitor 79, Constitution Unit Director Meg Russell and Deputy Director Alan Renwick express serious concerns about a repeated lack of parliamentary … [Read more...] about Democratic backsliding under Johnson
Black history and future in Scotland
The Black Lives Matter movement reverberates in every country. How might it affect political life in Scotland now? We are facing arguably the most important election since the creation of the Scottish Parliament in 1999. Yet in more than 20 years Scotland has produced no Black MSPs and very few representatives from Asian or other ethnic minorities. Local councils are no … [Read more...] about Black history and future in Scotland
Community empowerment or delivering less with less?
The idea that hard pressed communities can or should provide a substitute for the state must be challengedTom Lloyd GoodwinAnother Scottish Government budget, another round of council cuts followed by calls of alarm and pain as this year's hard reality of above-inflation tax rises hits communities across Scotland.As always, local council cuts clash with central … [Read more...] about Community empowerment or delivering less with less?