Dragging the Health Service from Victorian to Modern Times!
Dragging The Health Service from Victorian to Modern Times! Gerry Hassan The Scotsman, January 7th 2010 The NHS has always been seen by the public and politicians as something special, off-limits to consideration of future cuts by the Conservatives and Labour, and influenced by the personal experience people have of the health service when they need it. The reality has always been more complicated than the egalitarian rhetoric which has shrouded the NHS since its formation. At that time Nye Bevan had to weave and navigate to bring the NHS into being with BMA support. Two of these compromises
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The Gatekeepers of Scottish Business
The Gatekeepers of Scotland’s Business Gerry Hassan The Scotsman, December 19th 2009 One of the paradoxes of devolution is that for all the talk of greater openness and wider engagement, those who have gained most from the whole experience have been the voices of institutional Scotland, namely those who already had access and power pre-devolution. A further paradox is that one of the specific interest groups who have gained most have been those who campaigned against devolution and were dismissive to hostile about the entire exercise - the business membership bodies. It should not be too much of a
Groundhog Election Day: The Coming Scottish and UK Westminster Contests
Groundhog Election Day: The Coming Scottish and UK Westminster Contests Gerry Hassan The Scotsman, December 15th 2009 As the festive season approaches the political and media classes play their own party game which is as familiar as ‘pass the parcel’: guess the election date. The end game of a five-year Parliament approaches, and an unpopular Prime Minister tries to keep his options between March, May and June, the last a non-runner. He knows he has a reputation as a ditherer, who forever will be remembered (like Jim Callaghan) as the PM who failed to call an election when the polls
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The End of Fantasy Island Britain
The End of Fantasy Island Britain Gerry Hassan The Scotsman, December 11th 2009 Many things have changed in the last year: how we think of our politicians, the economy, bankers, the state, and yet a large part of our political classes, corporate opinion and the media seem intent on sailing on for the rocks as if nothing major has happened and ‘normal service’ will shortly be resumed upon HMS Great Britain! Alistair Darling’s Pre-Budget Review could not acknowledge this, but what we are witnessing is profound and long lasting and will shape our lives for decades. This is the slow
Scotland’s Debates: Why We Need to Change the Culture of Denial
Scotland’s Debates: Why We Need to Change the Culture of Denial Gerry Hassan The Scotsman, December 2nd 2009 Two alternative ways of understanding Scotland have come to the fore of late. One sees independence versus a reformed union representing Scotland and the politics of constitutional change. The other seen in the BBC Scotland TV series ‘A History of Scotland’ is about understanding our past, where we came from, what made us and who we are now to aid us better shape our future. Both are not without difficulties. The constitutional debate on both sides, independence versus the union, remains
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Scotland’s Continued Shame
Scotland’s Continued Shame Gerry Hassan The Scotsman, November 26th 2009 The Scots like to think of themselves as a welcoming, friendly people who are less xenophobic, racist and prejudiced than others. At the same time, we know that the scar of sectarianism blights our land, and that racism and homophobia are equally prevalent and problematic. There is a perception that there is a PC class and industry that have positions of power and influence that think they have the right to judge what we think, say and do. The Equality and Human Rights Commission in Scotland has done lots of
Why Calman isn’t the Answer: Breaking the Elite Consensus of Scotland
Why Calman isn’t the Answer: Breaking the Elite Consensus of Scotland Gerry Hassan The Scotsman, November 20th 2009 At the fag end of a Parliament beset by scandal and crisis with a discredited political class and unpopular Labour Government, we are about to witness a flurry of constitutional proposals for Scotland. The Queen’s Speech saw the UK Government declare it would be ‘taking forward’ proposals over the Calman Commission with a White Paper published in the next few weeks. At the same time, the Scottish Government, which boycotted Calman, will next week publish a White Paper putting more detail to
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The Wider Tragedy and Very Partial Case for Gordon Brown
The Wider Tragedy and Very Partial Case for Gordon Brown Gerry Hassan The Scotsman, November 12th 2009 Gordon Brown is a troubled man so the prevailing wisdom goes. He does not have his demons to seek from his flawed personality to the ghost of Tony Blair that wont quite leave the stage. He is widely seen in the media as an unattractive mixture of indecision, control freakery and paranoia. In a matter of years he has been transformed from being ‘the Iron Chancellor’ who was feared by the Tories he dismissed with consummate ease such as Michael Howard and
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Stephen, What Difference Does It Make? The World of Twittergate
Stephen, What Difference Does It Make? The World of Twittergate Gerry Hassan The Scotsman, November 4th 2009 The big issue facing the planet these last few days has not been Tony Blair trying to become Euro President, the on-off Afghan elections, or MP expenses. That’s so old thinking and square! The only issue in town has been Stephen Fry throwing a hissy fit on Twitter and taking umbrage at being called by a fellow Twitter ‘boring’ to which Fry announced his ‘retirement’ from the site. Fry has 945,295 followers on the site, and has been ranked the third most influential
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No More Heroes Anymore?
No More Heroes Anymore? Gerry Hassan The Scotsman, October 31st 2009 Britain is not a happy land. It is a place filled with disgruntlement, anger and resentment. This is about more than anxieties caused by recession. Instead, people have a sense that greedy bankers, politicians, BBC bosses and many others are just looking after themselves and that something profound has changed. That the civic code governing society has fundamentally altered. This is tinged with an air of who do we believe in anymore? Thirty years ago the Stranglers sang ‘No More Heroes’ and it has come to pass. Who,
