An Empire in Decline: Hillary Clinton, Trump, ‘Nasty Women’ and Kabuki Politics Gerry Hassan Open Democracy, October 26th 2016 The US Presidential election is everywhere you turn in the States. That much is familiar and reassuring, but so much else this year - and in the longer-term -points in the exact opposite direction: a country not at ease with itself, a failing economy and imperial over-reach. On Monday this week I went to an election campaign rally in the beautiful grounds of St. Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire and heard Hillary Clinton and Elizabeth Warren speak. The latter touched

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The Big Stakes at Play in the US Presidential Election Gerry Hassan October 20th 2016 The US Presidential election has been mesmerising, compelling and a warning from a future that doesn’t work. As with every recent US election we have had wall-to-wall UK broadcast media coverage. Often this has been presented as a fantasyland larger version of Britain – something which is getting less and less plausible given the differences between the two countries politically. There is something increasingly questionable about the time BBC, ITV and SKY spend on covering US elections compared to say French and German elections

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High-wire Politics, the SNP after Conference and the Next Independence Campaign Gerry Hassan Open Democracy, October 17th 2016 The SNP’s rise to become Britain’s third party – in parliamentary seats and mass membership – has corresponded with its annual conference adopting the importance, scale and feel of one of the two UK big parties This is of course fitting and appropriate, but still something of a transition given the SNP are obviously a Scottish-only party, and in places maintain the feel and ethos of a party which for decades has defined itself as a family and community. The mood of

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The SNP has got us where we are, but the SNP on its own isn’t enough in the future Gerry Hassan Bella Caledonia, October 12th 2016 The SNP have played a huge role in getting us to where we are today. They are central to where Scotland goes in the future - but they on their own are not enough. Without the SNP there is significant doubt that we would ever have got a Scottish Parliament. It is true that Labour legislated for it, but they were first brought back to devolution in the 1970s by the electoral threat of

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Theresa May, the End of Empire State Britain and the Death of Unionism Gerry Hassan Open Democracy, October 7th 2016 The Tory conference tried to sail on as if the sea wasn’t turbulent and choppy, with the ship heading for the rocks. Tory statecraft, élan, even class confidence, have all contributed to this along with the vindication of the long held faith and religious zeal of those of a Brexit disposition. Many have come late to the latter, while Theresa May has embraced this dogma with the zeal of the new found convert. You don’t have to look very far

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Where is the Jeremy Corbyn Labour Party revolution going to end? Gerry Hassan Scotttish Review, September 29th 2016 Jeremy Corbyn and Labour have some major positives going for them. He has been re-elected Labour leader with a huge majority in an election in which over half a million people voted. On the wave of a surge of excitement and engagement, Labour’s membership has risen to 650,000 - over four times that of the Tories, and representing the largest political party in all Europe. On top of that Jeremy Corbyn is clearly a different kind of politician. He is untainted by

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Whatever happened to the idealism of Space: The Final Frontier? Gerry Hassan Scottish Review, September 21st 2016 All life cannot be about politics. That is a definition of tyranny and dictatorship. In the last couple of months whilst working on some big projects I have chosen to relax late at night by watching the 1960s original TV series ‘Star Trek’. I haven’t watched it since I was a kid in Dundee. It has proven to be a real piece of time travel taking me back to when I viewed the world in more simplistic and naïve colours. Viewing ‘Star

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We need a Spirit of Independence to shape the Scotland of the Future Gerry Hassan Bella Caledonia, September 19th 2016 No one needs reminding that Sunday represented the second anniversary of the indyref. It was a significant watershed: a passing of time from being in the shadow of the 2014 vote to looking to the future. If that’s true, then an awful lot of attitudes are fairly entrenched. While that’s true of both pro-union and independence opinion, it belies the forces of change to more ruthlessly assess, be honest about failings and foibles, and change and adapt to be successful.

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It’s Time for Dangerous Talk: Jaytalking Scotland Gerry Hassan Scottish Review, September 15th 2016 These are strange times. We are told everyday in every way by numerous experts and talking heads that this is an age of unprecedented change, uncertainty and flux. That nothing can be taken for granted. Yet this is also an age of great conformity and conservatism; not only in mainstream politics but in large acres of what passes for popular culture – from music to novels, theatre, comedy, TV and visual arts. Scotland fits into this pattern rather well. It has shaken the UK to near

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The Rise of an English Ideology and the Joys of Reading ‘The Spectator’ Gerry Hassan Scottish Review, September 8th 2016 I have long been an admirer of ‘The Spectator’. Well, why would I restrict myself to reading only that which confirms my world-view? It is good to be challenged, provoked - as well as entertained - plus the magazine gives an insight into another world (that of right-wing England) – which is influential and plays a role shaping ideas around the Tory Government. In the last few months I have been reading ‘Spectator’ back issues for a forthcoming book

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