2025 Readers Survey
Each year we do a readers’ feedback survey as we try and take stock and get organised for the year ahead. It’s really simple, just three questions:
What would you like to see more of from Bella in 2026?
What are we doing well?
What do we need to get better at?
As a Canadian (Cascadian on the Salish Sea) with some Scottish ancestry, I love Bella for the progressive commentary on the current political and cultural scene and my basic message is KEEP IT UP, Aye!!!!
Only thing I would love to see a bit more of is Scottish poetry, particularly any that is informed by a notion of bioregionalism and open form. Thanks!
Thanks Scott, will keep that in mind
I think you do a very valuable service at present.
Please tell the independence warring factions to offer up less critical analysis of fellow independistas, and concentrate on the real enemy!
Q1 : More of Scotland in relation to similarly populated, culture-minded, regionally-concerned Nations, and avoid comparing us with 10 times larger England. our nurse numbers, unemployment figures, immigration has little to do with England’s. Gen Y and Gen Z will find this more interesting and relevant. – interested, registering, vote getting ???
Q2 : Covering Scotland’s Indy cause which is not being addressed by the Union Media. Sooooo essential today.
Q3 : Now essential to to get to Gens X,Y and Z , who’s future to Y2100 it is, by setting out what Scotland IS going to be like FOR THEM. 60 tunnels to all occupied Islands. including Shetland, needing thousands of jobs using many skills, container ports serving E-W, but importantly the new Arctic routes to World’s largest markets, US and China , 1,00km/hr maglev trains, making the case for spreading immigration over 60 towns and villages, not just from a humanitarian point of view, but making the economic case, filling schools, attracting from the Diaspora, investment, know-how, jobs, with multi-income homes in places WHERE NEEDED. [I am an international competition-winning Urban Planner, give talks in NE Scotland on “Scotland – Its Future 2025 to 2100” and can offer 1,000 – 1,200 words on this is you asked me]
Hi Gordon – thanks for this, all good ideas. Totally agree on the need to attract younger readers and writers.
Contact for story pitches here:
https://bellacaledonia.org.uk/write-for-us/
Keep up the excellent work!
Thanks Leslie!
I like Bella so well now, all I can imagine is a broader array of commenters, analysts, creative types of/in all genres, appearing here. In other words, more of the same, please. You are one of my favorite sites, and if I were wealthy I’d love to be one of your patrons. Ah well, as I often think and sometimes say, the only time I mind being poor is when my friends ask for my help. Please continue!
Thanks Daniel, your support is very much appreciated.
More in depth cultural coverage. Reviews of novels, poetry, drama, tv, music, movies etc. I know your primary concerns are political but perhaps a more frequent connection between politics and the arts could be acheived. George Gunn does this very well, but more of that would be good, in my opinion. Perhaps you could bring in more science in in the same way. Otherwise, I read and appreciate Bella’s coverage very much, though I am pretty much in agreement with most of the views expressed and dislike left wing sectarian quibbles that erupt every now and again. Alas, the world and Scotland would be far poorer without your good work.
Thanks Jim, will take on board these suggestions.
Always a most enjoyable read.
It would be interesting to read major domestic issues in some of the countries we seek to emulate.
Also a possible series on how other states might cooperate or even support our independence.
Thanks for all the very interesting stuff you share, Mike!
Would it be possible to make clearer the author of each item AT THE BEGINNING of the piece? Seems like to system default is you as the person mounting the story.
Keep on!
Hi David, the problem is that articles are sent ‘By the Editor’ to subscribers. There is a facility for each individual author to have their own log in, but that would work if there was, say, a staff team of half a dozen writers, but less well with myriad contributors. If anyone techy has a workaround for that I’d be happy to look at it.
Would enjoy lived experience, on the ground, reports from the chalk face of Scottish realities. Fair miss the female cartoonist and a bit more of the female voice particularly culturally and politically would be welcome.
It’s good to know you exist . George Gunn is one of my favourites.
Thanks Maisie, yes our gender (and other) representation needs a lot of work, its true.
What are we doing well? Representing views of a select few who all tend to agree on everything (a.k.a. exclusivity).
What do we need to get better at? See above (a.k.a. inclusivity), and publishing far less Mike Small.
But at the end of the day, don’t bother with a survey if you are only interested in affirmation.
Thanks Mechell][e, not interested only in affirmation.
I fail understand why you whoever you are bother to access Bella Caledonia . I am not sure either what your tag name is supposed to represent. Already two answers have expressed room for improvement . Praise for the writings of George Gunn. Mike Small who creates Bella has bravely put his head up open to comments. Sneering from behind your brackets is less than helpful. Take your thoughts elsewhere .
I was a little concerned when I did my own feedback that it sounded really toady. Those who know me will be aware that I am perfectly capable of constructive and sometimes vitriolic reviews or contributions to debates, especially in response to some of the growing bile of hate speech and misinformation. If Bella had propagated any of that flag shagging nonsense I would have been on it. My review stands however that Bella is Bella. Keep up the good work.
1) I would like more on the arts but about the art rather than politics. I know this is a political site but sometimes the politics can feel a bit shoehorned in, forced. Some music articles pretty much do just focus on the music and broader cultural aspects but these nearly always seem to be historical. I really like the material about the meaning and history of landscapes (Gemma’s articles are the best) and would appreciate more of this as I love to be taken to the highlands and islands in my mind; it can be a real tonic, and by God, we need more tonics! (I liked Mr Unionist McLeod’s (?) stuff in this vein from a while back also)
2) Providing an alternative, progressive, and distinctive nationalist voice but still with lively debate below the line that does not always concur with what is written. The variety of stuff is actually pretty impressive. This provides for a rich reading experience and is intellectually stimulating as some of the commenters are excellent and I enjoy reading them even when I disagree.
3) Could be more daring with some of the article viewpoints. There are certain topics where I have never read an article arguing for ‘the other side’. The two most obvious are the gender rights debate and immigration. There is still a sense despite wider societal shifts (and btl comments) that being gender critical or concerned by rising immigration / demographic change must be reactionary at best. There is a lot of focus on ‘Westminster’ and political enemies (most of the political parties tbf) which is understood but it can get repetitive and circular, focussing too much on journalists’ takes on things and the theatre of politics (maybe sometimes, the desire to keep copy coming can be counterproductive). Offering more positive visions for an independent Scotland would be good and either way, talking to ordinary folk on the ground rather than quoting another ‘hack’ (no offence meant!) or politician, would be refreshing
Thanks Niemand, really useful feedback. I think I agree with almost all of it.
Sometimes there are constraints of time/money to commission stuff but I do take on board all of your points.
The reason I subscribe is because Bella Caledonia routinely has some of the best writing I can find. I often get overwhelmed by the volume of emails and messages via social media and so restrict a lot of stuff to make it more manageable. Only Bella Caledonia and Private Eye have my undivided attention and they are jointly the best source for me of current affairs. Mike Small, take a gold star. It’s common for me to be shouting at the screen when I’m on the computer, but when it’s your prose, it’s shouts of agreement (and despair) at the state of affairs in the world and the way every bloody thing in England seems worse than what I experience when in Scotland. Just keep it coming is the only suggestion I have to make. Thank you for another great year of journalism and debate in the worst shit show of events in the country I call home.
Thanks Mike for your honest response. Maybe a signpost could be a chat with the folk in the Glasgow Women’s Library ….they are very informed and knowledgeable
Good idea Maisie, thanks
What would you like to see more of from Bella in 2026?
Perhaps an Annual theme / debate ongoing throughout each year – pro actively initiated rather than reacting to the nainstream media
e.g Subsidiarity – what could we implement, what is happening elsewhere, what could be the benefits
What are we doing well?
What do we need to get better at?
What are we doing well?
Diverse, interesting and talented range of contributors
What do we need to get better at?
In my humble opinion – make a conscious choice to break from negative commentary and divisive debates on the status quo ( even if it brings traffic!) and instead publish positive , constructive alternatives both existing solutions from home and further afield ( e.g the Portobello articles)
Also in relation to moving towards Independence , recognise that the only helpful contribution is to platform positive possible future change and options to inspire people to consider change
Thanks Alex, will take these idea on board
There’s so much that Bella is doing well… It’s easily the most interesting, diverse, and challenging site I can think of. The speed at which you post informed, well-argued, well-illustrated comment on issues as they develop is often quite extraordinary. The breadth of your coverage is amazing – the series on Gaelic and those wonderful pieces on connecting with place, community and landscape are a joy to read. So, just keeping it going at this level is as much as anyone could reasonably expect.
But since you ask…
I’d like to see more on the host of issues – in Scotland, Europe, and more widely – raised by the Ukraine war. I expect they may gain in salience in the coming year. And I imagine that the issue of security will be weaponised against the independence movement, so it needs to be discussed.
And then, a general area where Bella is largely silent – unsurprisingly, as everyone else is as well – is science and technology in Scotland. I’d be interested to read occasional pieces about, for example, Scotland’s emerging space sector, or what Edinburgh University’s £1 billion super computer is for, or how those tidal energy technologies in the Pentland Firth are getting on…
Thanks Paddy, I think we could up our game on science and technology its true. We have written on the space sector before but both renewable and AI are huge issues we need to cover.
If you want to make a contribution to a radical shift in politics, you should ask fundamental questions. The BBC’s David Dimbleby documentary series What’s the Monarchy For? rains such fundamental (and follow-up) questions from the very start of Episode 1 (and you are not forced towards agreement with the presenter’s conclusions).
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002n21h
From the BBC, this is thunder. What does it presage?
Too much focus on human cultural influences on politics and governance can amount to a form of speciesism. While Bella does not neglect ecological, environmental issues and nonhuman life, it still has not developed a way of giving a voice to the living planet that regularly avoids the picturesque and poetic (in my view). Indeed, ethology can give us great insight into the functions of culture more generally.
I’m not as wrapt in party politics as Bella is, though I don’t begrudge the coverage. Yet some acknowledgement should be made that modern politicans tend to be performance artists, political speech tends towards poetry, Westminster is publicly theatre… but how are the decisions really made? Art is more often the cause of political/social/economic/environmental/justicial problems, I would argue, than a provider of solutions. Artistic licence is lying. Noble lies are lies. The way that news and opinion is packaged matters. I feel Bella has strengths and weaknesses in this kind of analysis, and sometimes lacks a historical dimension, perhaps in propaganda, censorship and colonial realms. Meanwhile Bella’s research into dynastic politics in Scotland and beyond has been very good and helpful, to my mind, and its challenge to militarism is promising if a little spotty.
Following the debacle of the recent UK Budget – I found Richard Murphy’s take down of Reeves refreshing. Maybe share some of his musings?
Also I’m not a great fan of vlogs / podcasts and value skimming the written word – I notice more reposts of audio content recently and don’t always find that so accessible. But not against ’em!
What would you like to see more of from Bella in 2026?
I’m a fan, Bella is a good start to the day, so more of the same, I’m hoping, with even more new perspectives/articulation of the positive possibilities for Scotland.
I’d like it to break into radio broadcasting especially given the recent overhaul of BBC Radio Scotland, so I have something to tune in to when travelling, a Bella approach would improve that enormously
What are we doing well?
It is internationalist and Scottish through and through.
I like the lay out, and especially seeing the writing credit after I’ve read the piece – there is always well informed and aesthetically satisfying writing and information available, so the ‘editor’ byline encourages me to read more articles than if it was too easy to succumb to my prejudices and just read the ones by eg George Gunn, Sarah Glynn, AL Kennedy or Mike (my current faves) .
I like the balance of arts/opinion/economics and the edgy but accurate news reporting.
What do we need to get better at?
Feminist and security analysis; more on how gender socialisation affects the possibilities for creative, non-violent, and less adversarial and more inclusive decision-making, challenging militarised language and calling out binary and competitive false choices where there are interesting and valuable gradients and mobility possible.
Recognising and naming the processes favoured by Westminster that do not meet Scottish aspirations, and offering alternative models and debates that might be more in keeping with Scottish geology and history– an exploration of Ireland’s neutrality, or their political declaration on explosive weapons in populated areas, for example, or Swiss understanding of why and how you do referenda
Platforming the next generations, as has been mentioned already
Hi,
a} I’d like to see some articles by new Scots, immigrants who have embraced Scotland {or not}; how do they see strengths and weaknessses in the Scotland of today, what could be done to smooth, accelerate or assist integration, what does it feel like to take on another culture, language history, political reality where relevant.
b} The civic nationalism position. Is it a strength or a weakness to our self determination? Is it really posssible or desireable before independence?
c} What now for the Scots language? It’s been protected but what does that mean? How far do we think we should go?
These are great suggestions Alistair. Can you clarify b) ? Not sure what you mean? Thanks