Opinion
Don’t knock doors
When there is no immediate decision-point ahead, knocking people’s doors and disturbing them during their busy lives is not only ineffective, it’s counterproductive.
Who’s in charge and what are they in charge of?
As SNP politicians clamber over themselves to distance themselves from scandal, who is actually in charge? And for that matter, as the SNP devolves into a mess, what exactly are they in charge of?
But How?
If you look at the pieces which are currently on the board in Scottish political and civic life, you can push them around as much as you want but you don’t seem to be able to fix things. It is time to start a proper debate about what’s wrong.
The desperate need to get a grip – and how to do it
It is very apparent to anyone who understands political PR that Team Humza don’t have a clue what they’re doing. If they don’t get this together soon we’re all in trouble. This is how to get on top of things.
The SNP is now an idiocracy
If you spend ten years forcing bright-but-challenging people out of an institution and you replace them with compliant people who don’t ask questions, what you end up with is, well, the modern SNP.
The art of working together
Social movements have always required people to collaborate beyond their normal boundaries, but the tone of contemporary politics is making that harder and harder. We need to overcome this barrier and work together if we want change.
We can’t afford a nervous breakdown right now
The independence movement is awash with conflicting emotions and they are going to lead us into trouble. We absolutely have to slow down, think things through – and get them right.
The timetable for Scottish independence has not changed
It’s not that the timescales for achieving independence have taken a hit, it’s that we’re now seeing what was always the reality. All that means is that we’re free to get started, any time we want.
Much needs fixed – but it can be fixed
If you’re not in despair at the state of Scotland you’re not paying attention. But if you believe that there is nothing that can be done about it, read on and hopefully feel more positive.
How bad is this?
The Murrell arrest and the sheer shock-value of what is happening in Scotland today looks, well, bad. In reality it is probably all worse than it looks, and the route out of this is going to be hard to swallow.
What does the Rebel 15 mean for Scottish politics?
The new SNP administration faces a new challenge – a semi-organised group of rebels on the back benches. What does this mean and what effect may it have on politics in Scotland?
Is this a new dawn for civic Scotland?
The weaknesses in political Scotland make the role of civic Scotland particularly important. What can the past tell us about the civic role in Scotland and what does it tell us about the future?