First Minister’s Questions is no place for alarmism. Nicola Sturgeon made that clear when she warned Jackson Carlaw against ‘inadvertently undermin[ing] public confidence’ in the flu jab. On what tenuous basis was the interim Tory leader engaging in such wanton scaremongering? Other than the fact that 61 per cent of over-65s haven’t received the vaccine … Continue reading Bomber Baillie goes Full Metal Jackie
Author: stephenjdaisley
Political journalist and commentator.
Brexit Britain makes Israel’s hectic politics look strong and stable
Nothing humiliates quite like the sympathy of foreigners. When you are overseas in times of acute national anguish, even the slenderest shard of sympathy can pierce the heart. It is far preferable that your hosts be blunt. Candour stings but pity burns. I spent last week in Israel, land of unwieldy coalitions and unstable governments. … Continue reading Brexit Britain makes Israel’s hectic politics look strong and stable
Snowflakes and jackboots
It's the most exciting thing to happen to veganism since the soy latte. Waitrose Food magazine parted company with editor William Sitwell last week after comments about killing vegans. In fact, Sitwell had cracked a joke in an email to a vegan journalist but, as you might imagine with people who consider dropping an egg … Continue reading Snowflakes and jackboots
Che Guevara of Charlotte Square joins the class war
Primly accoutred in a royal blue Thatcher suit, the First Minister was somewhat overdressed for the class war. The Che Guevara of Charlotte Square had stormed the ramparts of Holyrood to decry Philip Hammond’s Budget sop to the filthy rich. The capitalist lickspittle had raised the higher income tax threshold to £50,000, feathering the nests … Continue reading Che Guevara of Charlotte Square joins the class war
Why you shouldn’t shout at Michelle Ballantyne
Michelle Ballantyne is a terrible person. She is cruel and without feeling. Don’t take my word for it. Everyone is saying so — or all the people who hold all the correct opinions, anyway. The Scottish Conservative welfare spokeswoman led for her party in a Holyrood debate last Wednesday on ‘ending austerity, poverty and … Continue reading Why you shouldn’t shout at Michelle Ballantyne
Jackson Carlaw causes unseemly outbreak of civility at FMQs
Ruddy-cheeked and hale-bodied, crowned by modest locks of greying gold, the Scottish Conservative leader cut a less dynamic than usual figure at First Minister’s Questions. This pregnancy is really taking its toll on Ruth Davidson, I thought to myself, before squinting and realising it was Jackson Carlaw. Davidson is off having a Tory tot and … Continue reading Jackson Carlaw causes unseemly outbreak of civility at FMQs
Sorry Nicola, but your hypocrisy over Brexit is breathtaking
'Let me say this loudly and clearly,’ Nicola Sturgeon intoned. ‘If the issue comes before the House of Commons, SNP MPs will support a People’s Vote which includes the option to remain in the EU.’ The SNP leader was addressing the People’s Vote march in London and she had to speak loudly and clearly because … Continue reading Sorry Nicola, but your hypocrisy over Brexit is breathtaking
