Alex Salmond, Nicola Sturgeon and Lessons for Politics and Public Life
Alex Salmond, Nicola Sturgeon and Lessons for Politics and Public Life Gerry Hassan Scottish Review, March 24th 2021 Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon’s political relationship has defined Scotland over the past two decades. They oversaw the rise of the SNP and its transformation into a party of power. They achieved and nearly won an indyref - followed by the slow, painful unravelling of their relationship in public; the turbulence of the past three years, and the bitter end of their partnership. We have seen nothing like it in Scottish or UK politics in living memory. No previous political
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Scotland on the international stage
Scotland on the international stage Gerry Hassan Sunday National, March 14th 2021 These are turbulent times domestically and internationally. The UK Government, state and wider reputation of the UK has taken a hit of late through Brexit, the UK threatening to break international law, its record on COVID-19 as ‘the sick man of Europe’, and the latest Royal Family scandal bringing a reality check to how the House of Windsor is seen globally. Scotland needs to think about its image and how it places itself on the international stage in relation to independence. This has not been addressed enough
Scotland already is quasi-independence. It is time to own that and act like that
Scotland already is quasi-independence. It is time to own that and act like that Gerry Hassan Sunday National, March 7th 2021 We’ve had a week of huge drama and court politics - from ongoing UK Royal Family splits to the SNP stand-off between Sturgeon and Salmond and their respective camps. The two may compete as theatre, psychodrama and power politics whilst throwing light on gender politics, and the nature and limits of democracy. But there are important differences – with Scotland’s controversy also posing big questions of the SNP, Scottish Government, public institutions, and future of independence. Putting
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What has gone wrong with Scottish politics and democracy?
What has gone wrong with Scottish politics and democracy? Gerry Hassan Scottish Review, February 24th 2021 There is a feeling of crisis across Scottish politics and democracy. Partly this is the sense of decay and drift in the SNP with infighting, divisions and lack of trust between senior figures in the party; amplified by the Salmond-Sturgeon implosion. But there is more at play both in the SNP and public life, which points to things not being quite right in politics and democracy. All across political life there is now a hyper-adversarial nature - not just between, but within parties –
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Who will speak for a democratic England in the break-up of Britain?
Who will speak for a democratic England in the break-up of Britain? Gerry Hassan Sunday National, February 14th 2021 The UK is in major flux. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are increasingly in a different political space and marching to their own beats. Westminster day by day underlines its incompetence and unfitness, which leaves us with the huge topic of England - and its place and role in the future. As UK politics increasingly come to resemble ‘four nation politics’ the question of how England is governed, thinks of itself and collectively sees its future, has become one of the
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Joanna Cherry, Andy Wightman and the importance of dissent
Joanna Cherry, Andy Wightman and the importance of dissent Gerry Hassan Scottish Review, February 3rd 2021 These past few weeks have not been quiet ones for the SNP and Scottish Greens, the two pro-independence parties in the country. First of all, respected Green MSP Andy Wightman announced he was leaving the party, and this week, Joanna Cherry was sacked from her position on the SNP Westminster frontbench: Cherry, MP for Edinburgh South West commented: ‘Despite hard work, results and a strong reputation I’ve been sacked today from the SNP front bench’. Running through both events are how political parties
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The state of the union and independence after Johnson’s jaunt
The state of the union and independence after Johnson’s Jaunt Gerry Hassan Sunday National, January 31st 2021 Boris Johnson came to Scotland last week: much trailed and talked about but certain to have no lasting effect. This was the week where a once-revered Scottish institution announced it had fallen on hard times. Once popular with Edinburgh ladies of a certain age and the middle classes who believed that they had a refined taste and lifestyle; the similarities between Jenners department store on Princes Street, Edinburgh and the Scottish Tories, are many. This illustrates the long-term collapse of the institutions of
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Scottish Labour is the problem, not the leader. And the solution is a genuine Scottish Labour Party
Scottish Labour is the problem, not the leader. And the solution is a genuine Scottish Labour Party Gerry Hassan Sunday National, January 17th 2020 The Scottish Labour Party has contributed so much over the past 20 years; not in terms of substantive politics in government or opposition but in the realm of scandal, drama and soap opera. Richard Leonard’s resignation is the latest episode in this long running saga which has increasingly been playing to diminishing audiences and reviews. He has been the ninth Labour leader in two decades; the sixth leader in opposition, and the fifth since the 2014
The Attack on Democracy and Breaking Out of the Empire State in the US and UK
The Attack on Democracy and Breaking Out of the Empire State in the US and UK Gerry Hassan Sunday National, January 10th 2021 Democracy is under attack. It is being challenged by the likes of Trump and his fascist supporters and by authoritarians the world over – testing its strength and legitimacy. And it is not in great shape in the UK, with academic David Runciman saying that “American democracy is stuck and British democracy is stuck.” The events of 6th January 20201 and the storming of Congress by Trump’s far right supporters has appalled most of the world. Much
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Independence is a story about all of us – and there is serious work to do
Independence is a story about all of us – and there is serious work to do Gerry Hassan Sunday National, December 6th 2020 2020 has been the year of many striking things. It has been a year of progress for Scottish independence. A raft of polls show a consistent majority for independence and the SNP is polling strongly. Nicola Sturgeon is massively more popular than Boris Johnson; while the SNP’s trust ratings on a range of issues is impressive. All of which points towards the likelihood of a pro-independence majority in seats and votes in the 2021 elections. Some independence
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