Category: Uncategorized
Getting the measure of Johnson
The graywash
The long awaited Sue Gray report has finally been published. As was widely predicted, the report detailed a catalogue of shockingly bad behaviour which the Prime Law-Breaker presided over in Downing Street. And as equally widely predicted, Johnson mugged his way through a performative apology and lied about taking full responsibility…
The most important issue in the coming indyref: Scottish democracy or British authoritarian sleaze
During the 2014 independence referendum campaign there was a lofty assumption by Better Together campaigners of the supposed superiority of British institutions and of the UK and the Westminster parliament as a yardstick of democratic standards of government. Some opponents of independence went so far as to insist that it was…
Flags, fetes and fascism
The choice: independence and democracy, or the UK and jingoistic authoritarianism
On Sunday there were two important political developments. As the long-awaited Sue Gray report comes closer to publication following the conclusion of a police investigation which saw the Prime Law-Breaker and the Chancellor both be fined for breaking lockdown laws, and over a hundred fixed penalty notices being issued to staff…
The English dreaming of Peter Hitchens
Peter Hitchens, the conservative contrarian who hates to be called a contrarian, has decided that Brexit isn’t enough to restore greatness to England as it still leaves England encumbered with Scotland and Wales, countries which he appears to see as lesser nations which sap the glory that rightfully belongs to England…
The elephant and the bin bag
In an earlier piece this week I remarked that the current behaviour of Satan’s little helpers the DUP, following their historic defeat in the recent Northern Irish Assembly elections demonstrated the fundamentally undemocratic nature of British nationalism in both Scotland and Northern Ireland. British nationalism is a dogma which disguises itself…
Stephen Kerr’s permapoplexy
The banquet of consequences
Anglo-British nationalism : greater projection than an iMax screen
One of the most persistent and pernicious claims of opponents of independence is that the desire to see a restoration of Scottish statehood is motivated by nothing more than anti-English racism and a hatred of Scotland’s southern neighbour. It’s a claim which serves a number of purposes, which is why it…
The state pantomime of Parliament
The bonkeroony Michael Gove
The fragility of this so-called union
There are long term and short term lessons to be drawn from last week’s elections. In the short term, there are now serious questions about the position of Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross, who pins the blame for the catastrophic performance the Scottish Tories at last week’s local elections on Boris…
New Gaelic Cultural Centres : Culturlann Inbhirnis agus An Taigh Cèilidh Steòrnabhagh
The Gaelic language is a crucial and integral part of the cultural heritage of everyone in Scotland – everywhere in Scotland. It is literally written into the Scottish landscape in all parts of our country. Sadly however, the Gaelic language is facing a serious threat to its continuing existence as a…
The elections that brought independence a step closer
The dust is settling from last week’s local government elections, and it’s clear that they delivered very good results for the two largest pro-independence parties with both the SNP and the Greens gaining seats. Although the Labour party has been excitedly hailing its great success, the truth is that they did…