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Donald Dewar and the Lost Story of Devolution
Donald Dewar and the Lost Story of Devolution Gerry Hassan Bella Caledonia, October 8th 2020 A significant and poignant moment in Scotland’s recent history comes up this weekend on Sunday, with the 20th anniversary of the tragic death of the first ever First Minister Donald Dewar at the age of 63. Donald Dewar was a profoundly decent person, imbued with an older sense of public mission and morality, who often seemed out of kilter with the times - drawing from a deep reservoir of how the middle and professional classes used to behave. His death robbed the Scottish Parliament of
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Lennon at 80 and the enduring relationship of John and Paul
Lennon at 80 and the enduring relationship of John and Paul Gerry Hassan Scottish Review, October 7th 2020 John Lennon would have been 80 this Friday. To add to the poignancy, two months later is the 40th anniversary of 8th December 1940 when Lennon was killed in front of his home, the Dakota Building, New York City, aged 40. Lennon’s life, talent and genius are wrapped in mythology and iconic images and stories. He was central to the uniqueness of the Beatles; his partnership with Paul McCartney redefined and reset popular music and culture and, after they broke up, he
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Trump and Trumpism have to be defeated
Trump and Trumpism have to be defeated Gerry Hassan Sunday National, October 4th 2020 The October surprise has duly arrived in the form of Donald Trump and his wife Melania Trump testing positive for COVID-19, leading to their self-isolation and the suspension of campaigning by Trump in person. In a year - and a Presidency of surprises - this was almost inevitable. Trump has consistently underplayed the pandemic only last month saying that it affects ‘virtually nobody.’ And he has shown a complete disregard for public safety and wearing masks, holding rallies - including his address to the Republican

The fate of Scottish football is about much more than football
The fate of Scottish football is about much more than football Gerry Hassan Scottish Review, September 30th 2020 Scottish football is about more than who makes the most noise whether it be ten in a row - or stopping ten in a row - or the obsessions of the top league and clubs. Scottish football’s deep roots reach much further than the dominant media narratives. They provide an insight into wider society, with the state of the game reflecting how healthy and vibrant Scotland is – and how we are being tested by the COVID-19 pandemic. Scotland has 42 senior
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The Brexit power grab and the collapse of British conservatism
The Brexit power grab and the collapse of British conservatism Gerry Hassan Bella Caledonia, September 30th 2020 In the midst of a pandemic and the prospect of No Deal Brexit the UK Government continues its path of self-harm and self-destruction – with a central place given to the UK internal market bill. Such is the normalisation of irresponsible uber-right-wing politics, aided by the long-term ratchet effect of Brexit, that this watershed bill - tearing up legal agreements and trashing the UK’s reputation further – that was once much commented upon now is taken as the norm. When the UK
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Labour troubles, the Independent Question and the future of Britain
Labour troubles, the Independence Question and the future of Britain Gerry Hassan Sunday National, September 27th 2020 Labour conference met this week but in the new online world of Zoom the only cut through was Keir Starmer’s keynote address along with his TV response to Boris Johnson’s COVID-19 broadcast. It is now nine months since the Tories won a landslide election victory. But the world has been turned upside down since last December. Boris Johnson was sold as a great communicator and campaigner, but as UK Prime Minister has proven inept, unfocused, untrustworthy and amateurish. Labour matters in UK politics.
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Labour has to stop being ambivalent and tell a convincing story about Britain: its past, present and future
Labour has to stop being ambivalent and tell a convincing story about Britain: its past, present and future Gerry Hassan Prospect, September 24th 2020 Keir Starmer in his keynote conference address has indicated that he wants to reclaim patriotism as a principle and thread that runs through everything the Labour Party stands for. This on the surface might sound uncontroversial but it isn’t. The Corbynistas had an instinctive opposition to all things patriotic and to many of the traditional symbols and institutions of Britishness. More than this the Conservative Party have long claimed patriotism as their own. And in response

The British Empire is still very much alive and kicking
The British Empire is still very much alive and kicking Gerry Hassan Scottish Review, September 23rd 2020 The British Empire has never really gone away. Its presence and influence has always been here - sometimes in the background, often in the foreground, being invoked, defended and even celebrated by some. It is there in the ridiculous debates about the UK ‘punching above its weight’ on the global stage, the painful dependency of UK elites on ‘the special relationship’ with Washington, and all the clinging to the wreckage of the UK’s diminished international status and that’s without mentioning Brexit. Like
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The political and moral collapse of the Conservative Party, conservative thinking and unionism
The political and moral collapse of the Conservative Party, conservative thinking and unionism Gerry Hassan Sunday National, September 20th 2020 The clue is meant to be in the name - the Conservative and Unionist Party. The Unionist moniker may refer first and foremost to the union with Ireland, but has a wider meaning in relation to the union that makes up the United Kingdom. Tory unionism has historically gone to the core of the party’s DNA. At its peak – electorally and instinctually – between the 1920s and end of the 1950s, it gave

Perfidious Albion and the demise of Conservatism
Perfidious Albion and the demise of Conservatism Gerry Hassan Scottish Review, September 16th 2020 It has not been a good week for the UK’s reputation - domestically or internationally. Boris Johnson’s shameless government of chameleons and charlatans showed their true colours by declaring their intentions to run a horse and cart through international law. To make matters worse this was not on some arcane or ancient piece of legislation but rather the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement negotiated between the UK and EU in November last year and which provided the basis of the emphatic Tory election victory in December. All of
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