Monthly Archives: April 2021

This is the text of my Scottish Daily Mail column for Monday, April 26, 2021. ***** To understand the central dynamic of Scottish politics, you needed to do only two things yesterday. One was watch Nicola Sturgeon’s rambling performance on Andrew Marr, in which she admitted both that independence would erect a physical border between Scotland andContinue reading “Nicola Sturgeon’s Disney nationalism”

Alex Salmond spoke at the manifesto launch for his new Alba Party on April 21, 2021. This is the text of my Scottish Daily Mail sketch of the speech.  ***** Alba, a party which has had a reception only slightly warmer than the European Super League, launched its manifesto yesterday. ‘Launched’, with its connotations of rockets blastingContinue reading “New Nats on the Block”

This is the text of my Scottish Daily Mail column for Monday, April 19, 2021. ***** The problem with ‘lines’ taken by politicians and parties is that they are all written by political strategists. These characters live, breathe, eat and sleep politics. Their idea of relaxation is catching up on other countries’ politics. They seldom encounter regularContinue reading “How to hold Nicola Sturgeon accountable”

Alex Salmond spoke at the campaign launch for his new Alba Party on April 6, 2021. This is the text of my Scottish Daily Mail sketch of the speech.  ***** Alex Salmond is modest to a fault and so what better way to launch his Alba party’s election campaign than by issuing a new Declaration of Arbroath.Continue reading “The Declaration of Eck”

This is the text of my Scottish Daily Mail column for Monday, April 5, 2021. ***** There are no moral victories at the ballot box and no consolation prizes. The losing side sometimes tells itself otherwise to cushion the blow of another rejection. Neil Kinnock is said to have won ‘the battle of the campaigns’ in 1987,Continue reading “Nicola Sturgeon deserves to lose”

Alex Salmond addressed his new Alba Party’s first conference on April 3, 2021. This is the text of my Scottish Mail on Sunday sketch of the speech.  ***** Alex Salmond’s conference speech lasted exactly five minutes and 20 seconds and although it was free I would still like my money back. This was meant to be hisContinue reading “For as long as 186 of us remain online”