‘If a future UK – or its consciously uncoupled constituent countries – is to transform itself into a democracy, then it’s imperative that the rules of that state are written not by the politicians of any one party, but through a process which itself is seen as legitimate, democratic, and plural.’
Scotland
Time to get real – or press the panic button?
‘… it’s time to stop feebly blaming an unacceptable status quo for Scotland’s poor economic and social progress. And, instead of excusing that under-performance via the stock promise that independence will remedy current woes, the SNP must get real and begin serious preparations for the break-up of the UK.’
Will Brexit destroy the UK?
‘There is a saying among global trade negotiators that the world is divided between cannibals and lunch. The UK may be finding painfully that leaving the protection of the cannibals has condemned it to become lunch. It was certainly Stephen (Haseler)’s view that the English superstate was just as incapable of responding to new challenges internationally as it was domestically.’
The Scottish Bureaucratic Mind
‘Modern Scotland, both before and after devolution, emerges as a country that is more committed to bureaucracy than democracy’.
Capital flight – how RBS was shredded: Part Two
[Goodwin] told Alistair Darling that conditions were very bad and that RBS had been considering whether to stop lending to customers. Darling asked Goodwin what would resolve the situation and Goodwin said ‘long-term funding’. How ‘Fred the Shred’ continued to ignore the warning signals, nevertheless.
Impact of Brexit “no deal” on Scotland
‘ It is difficult to escape the conclusion that the effects of a chaotic Brexit would be much worse for poorer Scots, who spend more of their income on goods that will attract higher tariffs post-Brexit.’
Young Fathers: touching the heart of Scottish creative diversity
Young Fathers symbolise the generous new diversity of Scotland. Celebrating the spirit of creative collaboration found in Paisley at Scottish Album of the Year Award ceremony and the launch of V&A design music in Dundee
Two new Scottish Sundays buck the trend
‘ If they are to carve out a place for themselves, these two new Sundays are going to have to do more to break exclusives that set the agenda for the week ahead – and give Scottish readers the excuse they need to change their buying habits.’
Opioids: unintended consequences of a good policy
‘Ensuring that police practices reduce, rather than exacerbate, harms to drug users is an important part of that. Policing is part of the picture; now more than ever, collective action can help reduce drug-related deaths.’
GSA fire: lessons from the exclusion zone
The second Glasgow School of Art fire has become a case study in how not to help neighbouring residents after a disaster. Everyone from the owners of the damaged building to the local authorities need to learn the lessons to make sure we don’t see the likes of this again.