Scottish independence
Scottish independence: it’s still (almost) all about oil.
The Scottish government published a paper on the national economy today that, according to Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon, makes the case for independence. You can read the pamphlet here… Continue reading
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Will Nigel Farage and UKIP help ditch Alex Salmond?
Yesterday’s Survation poll reported that UKIP (22%) are, for the moment, just two points behind the Tories (24%) and therefore and given the margin of error in these things possibly… Continue reading
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Nigel Farage Comes to the Brave New Scotland
I am not quite sure I understand why Nigel Farage opted to launch UKIP’s Aberdeen by-election campaign in Edinburgh. Then again, UKIP are a puzzling party. In any event, it… Continue reading
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Will an EU referendum kill the Scottish independence referendum?
The UK faces two referendums about its future, not one. As well as David Cameron’s promised ‘proper’ referendum on the UK’s relationship with the European Union, there is also the… Continue reading
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Defending the Right Union
The Scottish Tories look like supporting more devolution. Cue predictable apoplexy from some. Devolution was a terrible mistake, slopes are slippery, beaches should be fought on and ditches died in.… Continue reading
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Who is allowed to speak for, and to, Scotland?
I shall be on hiatus for the next week as I’m getting married on Saturday and I have an inkling that this is no time to be concerned that people… Continue reading
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Are the SNP’s plans for a currency union a) Expedient, b) Sensible, c) Dangerous or d) All of the Above
Even if George Osborne is right about the problems of a currency union between an independent Scotland and the rest of the UK he possesses the uncanny knack of being… Continue reading
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David Cameron and the Union
Alex Massie asks why I didn’t mention the Union in my piece in this week’s magazine on what David Cameron’s legacy will be. It is a good question. Indeed, one… Continue reading
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David Cameron’s Legacy? Preserving the Union or presiding over the Break-Up of Britain
Politics is at least partially a matter of perspective. The same object can look very different depending upon the angle from which it is viewed. Which brings me to Brother… Continue reading
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Independent Scotland: neoliberal nirvana or Scandinavian paradise?
So, an independent Scotland. Neoliberal nirvana or Scandinavian paradise? True, these are not the only choices available but as a useful shorthand for the size of the state and its… Continue reading
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The Scottish Tories Cross Their Rubicon
Alea iacta est. And not before time. More than a year ago and at the outbreak of this independence referendum virus I wrote an article for this magazine arguing that,… Continue reading
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‘Would you like to replace Ed Balls?’ The question Alistair Darling won’t answer
Ed Balls is a good street fighter, but not a very loveable one. The polls suggest he is perhaps the least popular figure in frontline politics. His manner too abrasive… Continue reading
34 Comments Referendum Spin: Beware the Tory Bogeymen!
So we have our date with destiny. Scotland will march to the polls nine days after the 501st anniversary of the Battle of Flodden. September, 18th 2014. There are fewer… Continue reading
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Nemo me impune lacessit: defending an independent Scotland
Sometimes I wish Conservative cabinet ministers would couch their arguments in favour of the Union in terms of principle, not process or drab accountancy. Philip Hammond, the unimpressive Secretary of… Continue reading
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David Cameron won't debate Alex Salmond because televised debates are for losers.
The standard assumption about political debates is that the campaign with most to gain in all in favour of them while the candidate presumed to be the front-runner wants nothing… Continue reading
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Scotland's position in europe is weaker than the SNP would have you believe
Nicola Sturgeon, arguably the SNP’s most effective asset at present, went to Brussels today to deliver a speech about Scotland’s future relationship with the EU. Most of it was as… Continue reading
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Brave, the Oscars and the Scottish Cringe.
Hurrah for Brave, the little movie that could! And did! All Scotland salutes her Oscar for Best Animated Feature. Another triumph for the plucky underdogs at Disney-Pixar. That, at any rate,… Continue reading
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Scottish Independence: Can't We do Better Than This Dismal Campaign?
Mario Cuomo, former governor of New York state (and father of the present governor) is perhaps these days most famous for his quip that politicians campaign in poetry but govern… Continue reading
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The SNP's Vision for Tartan Neoliberalism - Spectator Blogs
The SNP’s rise to power at Holyrood was predicated upon two useful qualities. First, the party has successfully contrived to appeal to different audiences without the contradictions in their doing… Continue reading
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Borgen and Scotland: A Love Affair Founded on Self-Congratulation
Borgen – the title refers to the Danish equivalent of Holyrood or Westminster – has been terrifically popular amongst those people interested in sub-titled political dramas from Denmark. I fancy… Continue reading
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