The Next Scottish Constitutional Revolution: Why Calman Isn’t the Answer Gerry Hassan Open Democracy, May 25th 2010 The Queen’s Speech today is a remarkable moment in British politics: the first British coalition government in 65 years, the spectacle of the Cameron-Clegg double act, and the possible emergence of new political force, ‘liberal conservatism’. It is also a significant time in Scottish politics, with the announcement of a new Scotland Act, drawing from the ideas of the Calman Commission, but considering delaying or even ditching the most important part: the tax powers. Calman proposes that Scottish income tax rates would be

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The Next Radicalism: Comments on After the Politics of Left and Right Gerry Hassan Open Democracy, May 24th 2010 This is my response to comments and discussion on my recent essay, After the Politics of Left and Right: The End of ‘Modernisation’ and ‘Progressive Politics’. This is a perplexing, fascinating time both in terms of the big issues and values, and the immediacy of day to day politics. This sees the hesitant start of the ‘new politics’ of the Con-Lib Dem administration embracing a very unBritish politics, the final burial of ‘New Labour’ and the crisis of the neo-liberal project

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Scotland, the Return of ‘the Tories’ and the Politics of ‘No Mandate’ Gerry Hassan The Guardian Comment, May 19th 2010 The British political landscape has been dramatically altered by the arrival of the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition. All around Westminster, politicians, media and observers, are continuing to pinch themselves to check that what they are seeing in front of their eyes is actually happening and not some strange dream or illusion. One part of the UK stands apart from this: Scotland. The prevalent tones of Scottish political debate – marked by David Cameron’s visit north to the Scottish Parliament last Friday

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After the Politics of Left and Right: The End of ‘Modernisation’ and ‘Progressive Politics’ Gerry Hassan Open Democracy, May 18th 2010 This is an extended, more ambitious essay - based on Monday's article in The Scotsman - which I am posting as it has had such a positive response on Open Democracy. Life changes you. Time passes and you slowly realise that you have changed. You become mellower and more reflective. You recognise the validity of opponent’s points even when you disagree with them. This happens to some of us. Others remain stuck - repeating themselves, showing the same degree

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Breaking Out of The Politics of Tribalism Gerry Hassan The Scotsman, May 17th 2010 Life changes you. Time passes and you slowly realise that you have changed. You become mellower and more reflective. You recognise the validity of opponent’s points even when you disagree with them. This happens to some of us. Others remain stuck - repeating themselves, showing the same degree of intolerance, making strident points and never listening to others. A moment, or set of moments, recently took place when I realised I was beginning to change. These occurred over the course of the election and its aftermath,

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The Perilous Politics of ‘No Mandate’ and Genuine Scottish Self-Determination Gerry Hassan Open Democracy, May 12th 2010 British politics have just entered absolutely uncharted territory – with the establishment of ‘the Liberal Democrat-Conservative administration’ as David Cameron calls it. This is the first British coalition government – along with the first time the Liberals have been in office – since Churchill’s wartime administration – the anniversary of which was funnily enough on Monday (May 10^th 1940). Yet, Scottish politics seem to be settling into a pattern and set of positions which feels strangely familiar. The Labour and SNP can hardly

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Scottish Politics: The Same But Very Different! Gerry Hassan The Guardian Comment, May 9th 2010 The state of Scottish politics now stands at a great moment of uncertainty and confusion. The Scottish election results themselves throw up numerous questions and dilemmas for all the parties, which they are just beginning to digest, and now have to frame in the context of the post-election negotiations between the UK main parties. Scottish Labour had a triumphant holding of the line. Scotland was the only nation or region of the UK to witness an increase in the Labour vote (2.5%), and a swing

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The ‘Four Nations’ Politics of the Disunited Kingdom Gerry Hassan Open Democracy, May 9th 2010 A vast amount of energy has already been expended on the 2010 UK General Election, but one vital, complex and revealing aspect of it has remained resolutely ignored until now. This is the ‘four nations’ politics of this election – with very different election results in Scotland, Wales, England and Northern Ireland. This is not an arcane political anorak point, for it carries consequences for the character of United Kingdom politics, and indeed, whether there is such an entity anymore, and for the individual contests

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Back to the Future: Is it Time for a 1980s Revival or Not? Gerry Hassan The Scotsman, May 8th 2010 The Scottish election results throw up numerous challenges for all the parties and their prospects in next year’s Scottish Parliament elections. Scotland has on one reading confirmed its difference. We are a different political place. Labour held its own, while falling back everywhere else. The Tories have got nowhere, while Lib Dem and SNP hopes have been unfulfilled. Just as the Westminster elections were about the mantle of ‘change’, with the prospect of a minority Tory Government, the battle in

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Election Night Excitement and Quiz Gerry Hassan May 6th 2010 I am preparing for election night, and will be doing a live commentary in my local restaurant, Cookies, on Nithsdale Road, Glasgow, before going in to do a morning session for BBC Radio Scotland. It looks like it could be an exciting and slightly anxious night. A close run election in seats. The prospect of the first election of a Tory Government ejecting Labour from office since 1979. The Tories have a mountain to climb – and if we go from a Labour overall majority to a Tory overall majority

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