Monthly Archives: August 2013

2013 Festival of Politics V—Defence

Posted on August 30, 2013 by davidsberry

This was, for me, the highlight of the whole weekend. Unlike the other panels, which consisted largely of academics and commentators—albeit very capable ones—this featured two heavyweight politicians at the top of their game. They did not disappoint. Professor Louise … Continue reading →

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2013 Festival of Politics IV—Public Attitudes

Posted on August 28, 2013 by davidsberry

Chaired by the respected Ian Macwhirter, this FoP session launched right into the psephology of the upcoming referendum vote, powered by a deluge of data and graphs from John Curtice and his usual enthusiasm for the subject. In illustrating the … Continue reading →

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2013 Festival of Politics III—Economics

Posted on August 27, 2013 by davidsberry

Rushing from the Europe session to this one with no time allowed in the schedule was another gripe I had for the organisers but, as with the earlier session, it was worth it. Chaired ably by Sir Jeremy Peat of … Continue reading →

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2013 Festival of Politics II—Europe

Posted on August 26, 2013 by davidsberry

For me, it had an inauspicious start. Booking places on-line went easily but the ‘ticketless’ tickets were anything but. Staff at the parly were their old surly selves and entirely not clued-in on where events were happening or when—to the … Continue reading →

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2013 Festival of Politics I

Posted on August 24, 2013 by davidsberry

After a full day trying to scoot around Holyrood from one session to the next, a myriad of ideas, questions, opinions and opportunities compete for blog coverage. But before that, the overwhelming impression with which I was left after today … Continue reading →

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Two Genders, Separated by a Common Humanity

Posted on August 23, 2013 by davidsberry

I paraphrase Mark Twain’s pithy observation about the Americans and the British because Bill Walker’s conviction this week for unsavoury behaviour towards a number of women in his life has brought the whole spousal abuse issue back into front-page debate. The … Continue reading →

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Kailyaird Kulchur

Posted on August 22, 2013 by davidsberry

Margaret Curran MP has come in for some stick in these columns for being venally closed-minded when it comes to her nationalist political opponents. Nonetheless her piece in today’s Hootsmon has much to commend it in its broad and staunch … Continue reading →

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Whae’s Like Us (An’ They’re A’ Deid)?

Posted on August 19, 2013 by davidsberry

Lesley Riddoch—never one to mince words—has a powerful piece in today’s Hootsmon in which she pithily observes ‘Public money is trapped in professional silos‘ and that ‘Good public health is a product of good social and democratic health‘. All very … Continue reading →

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First is Anything But

Posted on August 14, 2013 by davidsberry

For the avoidance of doubt—and to avoid them too much cost in their libel lawyers as they scratch around for actionable evidence, First is a crap company. It doesn’t matter which fragment of the empire you’re talking about—from FirstBus Edinburgh, … Continue reading →

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Welcome to Britain: Now Go Home

Posted on August 12, 2013 by davidsberry

It is perhaps to be expected that such social Luddites as join UKIP exhibit a knee-jerk to the ‘furriners’ who reputedly begin at Calais and the backwoodsman phalanx that dominates the Tory party regularly paint themselves into xenophobic corners over … Continue reading →

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