Guest Blogger

The independence movement is not a make-or-break gamble, but a break-to-make impetus for both Scotland and Britain It was the last day in 2020, and when the clocks struck twelve, the Union eventually and officially left another Union. A year since then, the Prime Minister’s nostalgically forward-thinking Global Britain project has been well carried out, and now no one could question the competitiveness of Britain and its global standing in the number of daily new Covid-19 cases. 2021 was a remarkable year, it opened with crisis and ended with corruption. Would 2022 witness something different or be just another year of historic recurrence? Hardly couldRead More →

Recently in the news there have been many reports about alleged abuse of women, mainly relating to sexual and domestic abuse. The reports made me think about attitudes to women over the years.  When I was young, I was brought up to respect people, especially my elders. I thought about how this attitude affected me in my life. The first memory that surfaced was attending a meeting not far from my home. At the end of the meeting, a man old enough to be my father offered to walk me down the road to my house. I politely said No. He insisted and I stillRead More →

by Pete Wishart Who would have thought that five and a half years after losing a referendum on independence support is now edging over 50% and becoming a sustained majority? The resilience of the movement and the belief that this is unfinished business has endured and we are now at the point where we can almost touch out and reach our ambitions and move towards the reality of Scotland becoming an independent nation.  The Tories and unionists know they can’t beat us. The scent of decay in the union case is almost overwhelming and they know that they are approaching the endgame. Large numbers ofRead More →

I am becoming increasingly disheartened at the lack of compassion, empathy and respect when it comes to debating some really sensitive issues online. Perhaps social media simply mirrors real life, or maybe it does bring out the worst in some. Either way, it almost certainly leads to an over-simplification of issues and debates. This may be why we are seeing so many ‘All Lives Matter’ posts in response to the Black Lives Matter campaign – one simple message being countered by another, because people haven’t taken the time to look at the many complex and nuanced messages behind the Black Lives Matter campaign. Of courseRead More →

When I was 6 my wee brother was conveyed in a Cumfifolda pushchair with a big tray underneath it curiously of the most perfect shape to accommodate Scots Independent papers and SNP election leaflets. My mum, my brother and I pounded the streets whinging those missives through letterboxes of big posh houses and more modest council homes. We lived in Crieff, caravan dwellers, probably the sort of folk that others thought didn’t deserve a vote; likely we were regarded as illiterate leeches who made a living from stealing and selling scrap or telling fortunes in palms or tea leaves. I’ve explained before about the braveRead More →

by Michael Rennie Our democracy is lost at sea. As the political landscape changes at a rapid pace, Britain’s voting system needs to reflect the ever changing views of the British electorate. In modern political times, voting is like supermarkets, voters shop around to find the best deal rather than vote for one party all their lives. The two horse race days are well and truly over. For too long now, the views of a large chunk of the British electorate has been brushed aside and thrown into the political wilderness, as if they are completely meaningless because of a voting system stuck in VictorianRead More →