A Post-Nationalist Politics for the Nationalist Movement
A Post-Nationalist Politics for the Nationalist Movement Gerry Hassan The Scotsman, October 22nd 2011 The SNP gathering at Inverness is an historic occasion for the party with a discernable feeling that this is their moment and that nearly anything, including independence, is possible. International dignitaries, corporates and lots of hangers on are evidence of the SNP’s importance. Even the UK media in one of their episodic fits have noticed Scotland and the SNP with various correspondents scuttling north and dusting down their clichés. Inverness catches the SNP in transition. They have mastered the art of government and even more
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It’s Time for a Radical SNP Vision for Scotland
It’s Time for a Radical SNP Vision for Scotland Gerry Hassan The Scotsman, September 3rd 2011 It was a strange summer. A few months ago the SNP won a landslide victory which challenged many of the assumptions about Scotland and Scottish politics. The SNP Government had then, and still has, enormous goodwill and support behind it. Immediately after the election, the SNP got embroiled in the spat over the Supreme Court, an important issue, but one where its tone and language was all wrong. Then came the mess of the Sectarian Bill, tackling one of Scotland’s biggest issues in
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Self-Government is about more than the Constitution
Self-Government is about more than the Constitution Gerry Hassan The Scotsman, June 4th 2011 The arrival of Scotland’s first majority government is a learning curve for all of us: for the institutions and processes of the Parliament, the political parties, civil servants and media. This is a defining moment for the SNP, for the kind of politics and vision they represent, for how they express their mandate, and how they articulate their ideas of the Scotland of the future. During the election campaign the SNP painted a believable, plausible vision of a different Scotland, a place of green jobs,
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Scotland’s Future: Society, State and Story
Scotland’s Future: Society, State and Story Gerry Hassan The Scotsman, May 21st 2011 The debate about Scottish self-government is also about how Scotland sees its future. This has seen different interpretations arise about the meaning of independence. This reflects the new realism and gradualism of Alex Salmond’s SNP Government. Experienced voices such as former SNP MP Jim Sillars and academic James Mitchell have made the case for a pragmatic nationalist politics, while Pat Kane on these pages has seen such thinking falling well short of independence and Scottish statehood. This is a timely, crucial debate which needs to be
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Scotland International
Scotland International Gerry Hassan The Guardian, May 20th 2011 The Scottish vision of self-government is alive, vibrant and real. To most Nationalists many things come to the forefront of their minds when they picture an independent Scotland. One is a proud, self-governing nation taking its own decisions. Another is an ethical nation in international affairs not engaging in ‘illegal wars’. A further strand is a society which better cares for its people, and addresses inequality and injustice in a way contemporary Scotland conspicuously fails. Scottish independence has always been a kind of ultimate political fantasy: a blank canvas which
A Tale of Two Scotlands
A Tale of Two Scotlands Gerry Hassan Scottish Review, May 18th 2011 The last two weeks in Scotland have given many of us a glimpse of a different kind of land, one filled with light, hope, optimism and possibilities. And the weather was even nice for a while. It isn’t an accident that it has been called by myself and others, ‘a Scottish Spring’, but we always need to be careful not to transpose our own hopes onto wider political and national canvases. The turnout at the Scottish Parliament elections was just over 50%, and in parts of Glasgow,
Where Does Scottish Labour Go After the Landslide?
Where Does Scottish Labour Go After the Landslide? Gerry Hassan The Scotsman, May 14th 2011 Scottish Labour has a long, rich history, set of traditions and values. It spoke for a wide part of the nation, middle class and working class, old and young, and combined radicalism and realism. It gave a platform to a host of British and Scottish politicians who changed Scotland and shaped much of Westminster in the 20th century. It is now in crisis, decline and hurting from its brutal rejection by voters. It is still going through all the excuses and evasions. ‘We held
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A Beginner’s Guide to Scottish Independence and Britain
A Beginner’s Guide to Scottish Independence and Britain Gerry Hassan Open Democracy, May 12th 2011 It has never been very simple to describe Scotland and Britain to people from other places. Scotland is a nation, but not a state. The trouble begins when you try to explain the UK. It is not a nation, but a state. It is routinely described in our political conversations and on that fountain of wisdom, Wikipedia as ‘a unitary state’, when it is in fact a ‘union state’. You can see where confusions begin. If all of this troubles foreigners, then it is
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The Strange Death of Labour Scotland
The Strange Death of Labour Scotland Gerry Hassan Compass, May 11th 2011 Scotland is living in historic times. An election that was seen by many of us as a transition from the old Labour Scotland to a more Nationalist era, has suddenly become one of epic transformation. Scottish Labour won a mere 31.7% of the constituency vote and 26.3% of the regional vote; it took a mere 15 out of 73 FPTP constituencies. This broke a number of unenviable records for the party; the lowest number of FPTP seats since the disaster of 1931, and the worst share of
The Age of Independence
The Age of Independence Gerry Hassan The Scotsman, May 10th 2011 Scotland has a very different political landscape. A majority SNP administration. A decimated Labour Party in complete confusion. An independence referendum on the cards. A UK Government intent on making concessions at least for the moment. Things will never be the same again. Scottish nationalism as a broad force beyond party has become the defining force of modern Scotland. It has replaced the once potent Labour story. But there are significant limits to its appeal. Its reach, like Labour Scotland before it, does not take in every nook
