British politics

An Exchange with ‘the Economist’ on Scottish Independence Gerry Hassan April 2nd 2015 ‘The Economist’ has a problem with Scottish independence from its infamous ‘Skintland’ front cover to its editorial view and general language it chooses to use. In the last three years, it has consistently used a pejorative language to describe the Scottish independence case, moving me to write pointing this out. They did not publish my letter, but felt moved to reply attempting to rebuff my points. (more…)

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British Politics Hung Out To Dry Gerry Hassan Sunday Mail, March 29th 2015 A House of Commons where no one party gains an overall majority looks an increasingly likely outcome of the May election. This has happened before, most recently in 2010, but also in February 1974; similarly, in the late 1970s and post-1992 Labour and Tory administrations respectively elected with majorities, lost them, and had to govern without them. The outcome of the May election and the parliamentary landscape looks likely to resemble the dog days of the Callaghan and Major governments, rather than 2010 when the Tories and

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The tartan tsunami and how It will change Scotland and the UK for good Gerry Hassan Open Democracy, March 20th 2015 The UK general election campaign is upon us – struggling to make sense of the state of the country and how its institutions and politics are seen. Underneath all the political rhetoric and exchange we are about to witness is tangible anxiety and unsureness about who ‘we’ are and the very existence, or not, of a ‘we’ in terms of connection, culture and collective memories - which can be found equally on both left and right. Scotland has

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Is David Cameron the Biggest Threat to the Union? Gerry Hassan Sunday Mail, March 15th 2015 Scotland has become one of the main issues in the forthcoming UK election. It is not only that Jim Murphy and Ed Miliband feel anxious about the number of Labour seats they will hold in Scotland and the extent of the SNP juggernaut. What is also true is how Scotland is playing out in Conservative strategy and how David Cameron is using it to hurt Labour in two ways. First, he is aiming to hurt them in England and take votes from them with

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Power to the People not the Political Class Gerry Hassan Sunday Mail, March 1st 2015 The airwaves this week have been filled with the sound of politicians crashing and burning. Malcolm Rifkind and Jack Straw were caught in yet another ‘cash for access’ scandal, while on the next day, English Green leader Natalie Bennett found it impossible to offer the most basic costings of her party’s housing policies. These instances - and the reactions of politicians and public to them - raise questions about what kind of politicians voters want to represent them. And what kind of politics. Once upon

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Can Ruth Davidson persuade us to listen to the Scottish Tories? Gerry Hassan Sunday Mail, February 22nd 2015 Two of Scotland’s established parties had a good independence referendum: the SNP who are now prospering in the polls and the Scottish Tories who have been gathering this weekend in Edinburgh. For once the Tories have something to cheer about. In Ruth Davidson the party have a personable, likeable leader who is comfortable and growing into the job. Her Conservative video released this week was another talking point – modern, relevant, human, showing her with her parents - and her partner, Jen.

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Nicola Sturgeon, the SNP and the Age of Anti-Austerity Politics Gerry Hassan Sunday Mail, February 15th 2015 It has been a week filled with economic news and controversies. There was the imploding crisis of HSBC’s secret Swiss bank accounts and tax avoidance; the on-going Greek-German Governments European stand-off which threatens the future of the entire euro zone; while Mark Carney, Governor of the Bank of England, is getting people ready for a year of flat or even falling prices. At the same time after years of public spending constraints and cuts, across large parts of Europe there is a

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The Battle for Britain 2015 Gerry Hassan Sunday Mail, December 28^th 2014 Britain has had a tumultuous year. And 2015 will be as dramatic and difficult to predict. The UK general election will take place on Thursday May 7^th. None of the three established Westminster parties are popular and nor are their leaders. Cameron’s poll ratings at least run ahead of Tory support, whereas Miliband and Clegg are massively unpopular with 22% and 13% satisfaction ratings respectively; and Miliband is more unpopular in Scotland than the Tory Prime Minister. At the last UK election in 2010, the Conservatives finished 20

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Message to the Messengers Part Two: Where next after the indy referendum? Gerry Hassan Scottish Left Project, December 12th 2014 The winds of change are without doubt blowing through Scotland. There is the decline of traditional power and institutions, the hollowing out and, in places, implosion of some of the key anchor points of public life and a fundamental shift in authority in many areas. This is Scotland’s ‘long revolution’ – which the indyref was a product of and which then was a catalyst of further change. It is partly understandable that in the immediate aftermath of the referendum,

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Message to the Messengers: What do we do after Yes? Gerry Hassan Scottish Left Project, December 5th 2014 It is a frenetic, dynamic time to be living in Scotland – politically, culturally and in many other aspects of public life. Nearly three months since the momentous indyref Scotland is still gripped by a sense of movement, possibilities and new openings – up to and beyond the 2015 and 2016 elections. Yet at the same time in parts of the independence movement there are unrealistic expectations of political change, of belief that the union is finished, and that Scotland can embark

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