Category Archives: Politics

Beyond Culloden

Posted on April 16, 2024 by davidsberry

“How can I be a traitor when England is foreign to me?” —William Wallace Exactly 278 years ago today the last battle fought on the British mainland saw Jacobite forces under Charles Edward Stuart suffer defeat at the hands of … Continue reading →

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Greek Dra(ch)mas

Posted on April 5, 2024 by davidsberry

Many British feel dismissive toward the economies of “sun holiday” countries like Greece. There, food and wine are cheap and siestas hamper productivity. It is true that Greece has had a chequered financial past. This included periods of right-wing military … Continue reading →

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Free-for-All Freeports

Posted on April 1, 2024 by davidsberry

Whatever their political preferences, most people in Britain accept that the economy is underperforming and that living standards have not materially improved in over a decade. A major policy initiative from Westminster to address this, and thereby level up the … Continue reading →

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Their Flimsy Fiscal Condescension

Posted on March 29, 2024 by davidsberry

“The UK’s public spending works fairly for Scotland and allows the whole country to pool and share its resources.” —UK Government’s Delivering for Scotland Really? According to UK Government figures, Scotland runs a 9% deficit of £19.1 billion. This is based … Continue reading →

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Orban’s Heritage?

Posted on March 23, 2024 by davidsberry

On March 8th, Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán visited Donald Trump at his palatial Mar-a-Lago retreat, where media reported much bonhomie and mutual respect. Almost unreported was Orbán’s visit to Washington, where he met Kevin Roberts, president of the Heritage Foundation … Continue reading →

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Insatiable Social Care

Posted on March 17, 2024 by davidsberry

A year ago, the IK government published their flagship policy “Next Steps to Put People at the Heart of Care”. It is full of noble intent that: “everyone who needs care in England will have outstanding, quality care that empowers them to … Continue reading →

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Affordable Husting

Posted on March 6, 2024 by davidsberry

“A social contract where the tax contribution is based on the ability to pay, and strong public services are understood as enabling a strong society and a growing economy.” —Shona Robison MSP, Foreword to the Scottish Budget 2024-25 This worthy … Continue reading →

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Channelling Carnegie

Posted on March 2, 2024 by davidsberry

Next week, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt will stand up in parliament and present the last Tory budget before the general election. To satisfy the unruly Tory right and many of their wealthy supporters, it is widely expected to contain tax cuts, … Continue reading →

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Mine Eyes Have Seen No Glory

Posted on February 24, 2024 by davidsberry

“If you don’t think this country is sliding towards theocracy, then you haven’t been paying attention.” —Charles M. Blow New York Times, Feb. 21st 2024 Democracy in America, that self-styled “leader of the free world” is in trouble. People may think the … Continue reading →

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Visa Vision as Cash Cow

Posted on February 21, 2024 by davidsberry

The continuing legacy of hard-core brexiteering under BoJo has yet to show much by way of advantage to the general public. But what it has done is weaken links forged with the Continent over half a century of EU membership, … Continue reading →

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