The demise of the United Kingdom has been foretold many times — in wars civil and foreign, amid religious strife, and across upheavals political, economic and industrial. In every age, the doomsayers scry the same vision: Britain has had a good innings but, thanks to a combination of hubris, ignorance and immutable progress, our fading [...]
Brexiteers can’t handle the Ruth: Tories would be nowhere without Davidson
Ruth Davidson’s summer of set-backs continues apace. The Scottish Conservative leader saw her endorsement turn into a monkey’s paw, as Sajid Javid, then Michael Gove and finally Jeremy Hunt succumbed to its ministrations. The Tory leadership election ended with a thumping victory for her nemesis Boris Johnson, whom Davidson believes could undo all her efforts [...]
Tory truce: How Boris and Ruth could work together
Boris Johnson made his first prime ministerial visit to Scotland today, so let’s hope he’s swotted up on Welsh public policy. The new PM might not be aware but the actions of Welsh ministers are the key performance indicator for the Scottish Government. When Nicola Sturgeon wants to turn the screw on the UK Government [...]
‘The Progressives’: Could Boris and Brexit prompt a new Scottish party?
The flaxen-haired tornado that has stormed through the corridors of Westminster in the past 72 hours has left much political carnage in its wake. Seventeen ministers resigned or were sacked by Boris Johnson and replaced in large part by fellow-travellers committed to the hardest of Brexits, including a no-deal variation to ensure the UK departs [...]
Boris sacks his Scottish general on eve of battle
David Mundell is such a mainstay of Scottish politics, it will be odd not to see him at the despatch box batting away SNP grievances or plodding welly-deep through sodden fields extolling the wonders of Scottish produce at agricultural fairs. (He might say the two experiences have much in common.) His sacking as Secretary of [...]
How Ruth can save the Union (in spite of her Boris problem)
Barring an electoral upset unforeseen by the opinion polls — we all know that never happens — Boris Johnson will be elected leader of the Conservative Party tomorrow. The following day he will be invited to kiss hands and thereafter become Prime Minister, an extraordinary turnaround for a man regarded by many on his own [...]
Immigrants are key to Scotland’s prosperity. We need many more of them
Lizanne Zietsman is usually to be found serving up hearty lunches to locals and visitors on Arran. The 37-year-old, who holds a South African passport, has run the Sandwich Station in Lochranza with her husband John since 2017. They first met on the island in 2006, married and spent almost a decade travelling and working [...]
Next PM must declare the era of devolution over
The legacy hunt is the final and fiercest battle of a parliamentary career. Define yourself or your opponents will, and so years of skullduggery and compromise, near misses and outright disasters must be moulded into a monument to vision and leadership. In the fading light of power, a valiant attempt is made to rewrite history [...]
Sturgeon’s citizen assembly is not about democracy
‘Democracy,’ HL Mencken wrote, ‘is the theory that the common people know what they want — and deserve to get it good and hard.’ What we seem to want these days is more say in how the country is run and, boy, are we getting it in buckets. Not content with referendums on independence and [...]
Zoink! Kapow! Leonard landed blows like a Batman villain
The torrid heat bearing down on Holyrood yesterday went to Alex Cole-Hamilton’s head, or rather his chest. The Edinburgh West MSP sashayed into the debating chamber in a sharp suit with three shirt buttons undone — a very Liberal Democrat. He was less Jo Grimond, more John Travolta, if Saturday Night Fever had a subplot [...]
