Stephen Daisley

My granny used to tell us: ‘If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all.’ My granny didn't live to see the Scottish Parliament so I reckon her injunction is moot. The carnival of mediocrity cranked up again yesterday and sputtered along for 45 eyelid-anchoring minutes of First Minister’s Questions. WestminsterContinue reading "Nicola had the look of a cat who’d just sat on a porcupine"

The Japanese martial art of aikido hinges on two connected philosophies – first, that it is wiser to use your opponent’s strength against him than it is to attempt to subdue him with brute force and, second, that you should only use as much force as is necessary to defend yourself. Morihei Ueshiba, the foundingContinue reading "Brussels has undermined the chances of a second referendum"

Patrick Harvie was angry, or at least as angry as a Green can get. You could tell because he was asking about the environment for once, rather than his party's primary priorities: intersectional letting practices and gender-neutral flight plans at Prestwick Airport. Anti-fracking campaigners had been branded 'domestic extremists' by Police Scotland. Harvie hissed likeContinue reading "Everyone’s Wrong But Nicola, a continuing series"

It's the wink, I think, that makes her a star. That impish twitch of the eye that tells you this isn’t just any Conservative politician. This is Ruth Davidson. Yes, she is serious and can be sombre when called for but she is not precious. This is someone who watches trashy TV, has a senseContinue reading "Why Ruth’s brave words are truly an act of patriotism"

Roseanna Cunningham was set to blow. The Environment Secretary is the universal unit of measurement for how badly Ruth Davidson is duffing up Nicola Sturgeon at First Minister’s Questions. When the Tory leader starts to irk the FM, Republican Rose spins in her chair and gives her the shoulder. When Davidson taunts her opposite numberContinue reading "Roseanna fumed while Ruth cornered Nicola on schools"

Ever have one of those mornings when you just can’t get out of bed? The alarm is blaring, the kids’ packed lunches have still to be made, and you have that important meeting at work but this big marshmallow of a duvet is just too toasty. The snooze button is duly thwacked. You know it’sContinue reading "When it comes to the economy, Nicola needs to stop daydreaming"

Seventeen sentences. That’s how far Nicola Sturgeon got into her Programme for Government speech before the I-word cropped up: ‘The best future for Scotland lies in becoming an independent country.’ And here I thought the BBC was cracking down on repeats. Independence got no further, though. No date, no time, no demand for Indyref 2.Continue reading "Sturgeon unveils latest list of things she won’t get round to because #Westminster"

Like all good messiahs, Jeremy Corbyn is out to save us from ourselves. Refreshingly, his latest sermon avoided damning the Israelites and instead admonished us to beware the sins of fake news and media monopolies. Delivering the Alternative MacTaggart Lecture at the Edinburgh TV Festival, the other JC preached of his ‘desire to create aContinue reading "Corbyn is not the messiah… and the media is not the devil"

hi Even on her summer holidays and heavily pregnant, Ruth Davidson is doing a better job of running the country that those nominally in charge. The Scottish Conservative leader last week took on some of the biggest multinationals and posed tough questions about the balance between free markets and fairness. Writing in a newspaper, sheContinue reading "Amazon Tax: A good policy in the bagging area"

One of the advantages to adopting the stairheid rammy as our national mode of conversation is that we are no longer obliged to listen to one another. Debate can at last flow freely, uninterrupted by the burdensome details of what our opponents actually say and believe. Cool heads are the first casualties of culture war.Continue reading "Tories are airing dirty laundry on the stairheid for everyone to see"