The light on the hill is growing dim but still worth fighting for

It is not over. There is still hope. A single scarlet petal blooms defiantly on the withered stalk. The Labour Party lives yet. Jeremy Corbyn will be on the ballot paper for the forthcoming leadership election. Per the bizarre decision of the national executive committee, he will not require as much as a single nomination. ItContinue reading "The light on the hill is growing dim but still worth fighting for"

Theresa May is Prime Minister and it’s the most natural thing I can imagine

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 poolContinue reading "Theresa May is Prime Minister and it’s the most natural thing I can imagine"

How Theresa May should approach her Scotland problem

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 EuropeanContinue reading "How Theresa May should approach her Scotland problem"

Saddam: A brutal psychopath whose reign was marked by sadism and corruption

Saddam Hussein started as he meant to go on. When he came to power in 1979, the new President of Iraq instigated a purge of senior Ba'ath Party officials. The aim was to eliminate potential rivals and exert his total control over the regime. The method foreshadowed the barbarism that guided Hussein's blood-soaked political career. GatheringContinue reading "Saddam: A brutal psychopath whose reign was marked by sadism and corruption"

The UK has walked away from Europe. It may have walked away from Scotland too.

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 ofContinue reading "The UK has walked away from Europe. It may have walked away from Scotland too."

Rejoice or weep over Brexit but we’ll have to make it work

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 loudlyContinue reading "Rejoice or weep over Brexit but we’ll have to make it work"

Yes, Ruth Davidson won the EU debate. No, England, you can’t have her.

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 aContinue reading "Yes, Ruth Davidson won the EU debate. No, England, you can’t have her."

All hail Amber Rudd, the new star of the Conservative Party

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 everyoneContinue reading "All hail Amber Rudd, the new star of the Conservative Party"

It’s time to step up, Nicola Sturgeon. Progressive Britain needs you.

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, someContinue reading "It’s time to step up, Nicola Sturgeon. Progressive Britain needs you."