Looking at the polling for the SNP leadership election in The National, two thoughts immediately occur to me. The first is that there is clearly no unifying candidate. There is no candidate who, should they win, wouldn't be unpopular with almost as many people as favour them. What that graphic shows is pretty much the … Continue reading The poisoned chalice
I have a question for all the candidates in the SNP leadership contest. How Kate Forbes, Ash Regan and Humza Yousaf respond to this question will give a clear indication of the strength of their commitment to the restoration of Scotland's independence. I do not, of course, expect any of them to respond directly to … Continue reading A question for the candidates
It is no secret that I deplore the Section 30 process. That is to say, the process by which the First Minister of Scotland, acting on behalf of the sovereign people of Scotland, petitions the British Prime Minister to grant conditional consent that the sovereign people of Scotland exercise their inalienable right to determine the … Continue reading We can be heroes!
The Sunday National's summary of the policies and positions set out by the three candidates in the SNP leadership contest is useful even if for no other reason than to illustrate how little is on offer to Scotland's independence movement. The total absence of any new ideas is incredible given that there has been an … Continue reading A glimmer of hope?
Two things strike me as perplexing about the question splashed across the front page of The National today. The first is that "how do we win the No voters over to Yes?" is still being asked in March 2023. The second is that in March 2023 the SNP still has no clear or persuasive answer … Continue reading A want of daring
To be honest ─ even at some risk to my 'feminist' credentials ─ I have some sympathy with the views on womanhood expressed by Kate Forbes back in 2014. Views which she has confirmed she continues to hold. I agree that women are different from men. I agree that nature (evolution) has 'designed' men and … Continue reading The word of God
Trekking the highways and byways of social media this past few days I have gained the sense that I am the only one not swooning over Kate Forbes on account of her 'honesty'. Everybody seems mighty impressed with the fact that she came right out and told us something we already knew. Something she could … Continue reading Inconsistencies and contradictions
I have strong reservations about religionists in politics and Kate Forbes is, by her own account, unable to separate doctrinal commands of her religious faith from the secular nature of our legislature. Nonetheless, I am very concerned by the way she is being targeted by what has all the characteristics of an orchestrated campaign to … Continue reading Discrimination and religion
Peter A Bell 