On the face of it ‘These are the Times that Try Men’s Souls’ may seem an entirely apt title for an address in times when there are so many reasons why we might despair. It was a phrase famously used by Thomas Paine in his pamphlet The American Crisis published in 1776 when the colonists were indeed facing defeat in their struggle for independence, but the pamphlet helped … [Read more...] about Reclaim the Enlightenment
racism
‘Give them hope’ – four (or more) poems for the budget
'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
The trouble with – and in – England
The violent unrest that has caused so much damage in the UK has not in fact happened across the UK. It has almost been exclusively confined to England. True, violent riots also took place in Belfast, Northern Ireland, but, interestingly enough, even there they were largely perpetrated by British loyalists, along with a few far-right extremists from Dublin. The … [Read more...] about The trouble with – and in – England
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
Truth springs from poetry…and dangerous women
No matter how gentle, no matter how serene, no matter how many good works I do or taxes I pay or lives I save I will always be, always be, to them a dangerous woman.A pause for breath as the words sink in. And then applause. Nadine Aisha Jassat’s poem seems to be held and truly felt by the audience in The Other Tent at Wigtown Book Festival.It seems to me … [Read more...] about Truth springs from poetry…and dangerous women