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I have contributed a chapter to a new book of historical counterfactuals.  Prime Minister Corbyn: And Other Things That Never Happened, edited by Duncan Brack and Iain Dale, runs through a series of “what ifs”. Chris Huhne posits an alternative reality in which Britain joins the euro and Asa Bennett rewrites the Labour leadership contestContinueContinue reading “What if Scotland had voted Yes in 2014?”

You feel it too, right? The loosening in your neck, the slackening of your shoulders. Your breathing has slowed a little and your heart thrums gentler. A grown-up is back in charge. These past few weeks have felt like darting across a collapsing floor. While being chased by a pack of wolves. Over a poolContinueContinue reading “Theresa May is Prime Minister and it’s the most natural thing I can imagine”

Tallying up the daunting inventory of demands on the new prime minister’s time, it’s a wonder Theresa May wants the job at all. There’s Brexit — which she didn’t support but equally didn’t not support — and the fallout from that. When does she trigger Article 50? Will an “independent” Britain be in the EuropeanContinueContinue reading “How Theresa May should approach her Scotland problem”

Nicola Sturgeon’s voice was calm and measured but her words were bombshell. The First Minister, responding to the UK’s decision to separate from the EU, said this represented a “material change” in circumstances. As politics-watchers know, those are the magic words recited to conjure up a second referendum on Scottish independence. To many south ofContinueContinue reading “The UK has walked away from Europe. It may have walked away from Scotland too.”

My name is Stephen and I am part of the problem. I work in the media, earn a reasonable(ish) salary, live in a big city, mosey around with a diverse group of friends, and wouldn’t think twice about spending a tidy sum on a nice bottle of wine at the weekend. I believe and loudlyContinueContinue reading “Rejoice or weep over Brexit but we’ll have to make it work”

We might as well get this over with. You’ve watched Ruth Davidson chin Boris Johnson on national television and you reckon, “Hey, she could be a good shout for Prime Minister, or at least Tory leader.” Ah, you remember, but she’s something high up in that Scottish Parliament thingy.Surely she’d come down south for aContinueContinue reading “Yes, Ruth Davidson won the EU debate. No, England, you can’t have her.”

It wasn’t the most thrilling two hours of television. The ITV referendum debate suffered from the same flaw as the channel’s 2015 general election forum: Too many politicians. This time there were six on stage, wrangled by Julie Etchingham. The gender balance was impressive (five women, one man, and a female moderator) but ensuring everyoneContinueContinue reading “All hail Amber Rudd, the new star of the Conservative Party”

Nicola Sturgeon might seem an odd choice to make the case for maintaining a political union under threat from separatists. After all, just two years ago she was spearheading a campaign for Scotland to leave the UK, a constitutional compact of much longer standing than the current incarnation of the European Economic Community. Indeed, someContinueContinue reading “It’s time to step up, Nicola Sturgeon. Progressive Britain needs you.”

Are you one of those people who still can’t quite get your head around the Holyrood election result? There’s no shame in it; many others are in the same position. The Conservatives are now the second party of Scotland. Labour lags behind in third place. How did this happen? The Tories were “toxic” north ofContinueContinue reading “Davidson puts Sturgeon on notice in first outing as opposition leader”