Allan Armstrong writes a review of Pete Cannell’s Scotland after Sturgeon CHALLENGING THE CONSTITUTION Anyone reading Pete Cannell’s Scotland after Sturgeon will acknowledge his fair-minded approach to Nicola Sturgeon. In terms of mainstream politics, Sturgeon, whilst leader of the SNP and Scotland’s First Minister, was “easily the most popular politician in the UK”. Pete…
Papering over the cracks, covering up the tracks : a review of Scotland after Britain
Allan Armstrong has written an extended review of ‘Scotland After Britain’, written by James Foley and Ben Wray, with Neil Davidson, entitled Papering over the Cracks, Covering up the Tracks. The Contents, the last chapter and Conclusion can be read here. PAPERING OVER THE CRACKS COVERING UP THE TRACKS A review of Scotland after Britain by…
Scotland’s travails from England (or Scotland’s travails and England’s woes)
The following article, written by Steve Freeman of the Republican Labour Education Forum in England, locates the current travails of the SNP and its impact on the wider Scottish independence movement in the wider crisis of the post-war UK state and British social monarchy. It points to the need for a republican approach in Scotland…
25 Years On: in the debris of the Good Friday Agreement
The following article from Socialist Democracy (Ireland)examines the state of the Good Friday Agreement twenty five years after its signing, and finds it in tatters. 25 YEARS ON – IN THE DEBRIS OF THE GOOD FRIDAY AGREEMENT Now do we love Big Brother? The 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement is being marked…
Jewish refugee groups condemn Illegal Migration Bill and government language
The growing opposition to the Tories’ draconian and racist Illegal Immigration Bill was highlighted when Gary Lineker compared the government’s activities to those of the Nazis. The husband of Tory Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, Rael , who had family members killed during the Holocaust, was incensed by the comparison. However, Lineker was pointing to the…
The Winds of Change at Gartymore
George Gunn is a signatory to the 2023 Declaration of Calton Hill. In this thought provoking article, first posted by bella caledonia, George argues that climate activists should take inspiration from the Highland Land League’s slogan “Is treasa tuath na tighearna” (The people are mightier than a lord.) Allan Armstrong adds his own comment at…
“The Sturgeon era is over: Now what?” and “What we have learned from the SNP leadership election”
Mike Small and Sean Bell are signatories to the 2023 Declaration of Calton Hill. Quite independently, they have been making their own observations and commentaries about the current political situation in Scotland in bella caledonia. Recently Mike has written, The Sturgeon era is over: Now what? and Sean has written What have we learned from…
More women in the police won’t reduce police violence
The following article by Janey Starling was first posted by openDemocracy. It was written in the aftermath of the damning Casey Report intom the conduct of The Met. It is followed by a comment from EL&SD EB member, Iain Robertson. MORE WOMEN IN THE POLICE WON’T REDUCE POLICE VIOLENCE As reports of hideous violence…
‘Love is love’: LGBT lives and the fight to become Scotland’s First Minister
The following article, written by Kevin Guyan, was first posted by bella caledonia. It examines the different ways SNP leader contenders Kate Forbes and Ash Regan have promoted anti-trans politics. ‘LOVE IS LOVE’: LGBT LIVES AND THE FIGHT TO BECOME SCOTLAND’S FIRST MINISTER ‘Love is Love’, tweeted Ash Regan on the morning of 21 February,…
Announcing the 2023 Declaration of Calton Hill
The following article, written by Allan Armstrong for the Radical Independence Campaign, was first posted by bella caledonia ANNOUNCING THE 2023 DECLARATION OF CALTON HILL On September 18th, November 2014, something truly remarkable in politics happened. By the time of the Scottish independence referendum, held on that day, 97% of Scotland’s potential electorate had registered…