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Politics and news

Comment and observation on the world of politics, or any local, national or world news.

Scotland's Future

What the Scottish Government should have been doing

As we hurtle towards Brexit, here’s my take on what the Scottish Government should have been doing since the referendum.

Monday 13 January 2020 in Scottish politics.
Scottish Parliament

What the second Yes campaign should look like

The second independence referendum looks like it’s happening, so here’s what I think the Yes campaign should look like.

Wednesday 29 May 2019 in Scottish politics.
Theresa May

We must revoke

A thoroughly depressing post on why Brexit needs to be stopped and why it won’t be.

Monday 27 May 2019 in General politics.
Quite, quite boring

Independence is boring

The idea of Scotland being independent is increasingly boring me. Here’s why that’s a good thing – and an opportunity.

Saturday 4 May 2019 in Scottish politics.

Money, money, money

Why I don’t care what currency an independent Scotland will use, why that’s OK, and why that demonstrates a wider point about independence.

Thursday 2 May 2019 in Scottish politics.
Scotland's Future

Scexit’s not Brexit

In which I offer five reasons as to why Brexit tells us nothing about Scottish independence.

Saturday 2 March 2019 in General politics, Scottish politics.
UK and EU flags

Missing the point on Brexit

Do you think that Brexit is a cautionary tale for trying to make Scottish independence? Not surprisingly, I disagree. Here’s why.

Thursday 24 January 2019 in General politics, Scottish politics.
Party Political Broadcast image

Brexit like it’s 1999

How an obscure party political broadcast from twenty years ago is a chilling prophesy of today’s ugly Brexit-era politics.

Wednesday 7 November 2018 in General politics.
The United Kingdom

My United Kingdom

In the final post in a trilogy on Scottish politics, I imagine what the UK would have to look like for me to vote to remain in it.

Sunday 7 October 2018 in Scottish politics.
Blue skies thinking

Make The Best Of It

In the second of a three-part blog post series, I imagine a “blue skies thinking” political game called “Make The Best of It”. Fancy trying it out?

Friday 5 October 2018 in Scottish politics.
Brilliant!

The Awful-Brilliant Game

In the first in a trio of posts on Scottish politics, I imagine playing a game called The Awful-Brilliant Game with Richard Leonard, the Scottish Labour leader. You can play too.

Thursday 4 October 2018 in Scottish politics.
French National Assembly

Nationalism

A reflection on nationalism, and the dangers for Scottish politics of lumping all types of nationalism under the one definition.

Sunday 20 August 2017 in Scottish politics.
Death knocking

Pressing concerns

A reflection, in the light of press behaviour following the Manchester bombing, on “death knocking”, standards in our press and what we can do to make our newspapers better.

Thursday 25 May 2017 in General politics.

Brexit, the EU and Scottish independence

A look at some of the myths around Scotland and the EU, in the light of the forthcoming second independence referendum.

Monday 13 March 2017 in Scottish politics.
Sadiq Khan on independence

Here we go again

With Scottish independence rearing its head once more, it’s time to wearily address the question that won’t go away – is the movement for independence racist?

Monday 27 February 2017 in Scottish politics.
Scottish Conservatives poster

A proportional response

In which I argue that the Single Transferable Vote for elections to the House of Commons is both the one thing that could transform the UK and, through its political impossibility, the one thing that renders the UK unreformable.

Saturday 11 February 2017 in General politics.
Obama stall, 2008

What can I do?

A reflection on what I, as an ordinary individual, can do when so many politically horrible things are happening. Warning: this is a long read.

Wednesday 8 February 2017 in General politics.
Jeremy Corbyn

Why (almost) everything is the Labour Party’s fault, and (almost) certainly not Jeremy Corbyn’s

A post on why I feel that the Labour Party is missing the point – and harming the country – in falling out over Jeremy Corbyn. Its problems are, I believe, much, much bigger.

Friday 29 July 2016 in General politics.
Various flags

I hate the EU

In which I share my rambling and angry thoughts on the EU referendum.

Wednesday 15 June 2016 in General politics, Politics and news.
Scottish Green Party

My 2016 vote

In which I declare my hand for the Scottish Parliament elections next month (spoiler: constituency vote SNP, list vote Green. There, I’ve saved you the effort of reading the whole post).

Saturday 23 April 2016 in Scottish politics.

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Read my most recent posts

  • King Brude’s Treasure
  • Last Ones Left Alive, by Sarah Davis-Goff
  • What the Scottish Government should have been doing
  • All Strangers Are Kin, by Zora O’Neill
  • The war in Stroma
  • What the second Yes campaign should look like
  • We must revoke
  • Independence is boring
  • Money, money, money
  • Scexit’s not Brexit

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