Apparently, there is both a Transgender Awareness Week and a Transgender Awareness Month. Although, as far as I can make out, these overlap. Transgender Awareness Week falls within Transgender Awareness Month. Presumably, we are expected to be doubly aware of transgender for those seven days. Quite how it might be possible to remain unaware of … Continue reading Average Person Awareness Day
I don't know this David Clark. He may be every bit the foreign affairs expert John Drummond says he is. But I still need to pull him up on a couple of points. The reason federalism is a "non-starter" is even more "simple and straightforward" than Mr Clark suggests. A federal settlement acceptable to the … Continue reading If you want it broken, break it!
So, Believe in Scotland has been "the engine of the grassroots Scottish independence campaign" for nearly four years. During which time the polls flatlined. For a group whose stated goal is to "goal is to shift independence polls", that's not much or a record on which to base yet another dip into the pockets of … Continue reading Information without inspiration is insipid
You were warned! (UK could bypass Scottish Parliament in devolved areas, MSPs warn) Even before the first referendum it was obvious that the British establishment considered devolution to be an experiment which has not just failed but seriously backfired. There was already considerable opposition to tis experiment when it was first embarked upon in an … Continue reading Sort yourselves out!
There's something in today's National that we don't often see in "the newspaper that supports an independent Scotland" ─ an article taking a pop at a leading figure in the SNP. I guess it's fair to say that Pete Wishart is a leading figure in the party of independence. Although the term 'leading' seems particularly … Continue reading Wishartian censoriousness
Funny how things come together sometimes. I was planning on writing a piece inspired by a January 2018 Guardian interview with then SNP Westminster Group Deputy Leader, Kirsty Blackman, that was brought to my attention the other day. It seems unlikely that the interview escaped my attention back then, but I have no recollection. It … Continue reading A question of priorities
I have spent the morning poring over Professor Sionaidh Douglas-Scott's article titled Scottish Independence And The UK Government’s Unreasonable Refusal To Negotiate published by The Centre on Constitutional Change ─ a body which, I confess, I was previously unaware of. Or had forgotten about, as happens rather a lot these days. My attention was drawn … Continue reading The ghost question
Shona Craven makes several very important points. Misrepresentation by pro-reform activists of the arguments offered by those expressing concerns about the proposed GRA reforms is largely responsible for the toxicity of the debate. This toxicity has been quite purposefully contrived because it helps the pro-reform side dodge the kind of questions Shona refers to. Questions … Continue reading Real-life issues
Alba will get no disagreement from me that we've had enough and it's time for independence. But I'd like to know how they intend that this should happen. Getting answers to such questions from Alba is no easier than getting a sensible response from the SNP to criticism of Nicola Sturgeon's 'plan'. We've had eight … Continue reading Where’s the plan?
Yesterday I did something quite unusual for me. I re-blogged an article from another site. I very seldom do this because I rarely encounter articles that I consider warrant republishing. When I find what I reckon to be a piece worthy of wider notice, I share it and link to it. This is what I … Continue reading Out of the box
Peter A Bell 