The Labour party has become institutionally anti-Semitic

The Labour Party is institutionally anti-Semitic.  No fair-minded person can read its failure to expel Ken Livingstone any other way. The national constitutional committee, after careful consideration of his latest calumny, has chosen merely to extend the former London mayor's suspension for a further year.  He was originally suspended in April 2016 after he cameContinue reading "The Labour party has become institutionally anti-Semitic"

Why smug SNP sanctimony means its love-in with EU will soon be over

If you have had the good fortune to encounter one of the many exciting Nationalist marches Scotland has to offer, you might have noticed a subtle change in presentation.  Woad is still in. The 'End London Rule' banner is a bit crumpled but will do a few more rallies. The Royal Standard of Scotland isContinue reading "Why smug SNP sanctimony means its love-in with EU will soon be over"

Whatever the question, Sturgeon’s answer will always be independence

Do you find your job dull and unfulfilling? Do you spend your days seeking out distractions or furtively pursuing your real interests? Millions find themselves in this position and pass the time meandering on Facebook or searching for a new career. Fair enough, you might think. There are some pretty humdrum posts out there butContinue reading "Whatever the question, Sturgeon’s answer will always be independence"

Parliament must take back control of Brexit

Theresa May's 'Dear John' letter has now dropped onto President Tusk's desk and, to euphemise a saying popular among The Young People, feculence just got actual. In the early, sunlit days of New Labour, the left-wing comedian John O’Farrell had a skit on how the Tories, after a generation of dominating British politics, found theirContinue reading "Parliament must take back control of Brexit"

Sit down, roared Ruth. And down sat the First Minister.

Parliamentary clashes are all about the leaders but sometimes you have to peer past them, to the next generation, to grasp the mood in any given party. Nicola Sturgeon had come to Holyrood's independence debate as the First Minister, in rhetoric at least, and issued a plea for civility. She told MSPs: 'Many others acrossContinue reading "Sit down, roared Ruth. And down sat the First Minister."

Forget ‘virtue signalling’ – ‘empathy patrolling’ is the new moral phenomenon

I’ve had just about enough of being told how to feel about what happened last Wednesday.   I feel angry. I still feel shock. I feel a keen ache for the families of those murdered, especially the loved-ones of PC Keith Palmer.  I feel that cold spite that works its way into your heart atContinue reading "Forget ‘virtue signalling’ – ‘empathy patrolling’ is the new moral phenomenon"

Brexit won’t drive us into the SNP’s arms – nor can it fix the Union’s flaws

Theresa May will not deliver a good deal for Scotland from the Brexit negotiations. That much we know already.  The Prime Minister is in Scotland today as she prepares to invoke Article 50. That her scramble north of the border coincides with the precise moment the rest of the country realises she’s put David DavisContinue reading "Brexit won’t drive us into the SNP’s arms – nor can it fix the Union’s flaws"

A sense of decency shouldn’t require a committee meeting

It is always the police, our selfless human shields, who suffer the first blow.  Whatever you do for a living, whatever drudgery it brings, it is humbling to remember that there are men and women whose job it is to stand between you and danger. There is much we do not know about what happenedContinue reading "A sense of decency shouldn’t require a committee meeting"

#Indyref2 debate: Her sleeves were rolled up and she was ready

Nicola Sturgeon called this second referendum for a dare.  She must have. There is no way she thought it was a good idea to put herself front and centre in a spectacle of the sort that played out in the Scottish Parliament yesterday.  MSPs packed the chamber to decide whether to ask Theresa May forContinue reading "#Indyref2 debate: Her sleeves were rolled up and she was ready"