Singing for Scotland at Hampden, Murrayfield and Beyond
Singing for Scotland at Hampden, Murrayfield and Beyond Gerry Hassan Scottish Review, 9 February 2022 The songs that we sing individually and collectively in our hearts, homes and at public occasions tell us something - about who we are, our relationships with each other, and the society and nation we live in. There are numerous different layers to this. There are the songs we sing and hum along to on the radio or on streaming devices; the golden oldies that remind us of favourite or not so favourite past moments; and then there are the collective songs we sing together
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Time for a Genuine Tartan Tory Party!
Time for a Genuine Tartan Tory Party! Gerry Hassan Scottish Review, 19 January 2022 The Scottish Tories have had a shoogly past week. Douglas Ross, Scottish Tory leader, dared to put his head above the parapet and say the unthinkable - that Boris Johnson was long past his sell-by-date and should for once do the decent thing and resign. He was subsequently followed by the entire group of Tory MSPs at Holyrood; while former Scots Tory leader Ruth Davidson was even more indignant and incandescent with fury. This was met by Jacob Rees-Mogg calling Douglas Ross ‘a lightweight’ and even
Glasgow 2040: The City and the Stories of the Future
GLASGOW 2040: THE CITY AND THE STORIES OF THE FUTURE PROJECT OUTLINE Introduction Glasgow is a city rich in stories, metaphors and mythology. These affect the way the city is presented, represented and understood in public discourse, media and wider culture. They also impact on those who live in the city – and on the possibilities of change, and how the future is created and evolves. As the wider project makes clear the representation of Glasgow is characterised by extremes and binaries: ‘the official future’ of a bright, shiny, optimistic place open for business, tourism and consumption – the
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The debate on a new pro-indy party: What kind of democracy and politics do we want Scotland to be known by?
The debate on a new pro-indy party: What kind of democracy and politics do we want Scotland to be known by? Gerry Hassan Sunday National, July 19th 2020 You wait years for a new independence party and suddenly you can’t move for them. There is the Alliance for Independence (AFI) supported by former SNP MSP Dave Thompson; the Independence for Scotland Party (ISP), and the fledgling Wings over Scotland-Alex Salmond party, which may or may not happen. To some this is about winning significant list representation which isn’t SNP or Green, for others about ‘gaming’ the system to help the
Isn’t it time we got serious about democracy?
Isn’t it time we got serious about democracy? Gerry Hassan Scottish Review, December 12th 2019 Democracy is not in good health in the UK or across most of the developed world. The UK election has not been, putting it mildly, an edifying spectacle or healthy clash of ideas and interests. Instead, it has signalled something deeply wrong in the democratic process – something that the political classes do not seem to understand needs to fundamentally change. This election has not felt owned by people. Rather it has felt like something done to voters by others. This malaise is evident
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Scottish Labour after Dugdale and what comes next?
Scottish Labour after Dugdale and what comes next? Gerry Hassan Scottish Review, August 30th 2017 Scottish Labour used to offer certainty. It had its differences and divisions, but it was in the business of running Scotland, dominating local government and town halls, and was concerned with administration, holding office and doing practical things. That seems a long time ago. Where did it all go wrong for Scottish Labour? The resignation of Kezia Dugdale means the party has gone through a staggering eight leaders in eighteen years, and will by the end of this year have a ninth. Scottish Labour’s neverending
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Living the High Life and Post-War Dream in Dundee
Living the High Life and Post-War Dream in Dundee Gerry Hassan Scottish Review, June 28th 2017 In the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower tragedy tower blocks and social housing are everywhere in the news. Much of it has been ill-informed, instant commentary. People asserting that tower blocks aren’t suited to modern living or making sweeping statements about the failings of council and social housing, A large part of this seemed to be a displacement or discomfort of middle class opinion having to talk about a forgotten and neglected section of the country, and confront the living conditions of large numbers
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The Named Persons legislation and who stands up for liberty in Scotland?
The Named Persons legislation and who stands up for liberty in Scotland? Gerry Hassan Sunday Mail, July 31st 2016 The summer of 2016 is proving dramatic and historic. Brexit, David Cameron resignation as PM, Theresa May becoming the new PM, Jeremy Corbyn’s travails. That’s just Britain. Across the world there is Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, violent and terrorist attacks in Germany and France, Putin flexing his muscles, while a belligerent China shows its power in the South China Sea. Meanwhile, the Scottish Government has been playing an astute game on Brexit. This week Nicola Sturgeon spoke in a way no
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Confiscating the nationalist halo: Review of Independence of the Scottish Mind
Gerry Hassan, Independence of the Scottish Mind: Elite Narratives, Public Spaces and the Making of a Modern Nation, Palgrave Macmillan ISBN 978-1-137-41413-7 Reviewed by Scott Hames Soundings: A Journal of Politics and Culture, Summer 2016 The feverish upheaval of Scottish politics has gradually become its own kind of normal. On 5 May the voters practically yawned as they seized their second chance in twelve months to slaughter the Scottish Labour party. (The body-count is considerable, but it was an apathetic smothering compared to the gore of 2015.) As the SNP’s post-referendum insurgency beds down into cautious hegemony, boredom and
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The Labour Party: that pillar of the British constitution doesnt have a right to exist
The Labour Party: that pillar of the British constitution doesn’t have a right to exist Gerry Hassan Sunday Mail, July 25th 2016 Politics requires a credible opposition that holds government to account. One that offers the prospect of an alternative government – but now, and for the foreseeable future, Scotland and the UK is without one. This is due to the state of Labour. The last year has been one of the most disastrous in the party’s history. A second election defeat, Scotland lost - and then Brexit. And after last year’s defeat the party curled up even more in
