Creating a Space for a Different Scottish Future
Creating a Space for a Different Scottish Future Gerry Hassan National Collective, March 7th 2013 Thinking, imagining and attempting to create the future, and embracing and encouraging change, comes naturally to human beings. We do these things everyday in numerous ways throughout our lives, subconsciously and unconsciously, usually without reflection or realisation. Recognising that we do is one of the first steps in demystifying these terms, democratising them, and taking them back from the consultancy class and from managerial jargon. When I first saw Say So Scotland’s initiative to develop a Citizens’ Assembly I was initially wary, thinking it was
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Searching for the ‘New Tartan Tories’ of Scottish Public Life
Searching for the ‘New Tartan Tories’ of Scottish Public Life Gerry Hassan Scottish Review, October 11th 2012 Scottish politics has certainly burst into life in the last two weeks if the scale of overblown rhetoric and insult is any gauge. The catalyst has been Scottish Labour leader Johann Lamont’s speech challenging the consequences and cost-effectiveness of certain universal benefits in hardened financial times. The interventions from politicians and the ensuing public discussion tell us some revealing truths about our ability to have honest conversations. Firstly, lets look at some of the language used in this debate. Lamont talked about
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Scotland’s Democratic Revolution is Long Overdue
Scotland’s Democratic Revolution is Long Overdue Gerry Hassan The Scotsman, September 15th 2012 Scottish devolution was always going to produce centralisation, such as the Procurement Reform Bill along with single police and fire forces, and at the same time the rhetoric of change seen in the current Community Empowerment and Renewal Bill. It is over a year since the publication of the Christie Commission and as financial circumstances tighten, never has the time been more ripe for radical reform. One approach is already on offer: the English marketisation route beloved by Andrew Lansley when he was at health; an alternative
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The Scotland of Equality and Fairness: If We Want It We Have To Will It
The Scotland of Equality and Fairness: If We Want It We Have To Will It Gerry Hassan The Scotsman, July 28th 2012 The Scottish Government announcement on same sex marriage brought forth responses for and against, but one of the most common among supporters was to see it as proof of our progressive characteristics. ‘Well done Scotland showing you are progressive’ and ‘Scotland – compassionate and inclusive’ were just two of many similar comments on the social media site twitter. This was Scotland as ‘a beacon for progressive opinion’ in Alex Salmond’s words – a tale many of us
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The Glasgow Effect (and the Strange State of Scottish Democracy)
The Glasgow Effect (and the Strange State of Scottish Democracy) Gerry Hassan May 5th 2012 This is a seismic weekend for politics and democracy. There is the French Presidential election and the Greek parliamentary election; therefore we need to put the UK and Scottish local elections in a bit of humble context. Saying that these were fascinating and complicated elections: Labour’s decent polling, the kicking of the Lib Dems and the narrow triumph of Boris over Ken. In Scotland the first mainstream media reaction has been to emphasise Labour’s performance, question the Nationalist momentum, and talk up the battle
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The Self-Preservation Society of Civic Scotland
The Self-Preservation Society of ‘Civic Scotland’ Gerry Hassan The Scotsman, January 21st 2012 ‘Civic Scotland’ has been spotted these last few weeks, out in public, on manoeuvres, laying out their claims to be not forgotten in ‘the great debate’ about to ensue. The official story of ‘civic Scotland’ matters because various people in the voluntary sector, trade unions and churches are articulating a very partial version of history to justify their place and stance now. And at the minimum we should, like every aspect of public life, put this and its claims under proper scrutiny. ‘Civic Scotland’ says that
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