Issue 52
May - Jun 2009
Download PDF
It is ten years since devolution - an obvious time to stop and take stock of what has happened in Scottish politics. And so the media and the commentators use the opportunity to reflect on what has been done and achieved and what not by the establishment of a Parliament in Scotland. But this only makes sense because of the neatness of anniversaries. In political terms, ten years sometimes means very little.
Isobel Lindsay suggests that the SNP in Government has faced mainly left but with a right track
Isobel Lindsay suggests that the SNP in Government has faced mainly left but with a right track; Bob Thomson explains why Labour is still losing; John McAllion considers whether the Left can put together a significant challenge in time for the 2011 Scottish elections; Michael Keating explores the variety of coalition options that could emerge […]
Bob Thomson explains why Labour is still losing
John McAllion considers whether the Left can put together a significant challenge in time for the 2011 Scottish elections
Michael Keating explores the variety of coalition options that could emerge in the Scottish Parliament and looks at some European examples
John Mason MP describes his experience of the seriously flawed Westminster legislative process as the Welfare Reform Bill is passed
Vince Mills looks at the reasons behind the STUC’s decision to reject the Scottish People’s Charter and argues that this attitude damages not just Labour but all of the left
Tommy Sheppard asks educated, interested twenty-somethings why they won’t vote in the Euro elections. The answers suggest it’s not lack of interest...
David Conway argues that what the NHS can do is limited without greater social and economic inequality
Christopher Boyd examines the protests against Israel that recently took place in Scottish universities and examines how this activism fits with left politics
Blue Gold: World Water War (2008) Director: Sam Bozzo. Run: 90 minutes The film Blue Gold: World Water Wars, which had its Scottish Premiere on March 26 at the University of Strathclyde, is a timely intervention in the global water debate. A riveting exposé that eloquently contextualises the implications of commodifying and privatising fresh water […]
Have you had enough of MPs on the make? Or should I say the on the take? Or does their ingenuity still fascinate you?
FAT-CAT TORIES IN PIG-SEX JUNKET Has the SNP made Scottish politics any more left–wing? What is beyond argument is that there has been a rampant and unpredicted outbreak of Socialism at Westminster in recent months. First, we have Gordon Brown achieving what no previous Labour Prime Minister has managed, bringing the entire capitalist system to its knees. What over a century […]