If indeed Liz Truss "knows indyref2 will happen", as Lesley Riddoch insists, then she knows more than we do. Assuming that by "indyref2" is meant a referendum that serves as a formal exercise of Scotland's right of self-determination, there are neither plans nor proposals for such an event. But it is likely that Lesley was … Continue reading Inadequate!
It seems it's not just the unions that are changing. Lesley Riddoch tells us that developments in the trade union movement mean that "tired, hesitant, pen-pushing bureaucrats are out" while "activist, articulate, no-nonsense leaders" are in, and that this has lessons for the Yes movement. If that includes Nicola Sturgeon - and some of us … Continue reading A welcome change?
I winced at the casual promulgation of the 'recruiting sergeant' and 'crumbling Union' myths in Lesley Riddoch's column. But I am resigned to the fact that the appeal of these myths is such that even an intelligent and informed commentator like Lesley Riddoch has difficulty resisting them. If she was at all inclined to take … Continue reading Shed the myths, Lesley!
If language is important - as it surely is - then the motives and attitudes and intentions of the person choosing and using the language must also be significant. Context is crucial. The psychology of the speaker is as much part of the context as the setting and has to be considered along with other factors, such as the occasion, the venue and the audience.
We shouldn't get hooked on the the past. It's not a trusted source of news. It is a questionable reference. We cannot replicate the past. History does not so much repeat itself as do impersonations which are often only convincing to those who want to be convinced. But there are lessons we can learn. We can find some guidance in the past. Memory is one of the inputs to the process of creating the mental maps by which we navigate from the present to the future. History may provide clues to the best route. It may also offer hints about paths we definitely should not follow.
Where we might have hoped for a rousing message of encouragement and incitement to the Yes movement urging us on with a call to some kind of action, there's nothing.
There is no issue of Scottish public policy, no facet of life in Scotland, which can be divorced from the constitutional question.
Political anorak pride!In a contribution to the admirable, if somewhat constipated, Newsnet Scotland, journalist, commentator and broadcaster Lesley Riddoch sets out, not so much to contribute to the debate about Scotland's constitutional future, as to serve as midwife to that debate. (Will there be a genuine public debate about Scottish independence?)I don't doubt Lesley Riddoch's … Continue reading Anoraks are people too
Peter A Bell 