Europe
Why did farmers swing back to the Tories?
Six out of eight of the SNP’s losses at the May 5 Holyrood election came from Scotland’s rural regions. Stuart MacLennan digs into fertile ground and explains why Scotland’s farming communities sought to – and…
Scientists at the top – but not on tap
Five Scottish-based scientists have just been elected Fellow of the Royal Society. But, in Scotland, the Scottish Government appears to have downgraded the post of chief scientific officer – vacant for almost 18 months. In…
A new democratic settlement for Scotland
The SNP’s 2016 election manifesto commits to a new wave of decentralising power in Scotland. But is that likely from a party that is now or on the verge of becoming the predominant one in…
Scotland and EU: a truer cost/benefit analysis
Scottish Vote Leave has claimed that Brexit would bring an extra £1.5bn a year to Scotland’s budget. But the claim is erroneous as a leading economist explains here.
Easter Rising, feminism, nationalism
On the centenary of the Easter Rising in Ireland politicians need to use its political imagery at their peril. Its lessons for nationalism as for fein ism are not unambiguous.
Brexit would be a rotten fish policy
Taking back control of fisheries policy – and “our” fish – is a key demand of Brexiteers in their quest for restored national sovereignty. But the fish don’t respect national borders and, anyway, the UK…
Brexit: bad for Scottish manufacturing
The Scottish Government’s new action plan, A Manufacturing Future for Scotland, is a welcome improvement on earlier papers. But it omits the key role of political leadership and of sustained funding via the financial sector.…
Divided nation – Germany’s refugee crisis
Germany’s welcoming culture for more than a million refugees last year is under siege as Angela Merkel struggles to retain control. The Far Right is capitalising on doubts and anxieties, notably since the New Year…
Goodbye Silicon Glen, Hello Berlin Adlershof
Scotland used to fight fiercely for foreign direct investment to set up here and create hundreds or thousands of jobs as well as a domestic supply chain. But those once-golden days are over. Scottish industry…
Europe, sovereignty and the Far Right
All eyes on Dave and Donald but, virtually unnoticed, Europe’s main Far Right parties met recently to plot their common future – and regaining national sovereignty is at the heart of their “Other Europe” strategy.…
Has Denmark jettisoned the European jewel?
Denmark, one a paragon of liberal tolerance, is pilloried for its parliamentary vote to seize refugees’ assets to pay for their welfare and upkeep. But the vote is very unpopular at home. And accusations it…
TTIP could damage Scotland’s food industry
The negotiations over TTIP come with generalised criticisms of secrecy and corporate skullduggery. Here, in the fourth of our Napier student pieces, the author soberly examines its potentially damaging impact on Scotland’s food and drinks…