Imagine a Scotland where we won the FIFA World Cup ... And when we did Gerry Hassan Scottish Review, 24 November 2021 Imagine a world where the Scotland men’s national team were not only occasionally very decent and even sometimes very good at football, but actually contested and succeeded at the top of the international game - and had the ability to win the FIFA World Cup. Think about it for a second. Not the practicalities or whether or how it could be attained. Or the fact that it involves an element of fantasy. But rather what effect such an

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Seven years of Nicola Sturgeon and resolving the tensions between party and movement Gerry Hassan The National, 23 November 2021 Nicola Sturgeon has been First Minister and SNP leader for seven years. This formidable achievement is part of a bigger picture of the SNP’s emergence as the dominant party, the rise of independence, and the relationship of the Nationalists to the wider independence movement. This is an appropriate time for reflection and assessment not just of her leadership but of the wider context in which it sits. Specifically of the SNP as a party and its record in office, and

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Falling in love with the Scotland football team again Gerry Hassan Scottish Review, 17 November 2021 Scotland are on the rise again. At least in terms of the men’s national football team who are on a roll. They have qualified for the World Cup play-offs next year after winning six World Cup qualifiers in a row: something no Scotland team has ever done. And they have done this by convincingly beating Denmark, one of the best teams in Europe, in a 2-0 victory at Hampden. A new spirit, sense of belief, camaraderie - and intelligent, skillful team football now infuses

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The Tory Party has long had a contempt for the people. Until Boris Johnson they used to be better at hiding it Gerry Hassan The National, 16 November 2021 The whiff of Tory sleaze, decay and arrogance is all around; Boris Johnson is clearly revealed as the chancer politician that everyone knew he was. But while the air is full of scandal much is passed off as caused by Johnson alone or by a few badly-behaved Tories, the problem is much deeper. British Toryism has always had a contempt for the people. Until Johnson they were rather good at hiding

Continue Reading The Tory Party has long has a contempt for the people. Until Boris Johnson they used to be better at hiding it