Sunday National, 9th January 2022. With his two faces, Janus is the patron god of the new year and also, it appears, one of the ruling spirits governing the Conservative Party. Just last month, Dominic Raab announced his intention to introduce a British Bill of Rights, replacing the “hated” Human Rights Act.™ The basic idea … Continue reading The light of day →

Sunday National, 2nd January 2022. Just how solid is the House of Windsor anyway? The future of the monarchy in Britain might seem unassailable as 2021 closes. In the UK, republicanism looks like a cause without a constituency. A statue of Oliver Cromwell stands outside the Palace of Westminster, but inside, everyone is expected to … Continue reading Grooms of the stool →

Sunday National, 26th December 2021. What will you remember 2021 for? Bookended by two cold Christmases where the country wheezed through Covid and wondered what the new year would bring, for many folk, the last twelve months have felt a bit like Groundhog Day. I don’t blame them. Without the usual waystations in the year … Continue reading 2021 →

Sunday National, 19th December 2021. It was the passive voice which struck me. In a recent interview reflecting on the scandals which have engulfed his party, the Scottish Tory MP Andrew Bowie admitted he was finally experiencing a little discomfort in championing the UK government’s position. “It was very uncomfortable having to defend what we … Continue reading You rode in on this tiger →

Sunday National, 28th November 2021. “I’m not going to oppose a pilot if that’s what the Scottish Government bring forward and I don’t think the UK Government should either.” It was one of the more startling political conversions of last week. On Monday, Nicola Sturgeon and Douglas Ross visited the Bluevale Community Centre in Glasgow. … Continue reading When stars align →

Sunday National, 21st November 2021. “Two nations separated by a common language” was how George Bernard Shaw described our relationship with the United States. In some ways, America can seem beguilingly accessible for English speakers. Through TV and film, we’re saturated in American culture. Other political systems are sealed away behind a wall of words. … Continue reading Land of the free? I’ll take my chances →

Sunday National, 14th November 2021. It was the late Christopher Hitchens who first introduced me to the concept of a “trumbrel remark.” Writing in Slate magazine in 2008, Hitchens defined it as “an unguarded comment by an uncontrollably rich person, of such crass insensitivity that it makes the workers and peasants think of lampposts and … Continue reading Jean Valjean, lobbyist →

Sunday National, 7th November 2021. “Show, don’t tell” storytellers say. The maxim applies in politics too. That’s why photos of the First Minister meeting various international dignitaries at the COP26 summit caused the staunchest of the staunch to experience a collective aneurism this week. You can imagine the chat in Tory central office: “devolution created … Continue reading Diplomacy with a Scottish face →

Sunday National, 31st October 2021. “Boosterism” is the concept the media have settled on to describe Boris Johnson’s governing philosophy. “Projecting mindless optimism” would be another way of describing it. Biffing the gloomsters and naysayers, the Prime Minister’s vision for Making Britain Great Again mainly consists of agitated rhetoric, colourful word choices and promises to … Continue reading On boosterism →

Sunday National, 24th October 2021. I had one university classmate who would stagger past tipsy and plunge headlong into drunkenness long before everyone else on a night out. You would see the palpable ripple of interest from men across the room as she became visibly the worse for wear, followed by a tightening circle of … Continue reading Don’t be that guy →