The UK is not a fully-fledged democracy: An alternative history of Britain
The UK is not a fully-fledged democracy: An alternative history of Britain Gerry Hassan Scottish Review, April 14th 2021 The events of the past few days, in the aftermath of the death of Prince Philip, have brought the nature of British society, history and democracy to the fore – or rather the all-pervasive official account that is articulated day in and day out. We are continually told – sometimes subliminally and sometimes explicitly - that the monarchy is central to Britain, Britishness and our way of life and being, and that it is part of what makes us unique, stable
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We need to know our history: The rise and fall of the British Prime Minister
We need to know our history: The rise and fall of the British Prime Minister Gerry Hassan Scottish Review, November 11th 2020 Leadership is one of the mantras of the modern age, and no more so than in politics. National leadership - and success (and conversely failure) - is endlessly analysed. Is Boris Johnson in irretrievable decline and was he ever right for the job? Can Nicola Sturgeon maintain the level of popularity of herself and the SNP to the 2021 elections? And does anyone remember the Lib Dems and who their leader is? (answer: Ed Davey). The new book
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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
Bad history leads to bad politics – from Trump to Brexit and Scotland
Bad history leads to bad politics – from Trump to Brexit and Scotland Gerry Hassan Scottish Review, September 2nd 2020 The past is always with us, being remade and reinterpreted to suit the needs of the present. Yet in today’s world of complexity, change and messiness - as well as constant information and disinformation - a lot of questionable interpretations of the past are gaining currency and being used to justify bad politics in the here and now. The most obvious is Trump who, despite over 180,000 Americans officially dead from COVID-19, is running for re-election as President on a
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Democracy isn’t working: Can it be fixed?
Democracy isn’t working: Can it be fixed? Gerry Hassan Scottish Review, December 4th 2019 Britain likes to claim to be the inventor of democracy, and England to assume the mantle of being ‘the mother of Parliaments’. These are national myths - leaving aside that the oldest national legislature in the world is the Icelandic Parliament. The Whig story of democracy has been one of the most prominent interpretations of British and English public life and traditions. It is one which has been told and retold by enlightened and less enlightened sections of the British establishment. It has also been uncritically
Winston Churchill: The Man, the Myth, 1940 and Who can speak for Britain?
Winston Churchill: The Man, the Myth, 1940 and Who can speak for Britain? Gerry Hassan Scottish Review, January 16th 2018 Winston Churchill is everywhere at the moment. It is as if there are only two narratives about Britain’s past: the Second World War and dramas about people of privilege, class and money. The Churchill industry can cover both strands, and for some his is the last uncontested great story of Britain. To others he is the last statesman who unreservedly represented the moral case for Britain; whereas for many on the left he has long been a problem figure. And
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‘Arise Now and Be a Nation Again’: The neverending story of Scotland’s history
‘Arise Now and Be a Nation Again’: The neverending story of Scotland’s history Gerry Hassan Scottish Review, March 23rd 2016 Tom Devine has been a huge intellectual influence in Scotland in recent decades, having made major and thoughtful contributions to many important historical and contemporary debates. His latest work, ‘Independence or Union: Scotland’s Past and Scotland’s Present’ is part a summary of his previous research, ‘The Scottish Nation’ and his work on Scotland’s Empire, seen through the prism of Scotland’s place and influence in the union. This descriptive, wide-ranging book covers not only over 300 years of Scottish history,
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My Favourite Books of 2015
MY FAVOURITE BOOKS OF 2015 December 24th 2015 NEW BOOKS: SCOTLAND Project Fear: How an Unlikely Alliance left a Kingdom United but a Country Divided, Joe Pike, Biteback A brilliant access all areas account of the chaos of the ‘Better Together’ campaign in the indyref. To think there was an even more Armageddon-ish‘Project Fear’! Queer Voices in Post-War Scotland: Male Homosexuality, Religion and Society, Jeffrey Meek, Palgrave Macmillan At long last a serious study of Scottish gay culture (focusing just on gay men) and in particular the period between Wolfenden (1957) and decriminalisation of male homosexuality in England
The Glasgow Games, the Great War and A Requiem for the Post-War Dream
The Glasgow Games, the Great War and A Requiem for the Post-War Dream Gerry Hassan National Collective, August 4th 2014 Two very different tales of a city and a country - Glasgow’s Commonwealth Games followed by the Glasgow Cathedral commemoration of the outbreak of World War One when the UK declared war on Germany. The Commonwealth Games showcased Glasgow on a Scottish, UK and global stage, aided by ‘Team Scotland’s’ best ever haul of medals. The games profiled Glasgow as an international city and tourist destination – a transition which has been underway for at least the last 30 years.
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The Land of the Living Dead: Jeremy Paxman and Max Hasting’s Britain
The Land of the Living Dead: Jeremy Paxman and Max Hasting’s Britain Gerry Hassan Scottish Review, February 19th 2014 Years ago I believed in Britain; in its future and some of its stories, values and institutions. I thought that those which did not match modern democratic times, could be changed. This was the beauty of Britain and its radical currents. Even as a teenager I knew there was some element of make belief and fantasy in this. The mythical stories of Britain as the land of liberty, rule of law and democracy jarred with too many of the facts. Such
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