“We can do better than this, and we have no right not to try. We have no shortage of those who have not given up.”
Boris Johnson
In the festival of great power politics, Britain and Europe are nowhere near the main stage; for all the shouty antics, both are being drowned out by the big acts.
Source Direct: Special Relationships on the Couch
The Cummings-Johnson showdown looks likely to play out like Holyrood’s own high noon. Revelations and accusations will titillate the political class; and some authentically scandalous insights into state power will be uncovered. But the wider public may look the other way.
Source Direct: Cumm Again?
“Independence supporters face the prospect of explaining and reaffirming the expanded mandate for they have won. Many will not look forward to beating their head against this particular brick wall once again, as the unionist counter-argument will only become more shrill, obstinate and unconcerned with democracy the more they are put on the defensive.”
Sean Bell: After the election, what comes next?
Boris Johnson won back precious credibility with Britain’s vaccination programme. But it couldn’t last, and the Tories are mired in scandals to an extent we haven’t seen since John Major’s years of sleaze.
Source Direct: Sleaze Sleaze Me
“A new Act of Union… would not only curtail the future of Scottish democracy, but would dismantle Scottish democracy as it currently exists.”
Sean Bell: A new Act of Union would place the law and democracy at odds
“No matter how strict the law on hunting with dogs is made, the question persists of how effectively it can be enforced across the vast tracts of Scotland that remain under private ownership”
Sean Bell: Class war or not, fox-hunting must end
“In the 2012 agreement, both sides of the negotiation wanted a referendum. In any future agreement, only one side, Edinburgh, is likely to want it.”
Analysis: What pitfalls lie before the Draft Referendum Bill?
“The gradual lifting of lockdown may well spell a new dawn for protest movements, as they struggle for their very right to demand change in a pandemic-ravaged social order.”
Analysis: Social movements can beat attacks on the right to protest
Philip Hammond believes that what is good for the City of London is good for Britain. He represents the Conservative Party as sociological determinism says it should be, a Europhile and the voice of unfettered financial capitalism