After Nick Griffin and Question Time Gerry Hassan October 23rd 2009 The evening after the day after. It still feels that something has shifted. That we have passed through some as yet unidentifiable watershed. One which affects our politics, the media, the nature of their relationship, and how our political system lives, breathes and operates. Like a large part of the British population I tuned into BBC One’s ‘Question Time’, but unlike most I watch it most Thursdays. I listened to the post-programme discussions, read the papers, and scanned the blogs. It felt like this was part of a

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The Referendum Question, ‘the Scottish Dimension’ and the Future of Britain Gerry Hassan The Scotsman, October 22nd 2009 Talk of independence referendums are in the air; the question, the number of questions, who calls it and most recently the number of referendums. In the last few days, Jo Eric Murkens, a former Researcher at the academic Constitution Unit has revisited the argument of their book, ‘Scottish Independence’ of a few years ago which made the case that Scotland needed to have not just one, but two votes on independence. This argument states that the first vote would be ‘in principle’

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The Next Wave of Scottish Nationalism and the Campaign for Self-Government Gerry Hassan Open Democracy, October 19^th 2009 Scottish politics seem to be at a key moment, attracting interest from across the UK and internationally, even winning the accolade of an editorial from the famously Londoncentric ‘Guardian’ and columns from Jackie Ashley and Martin Kettle. The SNP, according to ‘The Guardian’, is a party which is ‘a far cry from the era of Winnie Ewing and Margo MacDonald’ and ‘today’s SNP is now a professional political party of a recognisably modern kind’ (1). If the party’s metamorphosis has

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The Rise of the Scottish Nationalists, the Scottish Dimension and What Happens to England and the UK: A Symposium Gerry Hassan Open Democracy, October 15^th 2009 In a series of newly commissioned essays to mark the opening of the SNP’s Annual Conference in Inverness, the party’s 75^th anniversary and the publication of the first ever study of the contemporary party, ‘The Modern SNP: From Protest to Power’ this week, Our Kingdom brings together four commentators on the changing nature of the politics of Scotland and the UK (1). In an introductory essay, Gerry Hassan, editor of ‘The Modern

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The Changing Faces of the Scottish Nationalists Gerry Hassan The Scotsman, October 14^th 2009 The SNP Annual Conference opens in Inverness on Thursday with the party in good mood: two and a half years into the first SNP administration, seen by most as competent and successful. The party has a sense of purpose. Alex Salmond is a popular First Minister, leading a talented ministerial team - Nicola Sturgeon, John Swinney, Fiona Hyslop, Kenny MacAskill, Mike Russell and others. Underneath this sense of success and progress what has the SNP achieved, what has it not achieved, and what future challenges await

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Why it is a Real Time for Change! Gerry Hassan The Scotsman, October 10th 2009 The three UK party conferences have now passed and the parties laid out their stalls. The countdown to the election has begun with only seven months to the start of the formal campaign next spring. Cameron, Brown and Clegg all stressed their character, vision and engaged in the sort of political cross-dressing that has become the fashion following on from Tony Blair. What was more revealing than what they said was what they didn’t say. We know Gordon Brown can’t say ‘sorry’, but Tony Blair

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This Charming Man Named Dave Gerry Hassan October 9th 2009 Do you like Phil Collins? I've been a big Genesis fan ever since the release of their 1980 album, Duke. Before that, I really didn't understand any of their work. Too artsy, too intellectual. It was on Duke where Phil Collins' presence became more apparent. I think "Invisible Touch" was the group's undisputed masterpiece. It's an epic meditation on intangibility. At the same time, it deepens and enriches the meaning of the preceding three albums. Christy, take off your robe. Listen to the brilliant ensemble playing of Banks, Collins

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The Making of the Modern SNP: What is it and where is it going? Gerry Hassan Sunday Times, October 4th 2009 The SNP celebrates its 75^th anniversary this year in good heart and mind. The party now finds itself two and a half successful years into office, having won the 2007 Scottish Parliament elections. It has been setting the political landscape of Scotland since, wrong-footing opponents and preparing to make progress towards holding an independence referendum. The forthcoming week sees the publication of the first ever study of the contemporary SNP, ‘The Modern SNP: From Protest to Power’, addressing who

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A Tale of Two Cities and Cultures in Glasgow Gerry Hassan October 3rd 2009 Two music gatherings in Glasgow this week: the MOBO Awards (1) celebrating black music and the opening of the Mental Health Arts and Film Festival (2) on consecutive nights in the SECC and Fruitmarket respectively. Two very different takes of the city, audiences and cultures. The MOBO Awards had the feel of glitz, bling and ostentatiousness, Hollywood meets Dubai, while carrying the imprint of the mainstream, the bland and the official. Promo films about Glasgow run before the event; the usual images of the city: the

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Rockin’ All Over the World: The Anvil Story Gerry Hassan October 3rd 2009 Being in a rock band or being enthralled to the power of rock is a certain vocation. And a heavy metal band or follower is even more a kind of calling. Step forward the heavy metal band Anvil, subjects of the film, Anvil: The Story of Anvil which I just watched this week. Anvil are originally from Toronto, Canada, and nearly broke through in the early 1980s, only to slip away into obscurity. This film was shot by a roadie, and has obvious Spinal Tapesque overtones. Continue Reading Rockin’ All Over the World: The Anvil Story