The Scottish Election Comes to Life Gerry Hassan Open Democracy, April 21st 2011 Suddenly Scotland is everywhere on the British airwaves and media. Two very different sides of the nation. Alex Salmond’s cheeky sunlit Nationalists, the scheming separatists in Labour parlance on one side, and on the other, the dark side of football, ‘the Old Firm’ and sectarianism. To some English listeners and viewers, this fantasy/nightmare Scotland portrayed by these accounts must seem like a strange land. A place where the population lives the life of reilly on English subsidies while complaining all the time that their culture of

Continue Reading The Scottish Election Comes to Life

What is Happening to Scottish Politics, its Future and Why It Matters? Gerry Hassan Open Democracy, April 19th 2011 Something interesting is happening in Scottish politics. The forthcoming elections were meant to see the return of Scottish Labour and normal service resumed. Instead, the SNP is pulling ahead, Labour is slipping back, confused and fighting an inept campaign, while in a sign of the times Murdoch’s ‘Scottish Sun’ has – unlike last time – just come out for the SNP, with a front page endorsement of Alex Salmond, ‘Play It Again, Salm’ (1). This later story has got the

Continue Reading What is happening to Scottish Politics, its Future and Why It Matters?

How I Survived the 1980s Gerry Hassan The Scotsman, April 9th 2011 It certainly feels like ‘Back to the Future’. Tories presiding over cuts; Labour in their comfort zones. A Royal Wedding as unemployment mounts. And household living standards falling for the first time since 1981. Is it really back to the 1980s, the era of ‘two nations’, the defining era for a generation of Thatcher lovers and haters, or is the past more complicated? The 1980s were not all grim. Recently I reflected on how I survived the 1980s as a young man growing up in Dundee. And

Continue Reading How I Survived the 1980s

The New Market Man of History and the McCliche View of Scotland Gerry Hassan Open Democracy, April 7th 2011 The Scottish Parliament elections are if not in full swing, then reaching a certain tempo. This week has seen the launch of the Tory, Lib Dem and Labour manifestos, next week the SNP, and even the notorious Londoncentric media and political classes have twigged that there something is going in Scotland which they don’t like or understand. Andrew Neil is a talented broadcaster and ‘The Daily Politics’ and ‘This Week’ both good TV and must watches for the Westminster classes.

Continue Reading The New Market Man of History and the McCliche View of Scotland

The Scotlands of the Mind Gerry Hassan The Scotsman, April 2nd 2011 We once prided ourselves on being a learned nation, a place which gave birth and sustenance to serious ideas and debate. This is a story which still informs much of our sense of ourselves, but is increasingly at odds with reality. In the last decade, what have been the books which have defined and shaped modern Scotland that have enriched our culture? I would like to leave aside the world of Scots fiction which has had a particularly fertile and rich last decade, in part because the relationship

Continue Reading The Scotlands of the Mind

How the London Political Classes See Scotland and the Future of Scottish Politics Gerry Hassan Open Democracy, March 30th 2011 There is now a discernable political trend of London based centre-left policy wonks and commentators attempting to demystify or understand the dynamics of Scottish politics and falling flat on their faces. Recent examples have ranged from Matthew Taylor’s offensive ramblings comparing Scotland and Japan after the earthquake and nuclear crisis, to the more thoughtful contributions of Nick Pearce, head of IPPR, and now Sunder Katwala, head of the Fabians. From a different direction, Neal Lawson, chair

Continue Reading How the London Political Classes See Scotland and the Future of Scottish Politics

What is Scotland’s Big Story? Gerry Hassan The Scotsman, March 26th 2011 What is the Big Story of Scotland: as a nation, society, and politically? Like William Hague’s mojo, we know we once had one and that we have now lost it. Scotland has had a number of big stories over the years: Empire Scotland, kirk Scotland, Red Clydeside, and the nationalist dream of independence. Now we mostly have muddle and confusion. The next few weeks are going to see an awful lot of sound and fury. Politicians will make jabbing points not listening to each other; men will make

Continue Reading What is Scotland’s Big Story?

Changin Scotland A weekend of politics, culture and ideas …. And fun! Friday March 25^th-Sunday March 27^th Come and join us in our ninth year of discussion, blether, listening, having fun and a good time, and even occasionally admiring the beautiful scenery! Yes we now prepare for the year before our tenth anniversary … so come along and contribute to changing Scotland. Andy Wightman on land, power and politics Author of ‘The Poor Had No Lawyers’ Drew Scott on why Scotland needs Fiscal Autonomy The man that Wendy Alexander tried to silence! Robin Callander on the Scottish Crown Estates Author

Continue Reading Changin Scotland: A weekend of politics, culture and ideas

How do we stop the Forward March of the New Revolutionaries? Gerry Hassan The Scotsman, March 19th 2011 Once upon a time we had a powerful left which shaped a large part of 20^th century Scotland: Red Clydeside, the rise of Labour, the creation of the welfare state, and part of the home rule movement. What has happened to this politics, idealism and radicalism today, and what do we do without it? The memory, folklore and language of parts of the left still influences a large, although dwindling part of society. These questions and more were touched on by

Continue Reading How do we stop the Forward March of the New Revolutionaries?

Scotland and the Japanese Earthquake: The World According to Matthew Taylor Gerry Hassan Open Democracy, March 18th 2011 We know that there is a tradition of criticising Scotland from afar or in the briefest of visits north bringing your prejudices with you unchallenged. This used to be the terrain of the centre-right, of Thatcherites such as Nigel Lawson in the 1980s and The Spectator, but now what remains of the British centre-left has begun to join in. Recently Nick Pearce of the IPPR had a whistle wind Scottish tour checking out Scottish Labour’s preparation for returning to power, which led

Continue Reading Scotland and the Japanese Earthquake: The World According to Matthew Taylor