An independent Scottish OBR – but how independent really?

WHEN THE Scottish Parliament meets next Tuesday to consider the three nominees for the new independent Scottish Fiscal Commission – our tartan Office for Budget Responsibility - it should take care to ensure that the ...

Cameron and the future of the 'EU Profonde'

DAYS AFTER those ‘earthquake’ Euro elections and I‘m still chortling over the acute discomfort of Scotland’s political and cultural elite following the election of David Coburn, UKIP’s first MEP north of the Border. 

Indyref and the battle of the hustings

COMMITTED ‘Yes’ campaigners but sceptical accountants; eloquent nationalists but hesitant doubters; independence champions but worried small businesses; and in between a large wedge of silent, inscrutable listeners. Whatever else the independence referendum campaign has done, ...

The Scotsman, Johnston Press and those bonuses

SO MUCH has been written about the decline of The Scotsman that little could surely add to public head-shaking over its affairs. 

Figures for the year to 28 December 2013 revealed a statutory pre-tax ...

The CBI and its 227 unanswered questions

CBI DISCREDITED, its Scottish chief Iain McMillan to retire, Rupert Soames bowing out and business worries driven below the parapet: all in all, a good week for Yes Scotland. Who in business would dare venture ...

The only true nationalists left in Scotland?

IT HAS SUITED the agenda of many in Scotland to brush aside the rising profile of the UK Independence Party as having no resonance here. We are happy with our membership of the European Union ...

How a 'debt dump' would lead straight to austerity

WHEN Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond first suggested that an independent Scotland might not honour its share of UK public debt it was one of those statements I had to read twice because I couldn’t ...

A spectacular ceremony to beat them all...

NEWS THAT the cost of the opening and closing ceremonies at this year's Commonwealth Games has risen by £6,850,000 to £20,850,000 on the 2012 estimate of £14 million confirms a baleful trend and sets a ...

Lib Dems: Local? Liberal? Reliable?

HOORAY for the Lib Dems! Just when you think you know what they’re about, up pops a surprise to knock you over the head. 

According to a BBC report this week, Nick ...

The Shetlands Revolt, April 1st 2016

Being the 1st day of April, we thought we'd bring you a little fun with this satire from a new contributor writing under our Nemesis nom de plume...

A morning dispatch by ...