Scotland

Welcome to the Ulsterisation of Scottish politics…

Soapbox on January 15, 2016, 10:12 am

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The following is written by Aidan Kerr. On Hogmanay night, in the dying hours of 2014, I published on my blog the following article entitled ‘The Ulsterisation of Scottish Politics’. As the SNP tsunami approached I could see the politics of this wee country altering. It was to be drawn across constitutional lines in a similar fashion to another wee country to our west. Today, ulsterisation deepens. As we walk towards May’s Scottish Parliament elections we have the Scottish Conservatives …

“How deep is Nicola Sturgeon and Kezia Dudgale’s social democratic commitment?”

Mick Fealty on December 21, 2015, 5:34 pm

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I don’t share David’s view of the Spanish election result. The most remarkable thing (apart from the low turnout increased turnout, actually) is how poorly Podemos performed compared to expectations earlier in the year. The limited returns from Syriza’s pitch in Greece perhaps coloured expectations? Scotland by contrast got its play for freedom in earlier, with a promise of radical change which set the country alight, and in the process all but burning down Labour’s Scottish mansion. In the great …

Corbyn is not Labour’s real headache, Labour is…

Mick Fealty on December 16, 2015, 6:31 am

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Just putting this here… In general, the paradox is that the political argument for [Scottish] independence is perhaps even stronger than it was a year ago but the economic argument, a weakness even in 2014, is incontrovertibly weaker than it was 12 months ago. No-one is much thinking about that right now but at some point some nationalists are going to have devote some thought to these matters. At some point the Labour party is going to have to come to …

Corbyn has a long way to go before he can spend any political capital on dealing with his NI rebels

Mick Fealty on December 11, 2015, 3:51 pm

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Interesting piece from Siobhan Fenton in the News Statesman looking at the decision of the local UK Labour Party in principle to stand for elections in Northern Ireland… Siobhan calls it a ‘crisis’ which it might be if anyone in the broader Labour party takes notice… The Northern Irish branch are currently inviting local people to come forward as potential candidates and describe themselves as “snowed under” with interest. Labour’s neglect of and disinterest in Northern Irish members for decades …

#Slugger15: What were your highlights and lowlights of 2015?

Mick Fealty on December 4, 2015, 2:35 pm

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SLUGGER REVIEW: As we get to the nub of the year and Slugger’s end of the year review (there are still some tickets left), do let us have your suggestions, nominations, or simple reminders of things we might otherwise have forgotten? It’s been busier than you probably think…

Scotland Bill, and the perils of building legislation via pressured negotiation…

Mick Fealty on November 23, 2015, 6:39 pm

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UNFITTED SOLUTIONS: One thing we may see happening more often in UK politics has long been a feature in Irish politics where referendums are constitutionally de rigueur, and that is the problem of what happens when the contagious politics of the big idea meets small politics of administration.

Could NI provide a home for Trident?

David McCann on November 23, 2015, 5:11 pm

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FIRING A THOUGHT BUBBLE: Something that caught my eye in a defence debate today when the DUP’s Jeffrey Donaldson pitched this idea

Corbyn’s dire polling figures give Tories (and the SNP) huge political latitude

Mick Fealty on October 31, 2015, 7:15 am

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Yesterday there were five council by-elections in which both Tories and Labour stood. The overall swing to Conservatives was estimated at 3.8%. Hardly definitive judgement on Corbyn’s leadership, but at a time when the Tories are running a horse and cart through the benefit system hardly grounds for optimism either.

Mick Fealty

Mick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Twitter: @MickFealty

Will a #Brexit trigger an #IndyRef2?

Mick Fealty on October 26, 2015, 9:05 am

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Fascinating as ever John Curtice looks at what polling says about Scottish attitudes towards Brexit, and much of it hinges on the SNP’s nationalist pro EU outlook… …in Scotland, those wanting to remain substantially outnumber those who wish to leave. Survation reported as many as 51 per cent said they would vote to remain, while just 29 per cent would opt to leave. More recently in a poll published last week, YouGov have reported almost identical figures; 51 per cent …

SNP will continue to take Scotland on a steady fiscally ‘conservative’ course…

Mick Fealty on October 16, 2015, 11:04 am

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Very perceptive take from Professor Paul Cairney on where the SNP is after their conference. The reality is there will be no second push for a referendum until the answer is likely to be significantly different (an expression of doubt that the new converts to the SNP would trundle happily into the Yes lobby this time). Nor will there be any sharp move towards the Nordic model of social democracy. (For a start the money is not there.) Paul notes clear fiscal policy …

State of the State: “Northern Ireland appears to be pausing at a junction.”

David McCann on October 15, 2015, 7:22 pm

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Deloitte released its State of the State report today which examines the structure and levels of government across the UK. The 42 page report outlines public spending levels and the impact of cuts across the country in the last financial year. Whilst the report does look at the UK as a whole (I would encourage you to look through the report) it does devote some pages to Northern Ireland’s economic performance and the challenges we face. Being the public service …

Can Labour’s ‘Quiet Man’ turn up the volume on the Tory’s Nudge revolution?

Mick Fealty on September 16, 2015, 4:30 pm

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CORBYN AND CHANGE: Whilst Mr Corbyn’s claim to anti charisma status is impeccable, in the final reckoning he’ll be judged on his capacity (or otherwise) to re-invigorate Labour, not just on whether he’d make Prime Ministerial material.

Labour’s choice of its enemies

Paul Evans on September 15, 2015, 10:35 am

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LABOUR IN SEARCH OF A SOUL: Labour has a lack of clarity about its own morality and its own purpose. It needs to become a united fighting force again. At this moment, it’s hard to imagine it trying to solve these problems any time soon.

Scots may not be quite ready for another IndyRef…

Mick Fealty on September 14, 2015, 1:47 pm

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Interesting from the Glasgow Herald… A third of Scots would be less likely to vote SNP if the party promises another independence referendum in its Holyrood election manifesto, according to a new poll. The Survation poll for the Daily Mail found that such a pledge would make 31% more likely to vote for the party while 36% said it would make no difference. It comes after First Minister Nicola Sturgeon yesterday said the SNP will set out the timescale for …

Is Scotland really about to make lying (by politicians) illegal? #Awkward

Mick Fealty on September 4, 2015, 7:16 am

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Now, in Northern Ireland we know loads about lying politicians. But whilst we acquiesce in their fabrications (and wonder whether our Legislative Assembly members will ever see another clean shirt) Scotland is well ahead of us, apparently. Over there, lying by elected politicians may be about to be made illegal. Punishable by being made to face the electors again. [Erm, not so sure that actually qualifies as a viable punishment in Northern Ireland? – Ed] Okay. So, political activists on …

There are lessons from Northern Ireland for the SNP’s row over Nick Robinson and the BBC

Brian Walker on September 1, 2015, 1:49 pm

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The row between the BBC’s outgoing political editor Nick Robinson and the former Scotland first minister Alex Salmond reminds me of experience in Northern Ireland during the Troubles where there was a similar lack of fundamental agreement about the political destiny of the country. Nick’s row arose out of questions he put to Alex at a news conference towards the end of the referendum campaign. The SNP were playing down the theme which turned out to be the clincher in …

The drive for independence suspected in new boost for Scots language. Sounds familiar?

Brian Walker on August 26, 2015, 12:47 pm

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The Financial Times (£ paywall) which is so good at making its limited space for non-financial themes count, reports a new boost for the Scots language which the writer Mure Dickie suspects is part of the longer term drive for independence. In language policy, the parallels as well as contrasts with both Irish and Ulster Scots hardly need much spelling out. But I hope you will – enjoy, is that the word? – the distortions of what we think of as …

Should the Scottish Parliament and the Assemblies in Cardiff and Belfast control ” their” BBC?

Brian Walker on August 5, 2015, 4:51 pm

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The three wee Celts in the precariously devolved UK have got together – convened wouldn’t you know it – by the Scots, to agitate for a bigger slice of the BBC licence fee during the coming round of the BBC Charter review. Northern Ireland’s culture minister Caral Ni Chuilin declares: “The BBC must continue to embrace and further develop its commitment to its public obligations and the occasion of the charter renewal must be seen as an opportunity to deliver …

Abortion law is pawn in a Tory-SNP power game

Brian Walker on July 25, 2015, 10:12 am

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The Herald reports that the Conservatives are thinking about devolving abortion law to Scotland where a strong Catholic lobby is opposed to the 1967 Act. What the point of doing it unless the aim is to repeal it? Not necessarily apparently. It’s really about the power game between Westminster and Holyrood, not about little matters such as rights, ethics, women and embryos. Earlier this year, the Scottish Government quietly dropped a demand for new powers over abortion, saying it had other …