Unionism is strong but its parties are establishment stooges – we have to do better

THEY RANG THEIR BELLS loud all winter but Friday 13th was the conclusion of five years of noisy unionist parties not listening. Instead of a vibrant multiparty democracy we have three establishment stooges vying for ...

Life in the SNP’s party state

BACK IN SPRING 2015, an SNP conference changed the party’s standing orders to tighten its discipline over SNP elected members with a new rule stating that ‘No member shall, within or outwith the parliament, publicly ...

Scotland and the EU: Sturgeon's myth and the EU reality

THE SNP IS BIG ON OUTRAGE, and nothing has ostensibly outraged it more than “Scotland being dragged out of the EU against its will”. Certainly, 62 per cent of Scots (including me) voted Remain in ...

How to vote? The use of tactics in 2019

THE ELECTION on 12 December looks as if it will be the first election in which tactical voting will play a significant part. In England and Wales, those who are strong EU Leavers will vote ...

Think Movies: Joker

IN THE WORDS of Andrew Scott’s mould-shattering depiction of another villain, Jim Moriarty, “Did you miss me?”

After a period of absence, Think Movies is back and how better to return to ...

Ruth Davidson's hubris – Part 2

WHAT HAS Ruth Davidson’s announcement that she’s giving up her new job as a part-time lobbyist got to do with the announcement of a general election on December 12? Everything and nothing – and none of ...

Ruth Davidson’s embarrassing hubris

THE RESPONSE to the news that Ruth Davidson has taken on a £50k-pa, two-day-a-month job with Tulchan Communications has been unanimous: being an MSP and simultaneously working for a lobbying company is not on.

Transparency in justice demands sentences that fit the crime

URGENT ACTION must be taken to restore public trust in the justice system, including the abolition of automatic early release for all short and long-term prisoners.

We have all met victims and ...

Conservatives in Scotland need something different

THERE ARE ONLY two issues of consequence in Scottish politics, Brexit and independence. I don’t follow what happens from day to day in the Scottish Parliament. In this, I strongly suspect, I am identical to ...

You can forget having lunch in an independent Scotland

THE LATEST Times poll on the 4th of September shows Yes support for Independence at 49 per cent and No at 51 per cent. You would think that the SNP would be delighted with these figures (they ...

In Scotland as in China, a snake is a little dragon

FRIDAY'S UGLY DISPLAY in Govan would come as no surprise to anyone with a memory longer than five minutes.

One thing that can be relied upon from peaceful civic joyous nationalists is ...

Davidson: motherhood is no get-out-of-jail-free card

WHEN SOMEONE told me Ruth Davidson was resigning, I thought it was an elaborate wind-up. As the news of her departure sank in shock and disbelief gave way to disappointment, anger and fear.