Tory paternalism was the Conservative's problem, not the solution

THERE IS MISCHIEF brewing in Westminster, just in time for the summer recess of course. Apparently a vote for this was indeed a vote for that, and a... are you sick of this already? I ...

Surprise, surprise! The SNP advocates yet more centralisation – disguised as school reform

TODAY, sees parliament debate education governance in Scotland. It follows one of the Scottish Government’s many consultations and John Swinney’s subsequent ‘Next Steps’ paper.

The first conclusion to draw from his response is ...

The Prime Minister's statement to Parliament on the EU Council rights of EU citizens in the UK

WITH permission, Mr Speaker, I would like to make a statement on last week’s European Council - and the proposals we are publishing today which, on a reciprocal basis, seek to give reassurance and certainty ...

Theresa May should be cut some slack

ONE OF the most powerful defining moments in the our relations with the poor and vulnerable is taking shape in London.  The fire at Grenfell Tower has claimed many lives and the events leading up ...

Will John Swinney deliver real change for the better?

TODAY, John Swinney will make a statement to Parliament in which he will outline how he intends to reform school governance.

He will start by saying that the status quo ...

The people of the UK have spoken - we want to stay British

FOR THE LAST five or so years our Union has been under threat. It started with peak Nat in 2011, the inevitable referendum on Scottish Independence, the long gruelling three years of campaigning to save ...

Accepting what's wrong with the NHS must come before planning its reform

PARTS OF SCOTLAND have had tax funded, free at the point of use, health care for a century. The idea is firmly embedded in the national psyche. Much has changed since the Highland and Island ...

Applying science can make political policy much more effective

THERE IS MUCH common ground about supporting science in party manifestoes but with a few exceptions it is mostly motherhood and apple pie. Too often, politicians pay lip service to the use of evidence for ...

Our Claim of Right can only be honoured by voting Unionist

ON THURSDAY Scotland will vote in the UK General Election where we face a choice of two futures. On one path we vote for two Scottish Governments and on the other we vote for none.

The Curriculum for Excellence needs to be reset

THE CURRICULUM FOR which was launched in 2004, was heralded as the most fundamental reform of Scottish education for a generation. Rightly, there were high expectations. 

There was near unanimous agreement that its ...

Election 2017? The Writer reawakens... JTR Corbett is back!

WELL, after a prolonged hiatus, I’m back. Fortunately nothing much has happened in my absence. Except Brexit… and Theresa May becoming PM… and Trump… and the Council Elections. Okay, maybe a little has happened since ...

Sins of omission in the Nationalist narrative

IT IS NOW a commonplace that Scottish nationalists tell lies. I rehearsed a number of these in a previous Think Scotland article. What is also clear is that Scottish nationalists cannot tell the ...