How do we hold power to account in Scotland? Gerry Hassan Scottish Review, July 7th 2021 Scotland has a rich tradition of celebrating its difference and distinctiveness, seeing in its autonomy a kind of semi-independence that is exhibited in civil society, the public sphere and public life. Scotland’s public sphere is one of the main ways we communicate, define ourselves, relate to others in public, and hold power and institutions to account - hence contributing to the democratic and political process. This contributes to an ‘independence of the Scottish mind’ – a distinctive outlook which has evolved and separated from

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Where and who are Scotland’s radicals today? Gerry Hassan Scottish Review, June 30th 2021 Summer has arrived in Scotland and what passes for holidays in a pandemic  – schools formally off, the Scottish Parliament in recess, lots of staycationing, and maybe even Nicola Sturgeon feeling she is entitled to at least a short holiday. UK politics never seems short of crisis, incident and scandal. Boris Johnson’s haphazard but so far popular Premiership is proving ill-disposed to running a country facing the twin hits of Brexit and COVID-19. Beneath the noise, charge and counter-charge Scottish and UK politics and politicians are

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We are living in an age of multiple revolutions Gerry Hassan Scottish Review, June 22nd 2021 This Wednesday is five years exactly since the UK overall – led by England and Wales – voted for Brexit. The matter is still alive and present in so many ways – in the Northern Ireland protocol, in Scotland, in the UK argumentative relationship with the EU, and in the dividing lines which shape British politics. Here are eleven takes about the state of British politics and its future. ONE: Brexit is not just about leaving the EU. It is not just a

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Scotland no longer defines itself and the world through England Gerry Hassan Bella Caledonia, June 18th 2021 The Scotland v England fixture returns - Wembley, the Tartan Army, English commentators talking nearly exclusively about England, with Gazza’s 1996 goal now replacing the once constant references to 1966. It is almost as if nothing has ever changed. Almost. This is the original and oldest international fixture in the world dating back to 1872 - the foundational rivalry of international football, and one with great history, drama, controversies and memories. It is a vital part of the story of Scottish and English,

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Freedom is everywhere but why don’t we feel really free? Gerry Hassan Scottish Review, June 16th 2021 Freedom is everywhere it seems. The term is bandied about across our airwaves and public discussions, politics and the many controversies which define modern societies. Boris Johnson earlier defined the lifting of COVID restrictions in England on 21^st June as ‘Freedom Day’ – phraseology which touched on issues of freedom and liberty at the core of COVID debates, the effectiveness of lockdowns and balance between public health and economic concerns. Even more than that, the clarion call of freedom can be seen in

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Despite the lessons of history the British establishment are talking about partition Gerry Hassan The National, June 15th 2021 Partition has been much referenced of late concerning the state of the UK. We have seen hyper-anti-independence supporters like George Galloway float the “partitioning” of Scotland in the event of independence. And we have seen numerous Tory MPs get hot under the collar when talking about the Northern Ireland protocol, declaring that this amounts to the dismemberment and “partitioning” of the UK. Something is clearly in the air and beyond lone political voices key figures in the British political establishment

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Scotland will not be Scotland: The Consequences of Independence Republished June 13th 2021   A confidential and highly sensitive document by HM Treasury - marked restricted to only David Cameron, George Osborne, prominent Lib Dem ministers, and senior advisers - has made its way into the public domain. It reveals what the UK Government regards as some of the consequences of Scottish independence, outlining the ultimate ‘hardball’ positions of the UK Government. We believe it is important enough to publish it in full here without any comment or edit.   SCOTLAND WILL NOT BE SCOTLAND: THE CONSEQUENCES OF INDEPENDENCE:

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Scotland is back on the international stage Gerry Hassan Scottish Review, June 9th 2021 The Scottish men’s national football team are back in the finals of a major international tournament – Euro 2021 (but called Euro 2020 after the delay through COVID). This is after 23 years away, having endured ‘ten in a row’ of failed qualifications, and last appearing at any finals in the 1998 World Cup in France. The women’s team, who have attracted much attention and praise in recent years, qualified and made quite an impact in the 2019 World Cup in France. A whole generation have

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Glasgow as Tinderbox City Gerry Hassan Sunday National, June 6th 2021 Glasgow has had another spate of fires. This week tragedy hit McCulloch Street, Pollokshields with one person found dead and fifteen families evacuated as a result of a fire in a tenement building; only one month ago The Old College Bar in the city centre – known as the oldest pub in Glasgow – was reduced to a shell by a fire that ripped through an area of long-established shops and other businesses. The latest Pollokshields fire was the most recent of three within a few hundred yards of

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Glasgow’s future after COVID Gerry Hassan Scottish Review, June 2nd 2021 Glasgow it was announced this week would finally come out of Level 3 restrictions. By Friday Scotland’s biggest city will have endured 277 days of severe limitations on our freedoms that have come at an increasingly cost to the people and fabric of the city – the only place in the UK where people could not meet their friends in their homes, hug friends and relatives, or travel out of the city. It has begun to feel like a city under siege, where the pressures and restrictions have really

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