Scottish Independence

The SNP Ascendancy is changing Scotland and the SNP Gerry Hassan Sunday Mail, June 14th 2015 The Scottish sun is out, and summer is approaching. This is true not just of the weather but reflects the mood of the SNP, their popularity, and especially that of leader Nicola Sturgeon. In the last week a TNS opinion poll for next year’s Scottish Parliament election put the SNP on 60% and Labour 19% in the constituency vote - a historic all-time high and low respectively. This would give the SNP a second overall majority and more seats than it won in its

Continue Reading The SNP Ascendancy is changing Scotland and the SNP

Debating with ‘The Economist’ its Scottish Independence Coverage An Exchange between Gerry Hassan and Jeremy Cliffe June 11th 2015 June 10^th 2015 17.00 Dear Gerry, Thank you for your letter of May 14th (1). Zanny has asked me to reply on her behalf. On our use of "secession", "secessionist" and "separatist", I refer you to my email of March 24th. On "partition" and "dismemberment", I repeat the points made in that earlier message. Those terms are descriptive and accurate. We use them in other contexts where - unlike that of the United Kingdom - we support the separation in question.

Continue Reading Debating with ‘The Economist’ its Scottish Independence Coverage

A Man of Principle and the End of an Era of Liberal Radicalism Gerry Hassan Sunday Mail, June 7th 2015 Politics and public life in Britain caught its breath this week with the tragic death of Charles Kennedy. MP for Ross, Skye and Lochaber for the past 32 years; leader of the Lib Dems from 1999-2006; the youngest MP elected to the Commons in 1983 at the age of 23 - none of these do justice to the talents, principles and wit of Kennedy. He got, as many people have said, many big things right. He was the most successful

Continue Reading A Man of Principle and the End of an Era of Liberal Radicalism

A Letter to the Editor of ‘The Economist’ on Scotland and Scottish Independence Gerry Hassan June 4th 2015 Dear Zanny, I am a long-term reader and admirer of ‘The Economist’. Even when I disagree with the magazine’s position I know that I can trust it to aid myself learning and becoming more knowledgeable on an issue. This is true across the globe, and subject matters, with one consistent exception: the subject of Scottish independence. I am not talking about ‘The Economist’s’ anti-independence stance, which you are perfectly entitled to take. Nor would I wish to dwell on the appropriateness

Continue Reading A Letter to the Editor of ‘The Economist’ on Scotland on Scottish Independence

What do we do about the British constitution? Gerry Hassan The Conversation, May 22nd 2015 There can be little doubt that Britain is on the move. This can be seen in the aftermath of the Scottish independence referendum and forthcoming European Union vote. This is a time of flux and uncertainty. While for some such as the SNP and critics of the British status quo this is a positive, for many elites and experts this produces anxieties and worries. No more is this is so than with benign liberal opinion – which believes that for every problem there should be

Continue Reading What do we do about the British constitution?

Scotland’s Peaceful Revolution and the End of the Old Britain Gerry Hassan The Hindu, May 16th 2015 Britain feels and looks very different now from only a week ago. The general election threw up many surprises - the re-election of a majority Conservative Government, the scale of the Scottish National Party (SNP) landslide, and Scotland and England pointing in completely opposite political directions. The SNP won 56 of Scotland’s 59 constituencies, reducing the dominant Labour Party north of the border from 41 seats at the previous election to a single seat. A whole host of luminaries lost their seats including

Continue Reading Scotland’s Peaceful Revolution and the End of the Old Britain

Scotland, the Clash of Two Nationalisms and ‘the Children of the Echo’ Gerry Hassan New Statesman, April 7th 2015 Scotland has always had a reputation for tempestuous disagreements – for fighting and flyting. Power, passion, tribalism and men staying in pubs for long hours drinking and insulting each other are long-standing notions. Last Saturday I went to Glasgow Citizen’s Theatre to see David Hare’s ‘The Absence of War’ set in the run-up to Neil Kinnock’s ill-fated campaign in the 1992 general election. Watching it in the turmoil of the current election campaign, and on the day of the ‘Daily

Continue Reading Scotland, the Clash of Two Nationalisms and ‘the Children of the Echo’

The disunited Kingdom and the confusion in Britain's political elites Gerry Hassan Open Democracy, April 5th 2015 Scotland is still making the news. The tartan tsunami that is the SNP surge shows little to no sign of abating as election day approaches. Beyond Scotland’s shores the UK and international media are making frequent references to the debate north of the border. Strangely some of this coverage – mostly in London based outlets – is even more ill-informed and inaccurate than was seen during the indyref. This is itself no mean feat. Then most neutral and pro-union opinion thought No would win.

Continue Reading The disunited Kingdom and the confusion in Britain’s political elites

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…)

Continue Reading An Exchange with ‘the Economist’ on Scottish Independence

Time for a Future Scotland of Head and Heart: A Challenge to Independence and the Union Gerry Hassan Sunday Mail, March 22nd 2015 Scotland for many at the moment feels an exciting place. But for others there is a sense of dismay and confusion. The latter is particularly evident in pro-union opinion. This week, ‘The Times’ commentator Magnus Linklater agreed with William McIlvanney’s recent revision of L.P. Hartley’s ‘the past is a foreign country’, referencing Scotland - ‘when you get to my age the present is a foreign country’. Linklater agreed. He noted falling oil prices, the economic balance

Continue Reading Time for a Future Scotland of Head and Heart: A Challenge to Independence and the Union