Author Archives: Editor

Ruth the Moabite is the only Biblical figure to merit the description ‘eshet chayil’ – ‘a woman of valour’. One rabbinical exegesis sees Proverbs 31’s womanly virtues as a reference to Ruth: ‘Many women have done well, but you surpass them all.’ Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died aged 87 on Erev Rosh Hashanah, surpassed the expectations andContinue reading “Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a woman of valour”

Tracking coronavirus? There’s an app for that. First Minister’s Questions was buzzing about the new technological doohickey intended to save us all from Covid-19. What the Protect Scotland app couldn’t do is save us from a major reversal of lockdown: meetings, indoors and out, would be cut to only six people across two households. OrContinue reading “Sturgeon explains things to Richard Leonard verrrrrry sloooooowly”

With the aviation industry on its knees, Boris Johnson is under pressure to embrace airport testing. Screening arrivals is thought more effective than the current policy: a blanket requirement to self-quarantine for 14 days. Airline and tourism chiefs warn this is crippling their sectors and putting thousands of jobs at risk. The Scottish Conservatives wantContinue reading “National emergencies require national responses”

Richard Leonard should take up poker. He might have more spare time on his hands soon enough, but that is rather the point. He rose at First Minister’s Questions, hours after three of his MSPs called on him to resign, and he gave off not a single tell. His composure seldom breaks. It would beContinue reading “Can’t read his, can’t read his poker face”

Someone on the BBC got a bit overexcited and teed it up as ‘the Queen’s Speech of Scotland’. Nicola Sturgeon’s annual Programme for Government doesn’t boast quite the same pomp and glitz, though she does wear her customary crown of virtue. Addressing her court, the Nat regnant declared that this was ‘not a normal, business-as-usualContinue reading “In the court of Queen Nicola”

Sandra White’s decision not to contest next year’s Holyrood election brings the number of retiring SNP MSPs to an unlucky 13. Unlucky for us in that some will be replaced by even direr representatives of the power-hungry superiority complex that is Scottish nationalism, but unlucky also for Nicola Sturgeon. White will be chiefly remembered forContinue reading “Holyrood’s ghosts”

Dominic Raab has visited Israel for his first trip as Foreign Secretary. By all accounts, he was made very welcome, despite the UK’s craven abstention at the UN over extending an arms embargo on Iran, a country where they arrest our ambassador, burn our flag and chat ‘Death to Britain’. Quite the dilemma we faced in that vote. According to theContinue reading “It’s time for Boris to back Israel”

  Just when it seemed like the Tories had finally arrived at the fight for the Union, they go and take a detour up a dead end. Michael Gove, head of the Cabinet sub-committee on the Union, hinted last week that a future Scexit referendum could give the vote to Scots living overseas. He didContinue reading “You can’t fight for the Union on the SNP’s terms”

This week there will be an almighty row about Westminster stealing powers from Holyrood. You may be wondering how that differentiates it from any other week. Ginning up grievance over imaginary encroachments on your authority is infinitely easier than governing. Scottish ministers are so concerned they could lose some of their powers they might evenContinue reading “A small step in the right direction”