Culture Wars Damien Donnelly Democracy Elections Equality & Inclusion General Election 2024 Human Rights Labour Left Politics LGBTQIAP+ Mental Health NHS Politics of Hate Racial Justice Racism Scotland Scottish Greens SNP Tory Party Trans Rights Ungagged Writing

Tears, Fears and Electioneers…

by Damien Donnelly While I’m well used to elections being preceded by a period of desperate on-the-hoof policy, from all sides, this coming UK general election seems especially to have thrown into stark relief how low we have sunk as a country. Where that’s most evident is, as always, in how minorities are being treated. […]

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Good Riddance

Neil Scott on Theresa May’s last speech in the Commons. I’ve just watched as Theresa May made her last speech in Westminster (and Harriet Harman… and what a contrast… i’d urge you to find them on YouTube).   May’s narrative in her speech was one of hard work and of ambition- with barbed comments against those […]

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An Open Letter to The SNP Leadership…

The following is an open letter to First Minister Humza Yousaf (the prospective candidates for First Minister) and the SNP National Executive Committee, from Eilidh McIntosh, Former Political Education Officer & Former Youth Officer, SNP Sauchie Branch, Clackmannanshire. The last few years have been incredibly testing and trying for Scotland’s LGBT community – not least […]

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Jackie Baillie, 5 gallons of chicken gravy and a straw

Willie Miller’s Moustache (Twitter:  @williemillersm1) has a plan to bring the progressive indy movement together… Right you fucking idiots. Everyone who supports independence one straight line in front of me, GO! Turn to your right. Kick that moron up the arse. Turn to your left, boot that pillock too. Now repeat, but with hugs not […]

Campaigns Climate & Environment Corruption Culture Wars Democracy Equality & Inclusion International Labour Left Politics LGBTQIAP+ Political Parties Privilege Scottish Greens Scottish Independence SNP Social Media Tory Party Val Waldron

Entitlement

When will the penny drop that No-one is entitled to our votes, that we need politicians with an ear to the ground, not the right wing. When I think of the years 2013/14 I think of one of those Penny Pusher machines from amusement arcades, representative of voters and members tumbling like freed coins from […]

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A Charter for Transphobes by Damien Donnelly

What we know for sure is, with soaring hate crime rates, especially transphobic ones, across the western world fuelled by relentlessly negative press and a government in thrall to a vocal minority of ‘gender criticals,’ the real danger is not from treating trans people the way they wish to be treated. The conclusion of the […]

Climate & Environment Culture Wars Democracy Disability Rights Elections Human Rights Immigration Industry Israel-Gaza Labour Poverty Privilege Scotland Scottish Independence Ungagged Writing Val Waldron

Dreaming in Green by Val Waldron

Not a week goes by in Scottish politics when the decision to vote No in 2014 does not rear its ugly head. November 2023, the Scottish Broadcasting Company reports growing unrest south of the border. Massive crowds are gathering daily outside Westminster, demanding an end to Tory rule, following emergency legislation allowing the  General Election […]

Brexit Conspiracy Theories Culture Wars Democracy Elections Equality & Inclusion Fascism Left Politics Politics of Hate Scottish Independence SNP Ungagged Writing Val Waldron

Autoimmunity Within the Independence Movement

The obstacles to our independence are not all about media-led rabid unionism, or floating voters. We have a problem within the movement, something really toxic. It resembles a kind of auto-immune disease, a drive to eat away at the host and make barren the soil it depends on; the movement itself.  The dreaded anniversary of […]