Scottish society

The Crisis of BBC Scotland – A Lack of Vision, Integrity and Accountability Gerry Hassan Scottish Review, June 4th 2014 The independence referendum has thrown a spanner in the works of large parts of institutional Scotland. So far the biggest meltdown has been CBI Scotland becoming a registered ‘No’ supporter, then baulking at the consequences. Another was the maneuvering of SCVO on the second referendum question and then being left on its own when the politicians agreed on a single question. But fast coming up the tracks in the incompetence stakes is BBC Scotland. The latest instance is the

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There is more to life than politics in the Scotland of 2014 Gerry Hassan Scottish Review, May 14th 2014 This is Scotland’s year of big decision: a historic and landmark date with destiny which, depending on individual political predilections, people have been waiting all their life for, or dreading, in equal measure. Yet much of how we have defined and understood politics in Scotland historically has been narrow and constrained. There is the notion of independence as being about ‘the full powers of the Parliament’, a rather restricted view of change to put it mildly. Then there are the pro-union

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What does the rise of Ukip mean for Scotland? Gerry Hassan Scottish Review, May 7th 2014 A new national pastime now exists thanks to the existence and rise of Ukip. This is the round the clock coverage of the party: often mocking, filled with condescension and a barely concealed incredulity that sane citizens will consider supporting such a party. So far all this has seemed to do is feed the appeal that is the Teflon-like Ukip. The media of course love and hate Ukip in equal measure. Nigel Farage is the joint most frequent panelist on ‘BBC Question Time’ over

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The Rise of a Very Different Nation: The Emergence of ‘the Third Scotland’ Gerry Hassan The Guardian, April 23rd 2014 The Scottish independence referendum has in the past few months become more alive and interesting. The polls have narrowed markedly and what was previously seen by many on the pro-union side as a mere formality has become a real competitive contest. Such a swift transformation has left most of the British political classes and media struggling to catch up with events. But it has also left large parts of pro-union Scotland feeling bewildered and disorientated at the pace of change.

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The Birth Pains of Scottish Democracy and the Anguish of ‘Posh Scotland’ Gerry Hassan Scottish Review, February 26th 2014 Many strange things will be written about Scotland this year. Some will be uncomprehending, some inappropriate or wrong, with others likely to be malevolent and wishing to sew seeds of confusion or distrust. One existing strand is the pain expressed by some English media voices. There is the liberal ‘Guardian’ reading classes, some of whom have just bothered in the last few weeks to look north from their cosmopolitan concerns and to plea, ‘don’t leave us alone with the wicked Tories’.

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Changin Scotland A weekend of politics, culture and ideas …. And fun! Friday March 28^th-Sunday March 30^th The Ceilidh Place, Ullapool WHO HAS POWER IN MODERN SCOTLAND? In association with the Reid Foundation Friday March 28^th 8.00-9.30pm: Welcome: Gerry Hassan and Jean Urquhart Scotland after the Crash: The Collapse of RBS Ian Fraser, author, forthcoming ‘Shredded: The Rise and Fall of RBS’ (more…)

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The Art of Living Together and the Art of Dying Gerry Hassan National Collective, January 22nd 2014 Sometimes it takes outside voices to reinforce what you already know. So it was with Fintan O’Toole and the second in the series of Glasgow School of Art-University of the West of Scotland ‘Cultures of Independence’ seminars. O’Toole is author of the acclaimed books, ‘Ship of Fools’ and ‘Enough is Enough’ (1), both wonderful and powerful counter blasts to the baloney and bubble of the Celtic Tiger and its excesses. He is of no doubt that Scotland is at a hugely important

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Dreams of my Father and an Elegy for a Lost Scotland Gerry Hassan Sunday Herald, January 5th 2014 Twenty years ago last October, my father, Edwin, died. I was a young man at the time, in my late twenties, and my dad’s death was a major moment in my life, of maturing, of putting life in perspective, and of sadness. In the months coming up to the anniversary of his death this year, his memory came more to the fore, as I reflected on his life and influence on myself. Truth be told, my father had in his last

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Why the Politics of Hope not Optimism are the Future Gerry Hassan The Scotsman, January 4th 2014 One of the great myths of modern life is the power of optimism. Optimism, so the argument goes, can get you far. It can make you a winner, change individual life circumstances, make people rich or help them battle out of poverty. In the world of politics and campaigning, optimism is seen by many as the key particularly in American Presidential elections – such as Ronald Reagan in 1984 (‘It’s morning again in America’), and Barack Obama in 2008 (‘Yes We Can’) 

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History in the Making: The Battle for Scotland’s Future Gerry Hassan National Collective, November 20th 2013 The campaign on Scottish independence has reached new levels - a battle of competing specialist documents – firstly, there has been an Institute for Fiscal Studies report, matched by a Scottish Government paper on the economic independence, and next week the much anticipated White Paper on Scottish independence. The latter is a milestone in the pro-independence debate. Whatever its content, style and persuasiveness things will never quite be the same again. A devolved administration in part of the UK lays out the case for

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