Category: Scotland
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Labour’s Scottish gamble
Politico has an intriguing nugget on Scotland: And while a serious revival in Scotland appears unlikely — one party official admitted only 15 seats north of the border are competitive for Labour, and that “we won’t win them all” — aides are bullish that Tory warnings about Starmer needing a backroom deal with the SNP to secure…
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Ferrier decision could set up SNP-Labour battle
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has today called on one of her own party’s MPs to resign from the House of Commons. The SNP withdrew the whip from Rutherglen and Hamilton West MP Margaret Ferrier after it emerged she had taken a train from Glasgow to London while Covid positive.
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Johnson’s Brexit victory leaves huge uncertainty for Northern Ireland and Scotland
After a massively consequential election on 12 December, the UK is now pretty certain to leave the EU within two months. Yet huge uncertainty remains about the UK's future outside the bloc. The lack of debate over Brexit during the election leaves Johnson with freedom to go far a hard Brexit or pivot to a…
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Labour’s Scottish dilemma
The Herald is reporting that Jeremy Corbyn will rule out an electoral pact with the SNP during an upcoming visit to Scotland. Compass Chair Neal Lawson has criticised any such move in an article for Labourlist. My thoughts from the Labourlist comments here:
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Wendy’s u-turn
OurKingdom has my thoughts on Wendy Alexander’s decison to come out in favour of a Scottish Independence referendum: Her actions were widely seen as sidelining the Calman Commission, which was largely her creation. However, It now looks as if any referendum is likely to come after the Commission has reported. It’s proposals will be crucial…
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Reform or retrenchment? Wendy Alexander on the constitution
Scottish Labour leader Wendy Alexander made a bold bid to take back the Scottish constitutional agenda on Sunday with the launch of her policy document, Change is What We Do: From my latest piece for OurKingdom.
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A Lib Dem olive branch to Salmond
A couple of Holyrood notes to catch up with: GORDON BROWN is refusing to call the body tasked with reviewing devolution a "commission" because he believes it would give an "incorrect impression about its status". The prime minister used that phrase at a Downing Street summit on the Union, a full account of which has…
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Kosovo, Europe and Scotland
The FT has an article today that will make unwelcome reading for Scottish nationalists. Nevertheless, even though it comes from the usual suspects at the Constitution Unit, it warrants serious consideration: The diplomatic fallout over recognition of the newcomer has ominous implications for the separatists in minority government in Edinburgh. Half a dozen European Union…
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Brown U-turn on fiscal devolution
Today brought yet another twist in the saga of the ‘Wendy Commission’, the devolution plan put forward by Labour’s Holyrood leader in opposition to the Scottish Government’s National Conversation. Backing her plans for a fresh study of devolution, Mr Brown said: "There is an issue about the financial responsibility of an executive or an administration…
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Brown undermining Alexander on devolution
Its been an intriguing few days in Scottish politics.Not for the first time, it seems the Holyrood-Westminster divide in the Labour Party has cracked wide open. A meeting on January 28 – attended by Brown, chancellor Alistair Darling, justice secretary Jack Straw, Scottish secretary Des Browne, and civil servant Jim Gallagher – was held to…