A new England is emerging – modern, hopeful and not about the past
A new England is emerging – modern, hopeful and not about the past Gerry Hassan Sunday National, July 11th 2021 England’s success in getting to the European Championship final today at Wembley is a major football moment – and a lot more. This is the first time England have ever reached the final of this tournament and only the second time they have ever reached a major competition final – the other being 1966 and victory over West Germany. Football has long provided a means by which people have found enjoyment, release, exhilaration and disappointment. But it is also
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The campaign of the next Scottish indyref has already begun
The campaign of the next Scottish indyref has already begun Gerry Hassan Sunday National, May 16th 2021 The campaign of the next Scottish indyref has already begun. The Scottish and British Governments both know this and all that is left to be decided is the timing, the immediate context and details. This could be the end game for the UK as we know it and the start of a new chapter for Scotland. That requires that people get serious and up their game. If anyone thought the issue of the power of the British state was some distant, abstract issue
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A big moment for Scotland and Democracy
A big moment for Scotland and Democracy Gerry Hassan Sunday National, May 9th 2021 The morning after the 2014 indyref UK PM David Cameron stood on the Downing Street steps and said it was time to listen to England and bring in “English Votes for English Laws.” Fast forward seven years, Scotland went to the polls and before most of the results were declared Boris Johnson gave an interview to the Daily Telegraph where he said no to another indyref calling it “irresponsible and reckless.” Tory contempt for the people runs deep when they express what Tories decree is the
Europe puts a light on for Scotland
Europe puts a light on for Scotland Gerry Hassan Sunday National, May 2nd 2021 Remember in 2014 Scotland was told: “What is [the] process for removing our EU citizenship? Voting Yes.” Now the same voices tell us that Scotland becoming an EU member is too difficult – the supposed ‘queue’ for membership, EU terms and spectre of a ‘Spanish veto’. Yet large parts of Europe have not forgotten that Scotland voted to remain a European nation - and part of the EU - in the 2016 vote, and still has the desire to be a self-governing EU nation. An initiative
Scotland’s choices and future after the election
Scotland’s choices and future after the election Gerry Hassan Sunday National, April 23rd 2021 It has been a momentous week. The George Floyd verdict put racial justice and police violence in the US centre-stage, while the over-reach of the plutocrats involved in the European Super League self-destructed in 48 hours. The scale of Tory sleaze and corruption surrounding Boris Johnson and his government rises by the day, with contracts and public monies awarded via access to the UK PM’s mobile phone number and What’s App discussions returning government to a Dickensian system of private favours and kleptocracy. Next week will
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The crisis of unionism has become the death of the union as we know it
The crisis of unionism has become the death of the union as we know it Gerry Hassan Sunday National, April 18th 2021 The UK is not in a good state - undermined by the concerted actions of the UK Government, continuing to showing a lack of understanding of the union. All of this is coming to a head as we approach the Scottish elections, raising the stakes for how people vote and raising difficult questions about the nature of UK democracy. This Tory Government is dramatically changing the UK and the union, how political authority is exercised, the relationships between
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The politics of populism in Scotland and the challenge of Alex Salmond and George Galloway
The politics of populism in Scotland and the challenge of Alex Salmond and George Galloway Gerry Hassan Sunday National, April 11th 2021 Once upon a time politics were simpler. Parties stood unambiguously on the left and right; politics was about class and the economy, and there was no such thing as “identity politics”. This is of course make-believe as politics was never so completely clear cut. But in recent decades this has become even more messy and unpredictable, with existing parties open to new challenges across the developed world. Today one of the big stories of politics is the rise
Britain is broken – which is both an opportunity and challenge to Scottish radicals
Britain is broken – which is both an opportunity and challenge to Scottish radicals Gerry Hassan Sunday National, April 4th 2021 Politics has been highly charged and combative across the UK for many years now. The British political system, its rules and codes, and how politics and power is enacted have been in decline for some time. While many in Scotland view this as proof that independence is needed as soon as possible, it is also true that Scottish politics has some soul searching to do. Recent times have seen our own controversies about party, government and power which have
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We need to talk about men and masculinities
We need to talk about men and masculinities Gerry Hassan Sunday National, March 21st 2021 In the aftermath of the Sarah Everard murder and vigil there has been widespread debate about male violence against women. Some has focused on immediate political issues - such as the Police Bill for England and Wales, and the UK Government’s focus on more severe penalties for attacking statues compared to violence against women. Over the week English and Welsh statistics bandied about showed a shameful level of rape convictions versus reported cases (2.6%), but it is not that
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Scotland on the international stage
Scotland on the international stage Gerry Hassan Sunday National, March 14th 2021 These are turbulent times domestically and internationally. The UK Government, state and wider reputation of the UK has taken a hit of late through Brexit, the UK threatening to break international law, its record on COVID-19 as ‘the sick man of Europe’, and the latest Royal Family scandal bringing a reality check to how the House of Windsor is seen globally. Scotland needs to think about its image and how it places itself on the international stage in relation to independence. This has not been addressed enough
