Monthly Archives: December 2014

The keenest-sought accolade in Scottish politics today is to be deemed to have had “a good referendum”. Nicola Sturgeon, Ruth Davidson, and Jim Murphy all had good referendums. Johann Lamont, Alistair Carmichael, and Anas Sarwar generally did not. Kezia Dugdale, though, secured her good referendum status later than most, winning praise for her impressive turnContinueContinue reading “A strong start for Dugdale but Sturgeon remains untouchable”

Neil Findlay has no business being a politician. The brickie turned housing officer turned teacher turned MSP didn’t come up through the special adviser/policy wonk ranks like so many parliamentarians today. And it shows. He doesn’t talk like a career politician, in it for power and position. That sincerity shouldn’t be confused for the poisonousContinueContinue reading “Neil Findlay outlines his vision for a socialist Scotland”

Jim Murphy loves Scotland. I know this because he assures me of it at least a dozen times in a half-hour interview. Scotland is his country. He’s proud of it. He intends to do well by it. Asked why he wants to lead Scottish Labour, the first thing he says is: “It sounds trite, butContinueContinue reading “Interview: Jim Murphy on patriotism, socialism and Labour’s future”

“There are no second acts in American lives,” F. Scott Fitzgerald once lamented. As an admirer of the American political scene – he idolises Robert F Kennedy and his “strain of moral commitment” – Gordon Brown could have been forgiven for assuming his defeat at the 2010 general election would similarly curtail his political career.ContinueContinue reading “Gordon Brown: A flawed giant who got a rare second act in political life”