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
Scottish devolution
Boris is the new Maggie, Brexit the new poll tax
Boris Johnson’s trip provoked synthetic outrage from Scottish nationalists who knew the visit would be seen through a nationalist-unionist lens. Johnson gets the same unwelcome welcome that Margaret Thatcher received on visits north of the border. During the last week of the 1997 devolution referendum, pro-devolution campaigners could not believe their luck on discovering … [Read more...] about Boris is the new Maggie, Brexit the new poll tax
A written Scottish constitution?
Despite being rejected in the 2014 referendum, Scottish independence has not disappeared from the political agenda. With a series of recent polls showing clear majorities in favour of independence, the question is sure to be revisited. The Scottish National Party (SNP) has long had a policy of adopting a written constitution for Scotland. The party’s substantive proposals have … [Read more...] about A written Scottish constitution?
Federalism is not enough for Labour
The Scottish Government has recently made it clear that it will be seeking a mandate at next year’s Scottish Parliament elections to hold a referendum on independence. That is hardly a surprise, but it confirms that the “constitutional question” of Scotland’s future relationship with the UK is likely to be the dominant topic in those elections. Like it or not, that means the … [Read more...] about Federalism is not enough for Labour
Local governance reform in Scotland
The prism through which we look at the world will determine what we see. In common with discussion of Scottish government and politics generally, much attention in Scotland during this pandemic has focused on relations between London and Edinburgh, on ‘policy divergence’ and the implications for the future of the union. A number of commentators who have seen the pandemic as … [Read more...] about Local governance reform in Scotland