Boss Class Miserabilism

By Mike Small “Scotland cannot be the only ‘something for nothing’ country in the world.” – Johann  Lamont The likelihood is that tomorrow or the next day a major announcement Continue reading →

A Land of Possibility

By John McAllion Between now and the referendum scheduled for the autumn of 2014, the question of Scottish independence will take centre stage in British politics. For the next two Continue reading →

Harpies & Quines

Women for Independence, the grassroots network to persuade more Scottish women to vote yes to independence, officially launches today (Sunday 30 September) with an informal cultural and political event in Continue reading →

Scotch Myths: Independence is a Panacea

By Doug Daniel Independence supporters are often accused of seeing independence as a panacea for all Scotland’s ills. We are characterised as thinking that if Scotland could JUST become independent, Continue reading →

Decontaminating The Union: Post-Industrial Landscapes And The British Psyche

This is an extract from the Wreford Watson Lecture given by Will Self at the University of Edinburgh this week/ Whatever anxieties I may feel, as an Englishman, about speaking Continue reading →

Universalism

By Mike Small Johann Lamont’s extended and public self-immolation has churned up some fascinating divisions in how our politicians see the world. One group sees the rich (defined vaguely as Continue reading →

Scottish Independence Podcast 3

The third Scottish Independence Podcast is a little departure from our regular programming and is a run through some of the speeches at Saturday’s Rally For Independence. The next podcast Continue reading →

Media Notes Part 2: Identity, Extremism and the Independence Movement

In the second part of his Media Notes series Kevin Williamson reveals an unstated 3 point strategy of the NO camp; and the trap of the Scottish-British dichotomy. “Identity – Continue reading →

The Lady is for Turning

By Mike Small The Scottish Labour leader, Johann Lamont last night delivered a speech that has put her on the front pages of every newspaper and set the Twitterati alight, Continue reading →

From Bogota to the Broomielaw – SMWGLA

Follow the days events at Social Media Week Glasgow #SMWGLA events on otheir lovely blog,  here and see their photos on their Facebook page and the YouTube channel here. This Continue reading →

Orwell, the Matrix and Rangers Tax Case

This week as part of Social Media Week – we spoke on ‘Orwell, Matrix and the Rangers Tax Case.’ As the organisers wrote: “The 2102 Orwell Prize was won by Continue reading →

Forms of Protest 2

The second in our series on campaigns and protest forms across the globe and how they might inform the Yes campaign. See the Casseroles, Montreal here. This isn’t to suggest Continue reading →

Media Notes Part 1: When Saturday Came

MEDIA NOTES (PART 1): WHEN SATURDAY CAME This is the first of three articles by Kevin Williamson looking at the increasingly fractious relationship between the Scottish media and an increasingly Continue reading →

Woman for Independence – Lessons from History

A confident future is never built on fear but always on hope … Journalist, writer and broadcaster Ruth Wishart speaks at the Scottish Independence Rally on 22 Sept 2012 … Continue reading →

Vote Britain – Live at the Gardens

Any movement that has poetry at it’s heart has real prospects … Alan Bissett performing ‘Vote Britain’ live at Rally for Scottish Independence (22/09/12), at the Ross Bandstand, Princes Street Continue reading →

March for Indy

We’re collecting views and photos from today’s march and rally and collating blogs and columns on it. Send us your links, comments and photos. Bella’s view was that the day Continue reading →

Why We’re Marching

By Mike Small This is about Raploch not Bannockburn. A reminder – if any was needed of why we need a better Scotland – was brought to us this week Continue reading →

Scottish Independence Podcast 2

This is the second Scottish Independence Podcast. This project is an attempt to discuss some of the real choices coming up for Scotland without the jingoism and, frankly, the silliness, Continue reading →

Pedagogy of the Connected

By Muhammad Idrees Ahmad In Amusing Ourselves to Death, a prophetic work on the impact of television on culture, the late media scholar Neil Postman compared two dystopias. One was George Continue reading →

Evidence, Risk and the Wicked Questions

By Jamie Maxwell Around 200 people crammed into the Martin Hall at New College on the Mound in Edinburgh last night to attend the launch of Arguing for Independence: Evidence, Continue reading →

State Hospital EP

This is great …

Arguing for Independence

Arguing for Independence lifts the entire debate on Scottish independence to a new intellectual level…

The Answer is 43

This from British Social Attitudes 2o12 by John Curtice and Rachel Ormston Evidently there is something of a puzzle to be unravelled here… “As Table 7.6 shows, in fact the Continue reading →

Taking Catalonia Forward

By Anna Arqué i Solsona In Catalonia 51 per cent would vote Yes for independence, by latest official polls, in front of a 24 per cent against, however, this ‘YES’ Continue reading →

Independence in the World

As Scotland’s greatest living polymath Alasdair Gray (Bella’s patron) changes his famous slogan to: ‘work as if you live in the early days of a better world’ we hear from Continue reading →

They’ve Learned Nothing

By Mike Small The idea of Rangers as some sort of parable of our times is becoming compelling. A club riven by debt and mired in bad practice collapses under Continue reading →

The Scottish Independence Podcast 1

This is the first Scottish Independence Podcast. This project will be an attempt to discuss some of the real choices coming up for Scotland without the jingoism and, frankly, the Continue reading →

Andy Murray, 11th September and Scotland’s feelgood factor

by Kevin Williamson Scotland’s 116 year wait to win a tennis Grand Slam is finally over.  In a nail-biting 5 set victory over Novak Djokovic at Flushing Meadows in the Continue reading →

CHANGIN SCOTLAND – The Role of the Arts, Culture and Identity in Scotland

What a great lineup for Gerry Hassan and Jean Urquhart’s Changin’ Scotland with Tom Nairn, Alan Bissett,  Malcolm MacLean and more… CHANGIN SCOTLAND – NOVEMBER 2nd-4th2012 The Ceilidh Place, Ullapool Continue reading →

Payday Loans: The Scottish Parliament Must Act

By Alan McIntosh Pay day lending is a dangerous business. There are no doubts about it. It preys on the needs of the vulnerable that have been created by failure: Continue reading →