Tag: nicola sturgeon

scotland

The Scottish Origins of the United Kingdom

BY HAMISH GOBSON Ever since Nicola Sturgeon crashed and burned, and Humza Yousaf promised to emigrate, the question of the Union has gone off the boil in Scotland. The Westminster election earlier this year demonstrated that conclusively. But there are still lunatics in the Holyrood asylum so a study of the Scottish source of the Union idea is welcome. Parochial nationalism gives many people who do not … Continue reading The Scottish Origins of the United Kingdom

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Opinion

Paula Vennells & the SNP – Beware the Sordid Parallels

BY HAMISH GOBSON Is Paula Vennells the new Nicola Sturgeon? She is undoubtedly one of the most arrogant, untrustworthy, incompetent and conceited women to have flitted across the nation’s consciousness in recent years. Despite that, I think it would be hard to elevate her to the Sturgeon category, for one main reason. Nobody made any money out of the Post Office scandal. All the sub-postmasters’ … Continue reading Paula Vennells & the SNP – Beware the Sordid Parallels

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scotland

Mrs Murrell Analysed from the Unabomber’s Chair

BY HAMISH GOBSON The death of the Unabomber last month may have been eclipsed in the Scottish media by stories such as Mrs Murrell’s success in her driving theory test, or squibs like her recent trip to the police offices, but out here on Great Todday we hold fast to traditional news values. “Is modern society fit for purpose?” has always seemed more important than “Is Mrs … Continue reading Mrs Murrell Analysed from the Unabomber’s Chair

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Books

Europe’s Leadership Famine

BY DOMINIC WIGHTMAN Ask anyone but politicians anywhere around Europe what they think of politicians, and you’ll get groans. You’ll also hear words like “low calibre” and “disconnected”. You’ll receive whingeing about “short-termism”, “career politicians” and “reacting only to polls”. There is no coincidence in this. In the Internet age we are all interconnected as never before, and politicians, under far too much scrutiny, are … Continue reading Europe’s Leadership Famine

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Politics

Nicola & Nigel: A Tale of Two Politicians

BY STEWART SLATER That all political careers end in failure is a truism. And, like all truisms, it is not always true – there is little reasonable doubt that both Obama and Clinton would have won re-election if America permitted Presidents to serve more than two terms. But as a rule of thumb, it holds up reasonably well. Just ask Liz Truss, Theresa May, David … Continue reading Nicola & Nigel: A Tale of Two Politicians

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scotland

Gender Recognition Stooshie

BY IAN MITCHELL Readers wondering in amazement that Nicola Sturgeon has again put forward a measure which she must have known was going to be knocked back by the United Kingdom government need to understand her background and political personality. Her tactics with the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill, which was vetoed on Monday night by the British government, have caused surprise. To me, as … Continue reading Gender Recognition Stooshie

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Books, scotland

A New Book about Nicola Sturgeon

BY JAMIE FOSTER Surprisingly, this is only the second biography of Nicola Sturgeon ever published. The last one came out in 2015, and so has been overtaken by events. More importantly, this book is founded almost exclusively on what the First Minister said in parliament. It is not a collection of media stories, nor a bloodless academic “assessment”. It is the unarguable truth of what … Continue reading A New Book about Nicola Sturgeon

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Opinion

Neither Greta Nor Sturgeon Will Solve Anything

BY EFFIE DEANS I am no doubt fortunate to live in a part of the world as yet barely discovered by Extinction Rebellion. I have yet to see orange paint on the grey granite walls of Aberdeen nor have I been hindered in my journey to work by people obstructing the road. Some rather scruffy people did occupy the building where I work, which involved … Continue reading Neither Greta Nor Sturgeon Will Solve Anything

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scotland

What Sturgeon Didn’t Tell You About Currency

BY EFFIE DEANS With the bridge over the Kerch Straight having just been blown up and Russia threatening “judgement day”, it is hard to believe that the SNP is still considering an unofficial independence referendum in a little more than a year. I know let’s abolish the British Armed Forces and leave its nuclear deterrent homeless just when Mr Putin is threatening us with nuclear … Continue reading What Sturgeon Didn’t Tell You About Currency

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scotland

If Scotland is a Colony, Who are the Colonisers?

BY EFFIE DEANS I don’t know whether the SNP thinks Scotland is a colony, but certainly many if not most independence supporters think this. They often point to a list of countries that have gained independence from the UK and argue that none of them have ever wanted to go back. Most of these countries used to be part of the British Empire. The implication is that … Continue reading If Scotland is a Colony, Who are the Colonisers?

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scotland

The SNP Cannot Use A General Election To Leave The UK

BY EFFIE DEANS Sturgeon plans to hold an independence referendum next October, but she hasn’t published a bill. Yet somehow this unpublished bill is going to the Supreme Court to determine if it is legal or not. If it is legal, we will have an unofficial non-binding referendum with the same question as in 2014. If it is not legal, she plans to turn the … Continue reading The SNP Cannot Use A General Election To Leave The UK

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Defence, scotland

Leaving Шотландия (Scotland) Defenceless

BY EFFIE DEANS Scottish nationalism depends on the idea that nothing much would change if Scotland left the UK. It would merely involve Scottish MPs ceasing to sit on green benches in Westminster, instead of which they would go to Holyrood. Instead of being First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon would be Prime Minster, perhaps President or even Tsarina of all the Scotlands. We would no longer … Continue reading Leaving Шотландия (Scotland) Defenceless

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scotland

Time is Running Out for Sturgeon

BY EFFIE DEANS Nicola Sturgeon thinks time is on her side. Every year the SNP’s control of education pumps out mini nationalists who have grown up since primary school with tartan theme days and the impression that the First World War was fought only by Scottish regiments. Meanwhile the Nat reaper sweeps through the care homes cleansing Scotland of its No voters. Every day Nicola … Continue reading Time is Running Out for Sturgeon

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scotland

Pick Your Pronouns Wisely

BY EFFIE DEANS They joy of being a civil servant in Scotland has just increased. The Scottish Government is backing proposals to encourage eight thousand of them to take a pronoun pledge. Fortunately, this will not involve abstaining from alcohol as previous pledges once did, nor will it involve polishing wooden furniture. Rather it will merely involve adding a few lines to the end of … Continue reading Pick Your Pronouns Wisely

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scotland

How to Beat the SNP on Thursday

BY EFFIE DEANS I haven’t been writing much about the Scottish Parliament election lately. This is for a number of reasons. I am not very interested in election campaigning. I’m better at political argument. I have minimal interest in the peculiarities of the electoral system where we have one vote for the constituency and one vote for the list. It strikes me as overly complex … Continue reading How to Beat the SNP on Thursday

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