May calls in Tory Remainers for No 10 talks in bid to stem further defections 21 Feb 2019 at 7:00pm
THERESA May has called in leading Remainer Tories to Downing St to try to stem the flow of defections to the anti-Brexit Independent Group after senior ministers hinted they might resign if there were a no-deal outcome.
Scottish budget plans passed by Holyrood 21 Feb 2019 at 6:38pm
The Scottish Parliament has formally approved the Government's tax and spending plans for 2019-20 in the budget's final vote at Holyrood.
Mundell issues coded threat to quit over no-deal Brexit 21 Feb 2019 at 11:50am
DAVID Mundell has issued a barely-disguised threat to quit the cabinet over a no-deal Brexit, saying he would do ?whatever I deem necessary? to stop it.
Conservative and Labour defections 'pave way for merger with Liberal Democrats' 21 Feb 2019 at 12:02am
THE formation of The Independent Group of MPs opens up the way towards a ground-breaking future merger with the Liberal Democrats to create a centrist alliance that could "reshape British politics," senior party sources have told The Herald.
Mundell: Brexit ?power grab? is a complete fantasy 21 Feb 2019 at 5:00am
BREXIT isn?t damaging devolution but strengthening it, David Mundell will insist today, less than 48 hours after Sir John Major warned it could lead to Scottish independence.
Theresa May defends Brexit approach amid threat of more defections 21 Feb 2019 at 9:50pm
Prime Minister Theresa May has tried to prevent further resignations from the Conservative Party over her handling of Brexit, inviting two disaffected MPs to Downing Street and defending her approach in a letter to three former Tories who quit on Wednesday.
Scottish Budget: MSPs back SNP plans on tax and spending 21 Feb 2019 at 5:33pm
MSPs have passed the Scottish Government’s £34 billion budget at Holyrood amid claims of hundreds of millions of pounds in cuts to local services and tax hikes for high earners.
Airport security procedures after Brexit 21 Feb 2019 at 3:24pm
The government has issued guidance on how changes to aviation security would affect businesses and passengers in the case of a no deal Brexit.
David Mundell: SNP wants No Deal Brexit to break-up UK 21 Feb 2019 at 12:44pm
The SNP is "contriving" to bring about a No Deal Brexit because it will hasten the demise of the United Kingdom, Scottish Secretary David Mundell has claimed.
Holidaying in Europe after Brexit 21 Feb 2019 at 9:34am
Q: I want to book my summer holiday and was planning to drive to France with my dogs as I have in previous years.
Westminster?s high street reforms ?could leave Scotland behind? 21 Feb 2019 at 6:01am
Scottish retail experts have warned that Scotland could be left behind as a UK government committee unveiled a raft of reforms which could revolutionise the future of the high street south of the border.
Counting With James Kelly MSP by Rev. Stuart Campbell 19 Feb 2019 at 5:50pm
Alex Cole-Hamilton’s reign was the shortest on record.
The master of detail by Rev. Stuart Campbell 19 Feb 2019 at 2:08pm
Unionists have been in a purple frenzy of rage in the last couple of weeks that the First Minister has dared to leave the country not once but twice in order to try to improve relations and trade links with Scotland’s business partners. Lib Dem MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton – a man who still thinks the …
The tissue-paper tigers by Rev. Stuart Campbell 18 Feb 2019 at 11:24am
It’s never a good look for a politician to have fewer principles than UKIP. When Tory MPs Douglas Carswell and Mark Reckless defected to Nigel Farage’s party, both stood down from their seats and fought by-elections to establish whether their electoral mandates were personal or owed to the party. Both of them won. (Though both …
The Harvesters by Rev. Stuart Campbell 17 Feb 2019 at 1:20pm
We saw a tweet from some Tory MP or MSP this morning urging voters to sign some fake “petition” or other bashing the SNP, and it rang a bell in our minds, so we popped over to the Conservative Party website where we found this: Despite referring to “a new poll today”, there’s no date …
Counting With Scottish Labour by Rev. Stuart Campbell 16 Feb 2019 at 9:31pm
A little snippet in today’s Times caught our eye earlier. As alert readers may recall from our numerous investigations into the enduring enigma that is Scottish Labour’s membership figures, at the end of 2014 the branch office was claiming to have either 14,000 or 20,000 members. And even in a world where 38% is “almost half” …
Counting With Jamie Greene by Rev. Stuart Campbell 14 Feb 2019 at 4:03pm
In this site’s view, the proposed new employee-parking levy which the 2019 budget will enable local authorities to implement if they choose to – but which is in no sense being imposed on anyone by the SNP, who don’t have a majority on a single Scottish council – is a pretty rotten idea, which will do …
Counting With The Scottish Media #2 by Rev. Stuart Campbell 13 Feb 2019 at 12:59pm
In today’s Daily Record: Half, you say? What the YouGov poll actually predicted was Labour losing FIVE of their current SEVEN seats to the SNP, holding onto only Edinburgh South and East Lothian. And, y’know, call us sticklers but we’re pretty sure five is quite a bit more than half of seven. (It’s actually 71%, …
An uncertain future by Rev. Stuart Campbell 12 Feb 2019 at 5:10pm
Another slow news day, so here’s one from the archives: Don’t worry, we’re not going to make you try to read it that size. In 2019, six weeks from a no-deal Brexit, suddenly “insignificance in Europe” and “an uncertain future in the EU” for Scotland don’t sound quite so bad, do they?
Scottish budget plans passed by Holyrood 21 Feb 2019 at 5:12pm
The budget will widen the income tax gap for higher earners, but provide more funding for education and the NHS.
Scottish budget: At a glance 21 Feb 2019 at 12:00am
Derek Mackay has secured a deal to pass his Scottish budget at Holyrood - here are the big proposals.
Is a general election getting closer or further away? by James Kelly 20 Feb 2019 at 3:52pm
One thing that baffles me about this wave of Labour and Tory defections to the new Independent Group is that we're in a hung parliament situation, and yet journalists seem largely incurious about t...
The "longrun implications" of the Independent Group by James Kelly 19 Feb 2019 at 6:36pm
No disrespect to Stephen Bush, but something he said in all apparent seriousness in the New Statesman today made me laugh out loud. He suggested that the big target for the breakaway Independent G...
Memo to Andrew Wilson: Brexit is happening right now. Did no-one tell you? by James Kelly 15 Feb 2019 at 5:40pm
In a way it's rather helpful that Andrew Wilson has started to denigrate and mock some of his comrades in the Yes movement, because it shows up his pious calls for love and harmony and kindness for...
A projection that the SNP will prosper by James Kelly 13 Feb 2019 at 3:47pm
Just a quick note to let you know that I have a piece in The National today about the latest YouGov seats projection for Westminster, which shows the SNP going up to 39 seats. You can read the art...
Middle-of-the-road politics will not tackle our society's ills by Darren McGarvey 21 Feb 2019 at 4:30am
If this is the return of centrists, I hope those leading the charge will first reflect on the undeniable failures of centrism, writes Darren McGarvey.
So long as men worship the Caesars and Napoleons, Caesars and Napoleons will duly arise and make them miserable. - Aldous Huxley
Modern Britain, Ladies & Gentlemen by michaelgreenwell 11 Feb 2019 at 11:17pm
An old white man with heavy links to the establishment feels entitled to knock down a bill (or indeed BILLS) designed to reduce the unnecessary suffering of young women because he is riding a personal hobbyhorse. And this is supposed to be good governance. It’s 2019, this isn’t good enough. When pondering this story if …
It?s A Small Step, But He Is Right by michaelgreenwell 8 Feb 2019 at 9:49pm
It’s a small thing, but he is 100% correct, so it is worth sharing and acting upon.
I?d Say That Is A ?No? by michaelgreenwell 2 Feb 2019 at 11:42am
If we take this Irish advert for the rugby as a hint, then it could be the case that the Irish might not be too keen to be reincorporated into the UK, a thing which several English commentators and politicians have been suggesting recently.
Even Worse by michaelgreenwell 21 Jan 2019 at 8:25am
The remarkable thing is that the current group are actually WORSE than this lot grew up to be…
Who Has Most Per Head? by michaelgreenwell 3 Jan 2019 at 11:24am
A nice simple graphic that lays out some important stats.
The Spider?s Web ? Britain?s Second Empire by michaelgreenwell 2 Jan 2019 at 3:11pm
?Over and over again, we have seen that there is a power in this Country, other than that which has its seat at Westminster. The City of London, a convenient term for a collection of financial interests is able to assert itself against the Government of the Country. Those who control money, are able to …
David Mundell, Brilliant As Ever by michaelgreenwell 10 Dec 2018 at 10:03pm
England’s man in Scotland David Mundell, simultaneously showing how much he is in the loop, and the quality of his powers of political prediction…
Brexit is Killing the UK Car Industry by Bella Caledonia Editor 21 Feb 2019 at 7:40pm
THIS week?s column is for petrol heads. For the first time in its 73-year history, Honda has decided to close a factory ? in Swindon, the company?s only European production facility. According to Honda?s UK boss, Ian Howells, this has ?absolutely nothing? to do with Brexit. And Jeremy Clarkson is not a male chauvinist! Honda …
Book Pile by Bella Caledonia Editor 21 Feb 2019 at 5:04pm
We have a backlog of books for review. Contact us if you want to join our review team. It’s mostly non-fiction: K-Punk by Mark Fisher Kill All Normies by Angela Nagle The Economics of Arrival by Katherine Trebeck and Jeremy Williams The Age of Earthquakes by Basra, Coupland, Obrist Standing Rock by Bikem Ekberzade Don’t …
Ian Bell New Writing Award by Bella Caledonia Editor 21 Feb 2019 at 12:03pm
The winners have been announced in the second year of the Ian Bell New Writing competition for an unpublished piece by a writer under 30. The award was set up in memory of the radical journalist Ian Bell, who died in December 2015, by his family and the Edinburgh branch of the National Union of …
Out of Step: Reeling around our Cultural Stramashes by Bella Caledonia Editor 21 Feb 2019 at 12:01pm
Earlier this year, a curious cultural kerfuffle occurred at a ceilidh at Brasenose College, Oxford. Scottish students variously described the freshers? bash as ?inauthentic?, ?problematic?, and ?culturally appropriative?. The fact that the band was English, ?while not necessarily an issue if they gave an authentic ceilidh?, made various Scots feel that ?the event had little …
It?s all very well Tweeting hashtags about Mental Health, but something needs... by Bella Caledonia Editor 21 Feb 2019 at 11:39am
I took the standard, and oft advised route: I went to see my GP. He then, in turn, referred me to the Community Hospital mental health assessment ?drop in?. There I was asked to fill in some forms about how I was feeling, and had an appointment with a professional to assess the situation. After …
Scottish Junior Football: The Beautiful Game? by Bella Caledonia Editor 20 Feb 2019 at 9:07pm
We are delighted to publish the winner (and runners-up) of the second Ian Bell New Writing Award. Here’s the winning entry by Peter Stewart. Congratulations to Peter and the other writers. None of those semi-mythical Alex Ferguson quotes about football do the Scottish junior leagues justice. It’s a world so far removed from the money …
Koch-Funded Peasants for Brexit by Bella Caledonia Editor 20 Feb 2019 at 6:59pm
Covering Brexit has been a challenge for the BBC as a sense of bafflement and hurt pride enshrouds “the nation”. What you need is the boorish leader of some clandestine semi-cult to help you through the complexities. Step up Brendan O Neill. This exchange from November last year exposes the self-importance of the Spiked! editor …
Misø by Bella Caledonia Editor 19 Feb 2019 at 10:16pm
Rediscovered album of misø – a cassette of loops and instrumentals recorded in October 1998 from the mighty Pomegranate … Composed and Produced by Stef McGlinchey. Free download on Bandcamp – but digital album for £3. misø (original cassette) by pomegranate
Theresa May faces ministerial revolt over no-deal Brexit by Rowena Mason, Jessica Elgot and Severin Carrell 21 Feb 2019 at 7:02pm
Up to 25 government members could vote for delay rather than allow UK to crash out Theresa May is facing the most serious cabinet revolt of her premiership next week, with as many as 25 members of the government ready to vote for a Brexit delay unless she rules out ?no deal? ? in a move that will...
Scottish independence: new vote depends on Brexit outcome ? Sturgeon by Severin Carrell Scotland editor 5 Feb 2019 at 2:28pm
First minister?s remarks in US seen as rebuff to those pressing her to exploit chaos by calling for new vote nowNicola Sturgeon has played down the prospects of an early vote on Scottish independence by warning her supporters that ?calm consideration? was needed first.Scotland?s first minister to...
Former SNP MP starts Scottish independence polling initiative by Libby Brooks 3 Feb 2019 at 1:21pm
Angus Robertson sets up Progress Scotland with party reeling from Salmond claimsA new polling organisation gathering data on Scotland?s evolving views on independence has been launched by the Scottish National party?s former Westminster leader Angus Robertson, as the party leader and first minist...
SNP passes last-minute budget with Green party backing by Libby Brooks Scotland correspondent 31 Jan 2019 at 7:08pm
SNP agrees to Green demands for local government funding boost and new council tax systemThe Scottish National party has secured the support of the Greens to pass its government?s budget just hours before the first key vote on the spending plans.The deal was reached on Thursday afternoon after da...
As it happened ? MPs vote for Brady's Brexit amendment to renegotiate backstop by Andrew Sparrow, Kevin Rawlinson and Martin Farrer 30 Jan 2019 at 2:57am
Commons also backs non-binding amendment to reject no-deal Brexit, as EU says withdrawal agreement is ?not open for renegotiation?This live blog is closed. Follow our new live blog hereFull results: how did each MP vote on the amendments? 2.57am GMT It?s been quite a day in Brexitland and it?s no...
Donald Trump's private visit cost Police Scotland £3.2m by Severin Carrell Scotland editor 27 Jan 2019 at 2:23pm
Exclusive: force spent millions covering Trump?s two-day visit to his own golf resort last yearPolice Scotland spent more than £3m covering the costs of Donald Trump?s private visit to Scotland last year, deploying more than 5,500 officers around the country.The US president spent two nights at h...
Extinction Rebellion activists occupy Scottish parliament by Severin Carrell Scotland editor 25 Jan 2019 at 4:37pm
Climate campaigners stage one-hour peaceful sit-in protest in debating chamberAround 40 climate activists have staged a peaceful occupation of the Scottish parliament?s debating chamber, urging MSPs to introduce much tougher climate targets.Campaigners with the recently formed direct action group...
Sturgeon accuses May of driving UK towards 'no-deal cliff-edge' by Heather Stewart and Libby Brooks 23 Jan 2019 at 7:37pm
First minister of Scotland says there isn?t ?much indication the PM is listening to concerns?Scotland?s first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, has accused the prime minister of driving the UK towards a ?no-deal cliff-edge? by failing to compromise on her Brexit red lines.Emerging from a meeting with Th...
A disease of British nationalism
Scottish social media is yet again working itself up into a lather over sectarianism at a fitba match. The Kilmarnock manager Steve Clarke was subjected to a torrent of sectarian abuse from a contingent of Rangers fans at a recent match. Yet again, a minority of Rangers fans have succeeded in confirming the image of …
Business as usual
Sorry for the intermittent blog posts over the past week, but pretty much on the spur of the moment I went to Connecticut to be with my husband for Valentine’s Day. I didn’t mention it on the blog because I wanted to surprise him. On the day I left I had published a piece in …
The not so magnificent seven
Well it finally happened. There have been rumours of impending splits for weeks, the only uncertainty was whether it was Labour or the Conservatives which would break first. Now we know, Labour broke itself. In the UK we don’t have a political system, we have an ego massage for no marks who lack even the …
A journey through ?Yr Hen Ogledd?, old loyalties and new horizons
A guest post by Aled Gwyn Jôb In just under a month?s time, thousands of Welsh rugby fans will be making the journey up north to Edinburgh to follow the national team. The ?Scottish Trip? has always been THE rugby trip for Welsh fans based on the great rapport and kinship that exists between them …
The alarm clock is ringing
The weekend was marked by the idiocies of Chris Grayling, the Transport Secretary who decided to commission a ferry service from a company which had less experience in ferries than a pizza delivery guy who occasionally goes to Rothesay on holiday. You might think that this represented peak stupid from the Tories, and that’s a …
BBC Question Time?s definition of balance
I wasn’t planning to write a blog piece today, because Friday is the day that the Dugcast is released, but the farce that is BBC Question Time cannot pass unremarked. The programme is, frankly, a disgrace. BBC management were aware that the programme was tired and past its glory days, and so we got a …
Wee Ginger Dugcast with Anne McLaughlin
In this edition of the Dugcast, Callum Baird, the Dug, and I are joined by Anne McLaughlin, the former MP for Glasgow North East. This week we chat about Brexit, Angus Robertson’s new initiative Progress Scotland, and of course that episode of BBC Question Time. Or as it’s called hereabouts, BBC Where Did You Find …
Mistaking incompetence for sincerity
Well if you were counting on the Labour party to save us all from a Tory Brexit, think again. Jeremy Corbyn has written to Theresa May to lay out his terms for supporting her deal. It’s clear that a second referendum on EU membership is the last thing that he wants. He has as much …
Defection of the seven dwarves proves Labour is finished in the UK
THE statement from Nottingham East Constituency Labour Party managed to convey a measure of respect and, at the same time, calm fury. It was released in response to the announcement the previous day that their local MP, Chris Leslie, had resigned from the Labour Party and had joined a breakaway group of centrists.
Home Office lose Scots soldier's paperwork for daughter in visa hell
A SCOTTISH MP has revealed that staff in Home Secretary Sajid Javid?s office could not find their own correspondence regarding a British Army soldier who had been refused a visa to bring his teenage daughter to live with him and his wife in the Highlands.
Sewel: no "constitutional safeguard", just a "self-denying ordinance..."
By any reckoning, Richard Keen QC is an uncommonly political lawyer. Former Dean of the Faculty of Advocates, and now the UK government's chief adviser on Scots law, Ruth Davidson appointed him chairman of the Scottish Tories in 2013. While in office, he reportedly summoned the party's MSPs to his "small castle", and subjected them all to a dres...
"A quintessential matter of political judgment for Westminster..."
Last Friday, the Lord Advocate published the Scottish Government's intervention in the ongoing Brexit litigation before the UK Supreme Court. James Wolffe QC weighed in behind the Divisional Court's judgment, arguing that the royal prerogative cannot lawfully be used to trigger Article 50. But Scotland's senior law officer also ranged beyond tha...
"Ane absolute power to Cass, Annull & Dissable -- Contrair to Law..."
Last night, the Lord Advocate James Wolffe QC published the Scottish Government's written intervention in the Article 50 litigation. The case is scheduled to be heard by all eleven of the UK Supreme Court's Justices between the 5th and 8th of December. It is, as you'd expect, a weighty legal document which you may not find instantly digestible....
Lord Carloway's right to silence
Earlier this year, the Scottish Parliament's Justice Committee launched an inquiry into "the role and purpose of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service," to focus on:"... its core role and examine the effectiveness and efficiency of the COPFS, how well it works with its stakeholders, and the support it provides to witnesses and victims o...
Escaping the Mire
Longstanding readers of this blog know what I think about the Offensive Behaviour at Football Act, and the events which led to its introduction. Alex Salmond seized on an Old Firm fracas in 2011, arguing that this so-called "shame game" required special legal measures.Elected with a majority in the Holyrood election of that year, there was no re...
Legally, can Holyrood "block" Brexit?
"100 days on from the referendum and with up to six months until the triggering of Article 50 it is time the government got serious and put our economic interests and membership of the single market at the front of their negotiating plans. With a clear majority in the Scottish Parliament for retaining membership of the single market - expressed ...
19th September, 2014
On the 19th of September 2014, I wrote a piece entitled ?under the low sky.? It is an evocative line ? stolen ? from a book I read years ago about the experience of living in the Netherlands, where the horizon presses down on you, without the thrown elbows of mountains to keep it at bay. But the phrase seemed apt to the slate-grey Glasgow aftern...
A Bill for Criminal Letters
"Criminal Letters" sounds like a pot-boiler crime novel, written by one of Agatha Christie's less talented impersonators. But in Scots law, this evocative phrase has a more precise meaning. The overwhelming majority of criminal cases in this country are pursued by the Procurator Fiscal, prosecuting individuals in the public interest, under the ...
As Labour and Tories splinter the old political order is broken beyond repair
As Labour and Tories splinter the old political order is broken beyond repair Scottish Review, February 20th 2019 Gerry Hassan The Labour Party have finally split after months of rumours ? with so far eight Labour MPs resigning from the party and three senior Tories joining them ? and numerous stories of many more considering …
Time to close the last closed shop: Britain?s and Scotland?s private schools
Time to close the last closed shop: Britain and Scotland?s private schools Gerry Hassan Scottish Review, 13 February 2019 Britain?s elites have never been more self-serving, self-sustaining and only interested in looking after themselves ? aided by private education. All of a sudden the subject of private schools is back on the public agenda, aided …
The next Battle of Britain is going to be about England?s future
The next Battle of Britain is going to about England?s future Gerry Hassan Scottish Review, February 6th 2019 Brexit certainly seems increasingly to be about England ? or a certain version of England and a rather specific version of the past. Take last week for example. The previous Tuesday was another landmark day for Brexit. …
Hugh McIlvanney: A Moral Compass and the Power of Words
Hugh McIlvanney: A Moral Compass and the Power of Words Gerry Hassan Scottish Review, January 30th 2019 The tributes paid to Hugh McIlvanney spoke volumes for the influence of the man, his writing and for his humanity. They were laced with recollections and memorable stories of late nights, pressurised deadlines, and long conversations – often …
Independence is about more than an indyref. It is about changing minds and Sc...
Independence is about more than an indyref. It is about changing minds and Scotland Gerry Hassan Bella Caledonia, January 25th 2019 Independence has to be about more than tactics and processes ? which has dominated too many conversations since 2014. Independence is about more than an indyref – and in particular, timing, the question asked …
We Scots have to start listening to each other
We Scots have to start listening to each other Gerry Hassan Scottish Review, January 23rd 2019 Brexit seems to have no end, consuming nearly all political energy and devouring those who come into contact with it. Or so it seems for now. The Economist recently made the point in its ?Bagehot? column that one of …
Britain, Brexit and Why Winston Churchill is Alive and Kicking in this Mess
Britain, Brexit and Why Winston Churchill is Alive and Kicking in this Mess Gerry Hassan Le Monde, January 21st 2019 Britain is not a happy place. But then neither is much of the Western world. Instead, it is angry. A country where many people feel let down, not respected or listened to by politicians, institutions …
Salmond, Sturgeon and the End of an Era for the SNP
Salmond, Sturgeon and the End of an Era for the SNP Gerry Hassan Scottish Review, January 16th 2019 Britain stands at an abyss. Three years of endless Brexit deliberations have resulted in the UK facing crisis, doubt and anxiety about what the future holds. Politics has become a high wire act of competing intransigencies and …
Second independence vote 'blocked by mess of Brexit' - The Times
Second independence vote 'blocked by mess of Brexit' The TimesUncertainty over the shape of Brexit makes it ?very difficult? to start a renewed campaign for Scottish independence, one of the SNP's most prominent MPs has ...
Nicola Sturgeon adviser Andrew Wilson urges ?soft? Scottish independence - Th...
Nicola Sturgeon adviser Andrew Wilson urges ?soft? Scottish independence The CourierA key adviser to Nicola Sturgeon has urged the ?softest possible? form of Scottish independence in order to win over voters. Andrew Wilson, author of the SNP's ...
?You NEVER listen!? - Question Time audience member SAVAGES SNP over quitting...
?You NEVER listen!? - Question Time audience member SAVAGES SNP over quitting UK ExpressTHE SNP's attempts to break up the UK were savaged on BBC Question Time last night by an audience member who claimed the party ?never listened? and ...
UK and Scottish governments endured ?tense? relationship during Scottish inde...
UK and Scottish governments endured ?tense? relationship during Scottish independence referendum Irish ExaminerRelations between senior members of the Scottish and UK Government ?could not have been more tense? at times during the 2014 independence referendum, ...
It's crunch time for the SNP: We need indyref2 - The National
It's crunch time for the SNP: We need indyref2 The NationalWE are governed by a legislature in Westminster which holds that it is infinitely worse to say that a flat-out liar is a liar than it is to tell big fat lies in the first place.
BBC Scotland chiefs slammed by SNP after director Donalda MacKinnon vowed to ...
BBC Scotland chiefs slammed by SNP after director Donalda MacKinnon vowed to look pro-indy critics ?in the e The Scottish SunBBC Scotland director Donalda MacKinnon reacted to bias claims saying she would show the Corporation has no agenda against Scottish independence.
SNP passes last-minute budget with Green party backing - The Guardian
SNP passes last-minute budget with Green party backing The GuardianThe Scottish National party has secured the support of the Greens to pass its government's budget just hours before the first key vote on the spending plans.
Talking Europe - A delay to Brexit is 'almost inevitable', Scotland's Nicola ...
Talking Europe - A delay to Brexit is 'almost inevitable', Scotland's Nicola Sturgeon tells FRANCE 24 FRANCE 24In an interview with FRANCE 24, Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon weighed in on the current Brexit impasse, saying she believes it's "almost inevitable" ...
Second independence vote 'blocked by mess of Brexit' - The Times
Second independence vote 'blocked by mess of Brexit' The TimesUncertainty over the shape of Brexit makes it ?very difficult? to start a renewed campaign for Scottish independence, one of the SNP's most prominent MPs has ...
UK and Scottish governments endured ?tense? relationship during Scottish inde...
UK and Scottish governments endured ?tense? relationship during Scottish independence referendum Irish ExaminerRelations between senior members of the Scottish and UK Government ?could not have been more tense? at times during the 2014 independence referendum, ...
Scotland Brexit: David Mundell 'will not quit Conservative Party' - BBC News
Scotland Brexit: David Mundell 'will not quit Conservative Party' BBC NewsThe Scottish secretary has said he is determined to stop a no-deal Brexit, but has no intention of leaving the Conservative Party. Speaking at an event in ...
Nicola Sturgeon's SNP on the BRINK: Party in bitter fight over new independen...
Nicola Sturgeon's SNP on the BRINK: Party in bitter fight over new independence referendum Express.co.ukNICOLA Sturgeon's SNP remains caught in a bitter internal debate over when to call a second Scotland independence referendum, with the First Minister set to ...
Brexit slowly becoming a Farce.
Let's face it, this Tory Govt has no intent on pulling out of EU. It will go on and on and on until lie of land changes!
The Bethnal Green Schoolgirls
Surprised there isn't already a thread on this, unless I'm missing something.
Should these girls who went out to Syria in support of Isis be allowed to return to the UK?
I bet this will be the first question on Question Time tonight.
When will indyref2 happen?
Not when you would like it to happen, but when do you believe indyref2 will happen?
General Politics Thread
Firstly, what happened to capybara's thread? I've went back about four pages and can't find it. Am i going blind/dottled?
Anyway, until it is found.
I know it's purely an English/Welsh issue, but the junior doctors' dispute is not improving. Looks like the government is going to try to impose ...
Question Time
A bit feisty this evening to say the least.
INDEPENDENT GROUP
the seven have been joined by an 8th..... and now three Tories
https://news.sky.com/story/live-speculation-more-mps-will-quit-to-join-independent-group-11642586
Heidi Allen, Anna Soubry and Sarah Wollaston have left the Conservative Party for the Independent Group
They ain't quitting ...
What is the point of Labour
Much as I hate the tory party (and christ do I do) you have to give them credit for a couple of things.
1. They have stupid unionists voting for them despite the fact Scotland is going to shit.
2. They think brexit is a good thing for the UK and bring stupid unionists to think the same an...
Tartan
Army Message Board (often features political threads)
Question Time Tonight
From Kelso The panel includes Labour's shadow attorney general Emily Thornberry MP, the Scottish government's finance secretary John Swinney MSP, Conservative chairman of the defence select committee Rory Stewart MP, Scotsman columnist Lesley Riddoch and editor-at-large of the Independent on Sund...
Jeremy Corbyn - fecked?
Sacked Hillary Benn through the night due to him plotting a coup.
Sounds like half his shadow cabinet is going to resign now.
Book Publishing
I have recently completed a book and the script is currently with Luath press awaiting their verdict. I don't have any unrealistic expectations given I know how difficult it is getting these things into print. I spoke with Ted Christopher on the subject fairly recently and he was pretty scathing ...
Unpopular Opinions
I can?t find the other thread so I?ll start a new one. What opinions do you hold that produce shock around the dinner table and in the boozer.
I?ll kick things off
? Pigs in Blankets; They are an adequate inclusion in the standard Christmas dinner but the way everyone goes on and on and o...
Films not what you expected/remembered
Sometimes you see a film you knew about for years but never went to see it and when you finally see it, it's different from what you thought.
Or, you see a film you saw years ago but when you revisit it, it isn't what you remembered, or you take something different from it.
(Steering cle...
Indy Ref 2
Since no-one's started the thread...
A lot of former No voters including some pretty prominant activists, politicians and commentators either coming out for Yes or softening their position - even Chris Deerin saying today that he's not saying that he would vote Yes but that he couldn't say th...
Britain/Ireland Dialect test
Answer questions about how you say things, and it can guess where you're from!
Covers dialects all over Britain and Ireland
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/02/15/upshot/british-irish-dialect-quiz.html
It works great (or, pure dead brilliant, depending where you're from!)
IPTV
Can't get away with how good it is and how for all their money, Sky, BT et al can't keep the streams off.
Had it for a good while now, absolutely love it. Anyone else have it?
A Time of Despair For Scots ? Blessed With A Neutered Authority in Scotland a...
The 2014 Smith Commission Lord Smith of Kelvin engaged with thousands of stakeholders across Scotland during the work of the Smith Commission. The outcome prompted him to make a personal recommendation in the Smith Commission Agreement. He said: “There is a strong desire to see the principle of devolution further … Continue reading "A Time of Despair For Scots – Blessed With A Neutere...
Thatcher Hatchet Man Michael Forsyth Still the Darling Of the BBC ? He?s On Q...
Michael Forsyth – The Man With Red White and Blue Blood In a statement, confirming his commitment to the Union, not long after the 2014 Independence Referendum, Forsyth challenged the way in which David Cameron played the English card the day after the Scottish independence … Continue reading "Thatcher Hatchet Man Michael Forsyth Still the Darling Of the BBC – He’s On Quest...
The SNP ? The Dream Will Never Die ? The Architects of Success Live On
Alex Salmond – Is This His Political Obituary Seen as one of the most talented politicians of his generation, Alex already had a high-profile in Scottish politics before he won two historic Holyrood elections as SNP leader, securing the mandate to hold a referendum on Scottish independence in the process. Born … Continue reading "The SNP – The Dream Will Never Die – The Architects of Su...
Have We Seen The Last Of Ruth Davidson in Scottish Politics Or Will The Tory ...
31 Aug 2018: Has Scotland Seen the Back of Ruth Davidson? Ruth Davidson could quit Scottish politics after she has had her baby and become a Cabinet minister in London as a launch pad for a bid to be Tory leader. She reportedly told friends that she could take up … Continue reading "Have We Seen The Last Of Ruth Davidson in Scottish Politics Or Will The Tory Beast At Westminster Rejec...
Reckless Homosexual Behaviour Saw an End to the Tory Party in Scotland ? Ross...
Tory MP Ross Thomson spoken to by police amid ‘sexual touching’ claims in Commons bar It is alleged that: Thomson repeatedly sexually assaulted three young men having been three times escorted out of the Commons Bar. He returned repeatedly to feel their bottoms and fondle their genitalia and tried to enter their … Continue reading "Reckless Homosexual Behaviour Saw an End to the Tory Pa...
Removing the Bias From Scottish Broadcasting ? This is the Solution Pass it O...
Introduction Scotland’s Gaelic TV channel BBC Alba, attracts many more Scottish viewers than there are Gaelic speakers and the potential for growth is well recognized in the trade. Independent programme makers in Scotland produce quality television for the station but in insufficient quantity to fully support the channel. The … Continue reading "Removing the Bias From Scottish Broad...
Arch Plotter David Mundell ? More Damaging to Scottish Aspirations for Self G...
The impact of the 2007 Holyrood election of the SNP to government The Holyrood election of 2007 elected an SNP minority government, turning on its head the weird and wonderful electoral system designed by the Unionist party’s with blocking mechanisms to ensure there would never be an SNP government. To say … Continue reading "Arch Plotter David Mundell – More Damaging to Scottish Aspira...
Westminster Governance of Scotland Policies ? Post Brexit ? Rule Britannia
Post Brexit the Tory Party Will Continue to Govern Scotland With Mutual Respect David Mundell, (affectionately known as “Fluffy”) will remain in office as Scottish Secretary. He is an accredited mediator in “Alternative Dispute Resolution”, which has proved to be a useful tool in his successful time in office. The “Barnett … Continue reading "Westminster Governance of Scotland Policies ...
All 2018 Time Lapse Marches for Scottish Independence.
#AUOB, Edinburgh, 6 Oct 2018. Time lapse. #ForwardAsOne, Dunfermline, 1 Sep 2018. Time lapse. #AUOB, Dundee, 18 Aug 2018. Time lapse. #AUOB, Inverness, 28th July 2018. Time lapse. #AUOB, Bannockburn, 23 June 2018. Time lapse. #AUOB, Dumfries, 2 June 2018 Time lapse. #AUOB, Glasgow, 4 May 2018. Time lapse. #AUOBGlasgow
John Jappy video interviews for download
The wonderful John Jappy passed away in Feburary this year. In 2014 we colaborated with Clan Destiny Films to produce 3 exceptional & powerful short videos with John. Please DOWNLOAD the videos and show those who maybe not connected to internet or are on the fence with Scottish independence. To download just Google: “download youtube…
Politicising our heritage ? the fiasco of Holyrood Park?
The following article is by Catherine Gillies and is republished below with her permission. I find myself musing endlessly on the current furore over Historic Environment Scotland?s decision not to allow stalls and speeches after the forthcoming All Under One Banner march in Holyrood Park on the grounds that they, as an organisation, are…
Support Alex Salmond #forFairness
www.crowdfunder.co.uk/AlexSalmond I have been a member of the Scottish National Party for 45 years, 20 of them as party leader and seven as First Minister of Scotland. I hope I have done the party and the broader cause of independence some service. Apart from a political spat back in the 1980s, that has been a…
Press conference video & statements: President Quim Torra, Clara Ponsati and ...
Video from press conference at the Principal Hotel, Edinburgh. PRESS STATEMENT1 STATEMENT ISSUED AT PRESS CONFERENCE BY AAMER ANWAR ON BEHALF OF CLARA PONSATI FOLLOWED BY THE STATEMENT ISSUED BY PRESIDENT QUIM TORRA- 11TH JULY 2018 11AM-12PM Good Morning I would like to start by welcoming President of Catalonia Quim Torra and his delegation to…
Westminster forced to admit the Scottish people are Sovereign
What happened? The SNP have played an ace card when using their allocated Opposition Day debate. Standing order number 36 was agreed and resolved without contention late last night in the House of Commons. This was a motion proposed for debate by Ian Blackford the SNP MP for Ross, Skye and Lochaber and leader of…
Today was the day we said enough
There was an inevitability about what happened in that sham of a democracy they call Westminster. Scotland?s perspective being completely shut out on something as fundamentally important as the EU withdrawal bill is wholly unacceptable as is the power grab of devolved issues that rightfully belong with the Scottish Parliament. How long could democratically elected…
FFS Let?s have a referendum!
The Scottish Parliament is under attack and its power being undermined. Brick by brick the foundations of the little devolved power we have is being eroded and undermined by the very people who promised we would lead the UK if we remained part of it. As a nation we do not have to accept this.…
