Iain Macwhirter
Uncategorized
America First, America Fist. Irony dies as Trump promises power to the people.
There he stood at the inauguration, President Donald Trump raising his fist in a bizarre parody of a revolutionary salute. Promising to bring the workers of America back the jobs that have been stolen from them by the international neoliberal elite. This billionaire protectionist, hero of the proletariat who has filled his cabinet with the … Continue reading
Nicola Sturgeon needs to get moving if she wants indyref2 before Brexit.
Contrary to popular belief, Theresa May has made pretty clear what her red lines are on Brexit. There will be no free movement, no accepting the rulings of the European Court of Justice. There will be no attempt to remain a member any of the multiple, overlapping EU-sponsored free trading zones: a customs union, single … Continue reading
Don’t write off the single market; the grande lady has yet to sing
In a few days, the Supreme Court is expected to rule on whether parliament should have a say on Article 50. It’s expected to confirm that, as every student knows, parliament is sovereign in our constitution, and that Mrs May was out of order in trying to push the Brexit process through under the pre-democratic … Continue reading
Sturgeon is right to condemn Section 40 and state regulation of press.
THE British press, for good or ill, has been free from state regulation for over 300 years. Many people, not least celebrities who have been hounded by paparazzi and phone hackers, believe predatory tabloids should be regulated, like the broadcasters. Many on the left would also like to see Rupert Murdoch’s media empire brought to … Continue reading
2016 was happier, safer and more peaceful than ever.
ABOUT this time of year, I usually devote a column to some of the positive stories that have been missed or under-reported in the course of the last twelve months. This year it might seem a futile endeavour given Donald Trump, Brexit, Aleppo, Ukraine and so on. But. as always, there’s another side to 2016. … Continue reading
Send in the killer clowns.
IN the autumn of 2016 the media became saturated by images of so-called killer clowns – people wearing horror masks and clown costumes, often carrying knives or other weapons. It was never entirely clear how many of these evil figures were really stalking the streets of Britain and America. Police Scotland issued a warning in … Continue reading
Why 2016 may go down in history as the year the Union died.
IT’S become a New Year cliche that 2016 has been a year of revolutions – like the Glorious Revolution of 1688, the civic nationalist revolts of 1848, the Russian revolution of 1917, or the French and Czech rebellions of 1968. Take your pick. And there is no doubt that from a constitutional point of view, … Continue reading
Lest we forget. The Chilcot Report a damning indictment of UK political establishment.
“I’m with you, whatever”. Tony Blair’s memo to US President George W Bush, as recounted by the Chilcot Report, read like something out of a Mills and Boon romance. But this was a deadly embrace that led a weak prime minister to endorse a war he must have known was on a dodgy legal basis. … Continue reading
The Offensive Behaviour etc. Act is unfair, unworkable and illiberal.
2016 was all about taking offence at things. The Scottish Government took profound offence over Fifa’s ban on players wearing poppies at the Scotland England fixture It also took offence on a monthly basis against those calling for the repeal of the Offensive Behaviour at Football etc Act. How dare they condone sectarianism – SNPBad! … Continue reading
After nearly ten years in office, and with a sea of trouble, the SNP still dominated 2016. Question is: why
There wasn’t a lot of Christmas cheer at the last First Minister’s Questions of 2016. Nicola Sturgeon received a verbal pasting for releasing a highly critical report on police funding from Audit Scotland on the last day of term. Her protests that this was not an attempt to bury the report, claiming a £190m shortfall … Continue reading
