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. […]

Brexit Corruption Culture Wars Democracy Fascism General Election 2024 Human Rights Immigration Neil Scott Neil Scott Neoliberalism Politics of Hate Poverty Scotland Scottish Independence Tory Party

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 […]

Culture Wars Human Rights Politics of Hate Trans Rights Ungagged Writing

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 […]

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 […]

Campaigns Conspiracy Theories Corruption Democracy Elections Equality & Inclusion LGBTQIAP+ Politics of Hate Scottish Independence SNP Ungagged Writing Val Waldron

A Stiff Kicking into the Long Grass by Val Waldron

Voters for Forbes or Regan were aware that GRR would be kicked into the long grass, serving as precedent for a power grab at any piece of legislation deemed unpopular    I never found it particularly difficult to understand why the Red Wall had fallen to the Tories in 2019. We’ve been living under the […]

Equality & Inclusion Fascism Feminism Human Rights LGBTQIAP+ Politics of Hate Scottish Independence Trans Rights Ungagged Writing

The Real Lie by Ungagged Guest

Any cis person who is still convinced that a Gender Recognition certificate would enable abusers, exploit children, fill women’s prisons with rapists, allow trans women to take all the sports medals and other ‘legit concerns’ should scroll on. Nothing will change your mind now. Let’s face it, you tuned out when you read ‘cis’ There […]

Feminism Immigration International Left Politics Politics of Hate Talking Sense Ungagged Podcasts

Talking Sense Podcast – Season 3 – Episode 1

Kat and Erin return for Season 3 after a busy summer to talk about the cost-of-living crisis, the death of Mahsa Amini and protests in Iran, and anti-immigrant actions in politics worldwide. Further info Edinburgh Slavery and Colonialism Legacy Review: https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/edinburghslaverycolonialism Glasgow Slavery Audit: https://www.glasgow.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=29117 Iran: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/28/podcasts/the-daily/iran-protests-women.html Reverse Freedom Rides: https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2020/02/29/809740346/the-cruel-story-behind-the-reverse-freedom-rides Recommended Reading: https://www.versobooks.com/books/3785-abolition-geography