Lonely at the Top: Sturgeon, Leadership and Regrets: Review of Nicola Sturgeon, Frankly, Macmillan £28.
Lonely at the Top: Sturgeon, Leadership and Regrets Bella Caledonia, 15 August 2025 Gerry Hassan Frankly is a major political occasion which has got people talking and taking sides – either defending or defenestrating Nicola Sturgeon as a leader, politician and her legacy. Sturgeon invites strong reactions. There are those who feel loyalty, even affinity, to her and what she represents. Equally there is a significant body of opinion who regard her as divisive, out of touch and having let down people – a view shared even by some in the SNP and pro-independence. There is no doubt that this
Scotland and Independence need a new approach and agenda
Scotland and Independence need a new approach and agenda Sunday National, 27 July 2025 Gerry Hassan John Swinney recently engaged in the latest relaunch of independence. Some people noticed; some even cared and thought it relevant. Mostly his efforts passed unnoticed, without any real impact. Scottish politics, democracy, government and independence are not in good health and failing too many people. Some don’t see things this way. They measure the state of Scotland by saying we are not like the collective disaster of Westminster as if this is an effective measurement. Others say we need independence now such is the
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Notes on a Scottish Republic of Letters
Notes on a Scottish Republic of Letters Bella Caledonia, 7 July 2025 Gerry Hassan The health and vibrancy of the Scottish cultural landscape was once acclaimed across public life. Not so long ago many folk felt that we had been living through a renaissance of expression and talent, not unlike such periods as the 1930s, and that this had lasting import on how we viewed ourselves and on our political disposition. Today things are a lot less rosy and sure-footed. Instead of the above, there is now a discernible mood of angst, worry and negativity - centred particularly on funding,
Why the Reform Bandwagon is coming to Scotland – and what can be done to stop it?
Why the Reform Bandwagon is coming to Scotland – and what can be done to stop it? Sunday National, 25 May 2025 Gerry Hassan Nigel Farage and Reform are on the march across England, Wales and Scotland. What was once seen as purely an English (as well as Welsh) phenomenon is now making clear inroads in Scotland. In the past few weeks Reform have risen to 21% in Westminster voting intentions in Scotland and 20% in one Scottish Parliament poll in regional list voting intentions. This would make them the main opposition party to the SNP and dramatically alter
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The Road from 2014 is Over: A New Road Map is needed for Scotland and Independence
The Road from 2014 is Over: A New Road Map is needed for Scotland and Independence Sunday National, 27 April 2025 Gerry Hassan Scottish politics has had some climatic moments recently - the UK Supreme Court decision on women’s and trans rights; the SNP and Labour trying to deal with the challenge of Reform; and the brief excitement of an opinion poll with a sensational degree of independence support. Beyond this Scottish politics is characterised by drift and by being in the doldrums with a lack of dynamism, direction and purpose –
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Get Ready for the Age of Disruption Coming to Scotland
Get Ready for the Age of Disruption Coming to Scotland! Sunday National, December 29th 2024 Gerry Hassan Politics everywhere across the West is shaped by failure, exhaustion and unpopularity in the mainstream - and increasingly by anger and rage amongst voters. Both Scotland and the UK are no exception. Labour’s election victory with 34% of the vote was the smallest in history for a party winning an overall parliamentary majority. Since then it has been downhill all the way with a government showing a lack of sure-footedness and political acumen on issue after issue, and with no sense of how
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Labour, the Starmer Project, the Battle for Britain and Our Collective Future
Labour, the Starmer Project, the Battle for Britain and Our Collective Future Gerry Hassan Sunday National, 24 November 2024 We are nearly five months into this Labour government - elected after 14 years of Tory government mired in scandal, division and failure which the public were desperate to see the back of. Why then does it already feel as if this government is running to stand still, barely able to articulate what its vision, and nervous about the kind of Britain it wants to bring about? What consequences does this have for challenging the status quo; for healing a broken
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Ten Years on from 2014: Making Sense of the Next Ten Years of Scotland
Ten Years on from 2014: Making Sense of the Next Ten Years of Scotland Gerry Hassan Sunday National, 29 September 2024 The ten-year anniversary of Scotland’s indyref has come and gone relatively unmarked. For something which shook things up so much it was very quiet and understated, a low-key affair from every political persuasion, media and academia. This does not mean that the ten-year point is not significant. Rather it is a time to pause, to draw breath and reflect on what has passed, on the bigger context and forces changing Scotland and the UK, and what the future may
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Scotland Ten Years on from the Indyref
Scotland Ten Years On from the Indyref Gerry Hassan Bella Caledonia, 18 September 2024 Ten years ago today Scotland voted 55% to 45% to remain in the UK union and against independence. This was a momentous, historic watershed under which we are still living, not yet having come to terms with its consequences and continued influence. Many across the political spectrum, pro and anti-independence, have struggled post-2014. But most of the mainstream politicians who participated in the 2014 campaign, including SNP senior figures and strategists, failed to see the indyref at the time in its wider context - of a
Where stands the SNP and independence?
Where stands the SNP and independence? Gerry Hassan Bella Caledonia, 2 September 2024 The SNP conference met in Edinburgh over the past weekend. It was an understated affair compared to the huge gatherings in the years post-2014. The mood was not surprisingly of a diminished party in numbers, appeal and rationale - but at the same time less demoralised and defeated than might have been expected. Rather party members at least on the surface appeared to still have some spirit and energy. This begs the question were they just putting on a brave face, do they have an inner core
