Politics

Iowa Caucuses 2016

 Steven Kellow    Politics  

The Iowa Caucuses are where the hopes and dreams of Presidential candidates are first tested in America, and the job of screening the next occupier of the White House is one that residents of the mid-West state are proud to hold. This year’s Iowa Caucuses have proved just as interesting as they have in the past, with both the Democratic and Republican races throwing up surprise results that leave each race as wide open as ever. Democrats Hillary Clinton looks set to win Iowa by — Read more →

The SNP contradiction

 Steven Kellow    Politics

We’re living in interesting times in Scotland, and we’re on course to have more of a say than we have had for centuries when the Scottish Parliament gains new powers as a result of the Scotland Bill on the way.  For this, we have the SNP to thank; for while their push for independence has fallen short (for now), they have delivered to Scotland more power and influence than we could have hoped for, say twenty years ago, before our Parliament was re-instated. But for — Read more →

State of the Polls: January 2016

 Steven Kellow    Politics  , ,

Although I’m sure some will disagree, politics over the last few years has been tremendously exciting – with more twists and turns in the dramas of governance than we have seen in decades beforehand.  If you’d predicted the events of the last 18 months: from the surge in support for Scottish independence before it’s defeat in the referendum, the tsunami of support for the SNP in the following General Election, a Tory victory against all the odds in that same election and the election of — Read more →

The dissolution of the ties that bind

 Steven Kellow    Politics

On my travels across the internet I found this stellar comment from before this year’s General Election which so eloquently puts the fall of Britishness and why Scotland feels like it no longer belongs that I felt it was worth saving.  It was posted in response to a Gerry Hassan article on Open Democracy, titled “The tartan tsunami and how it will change Scotland and the UK for good” A lot of good thoughts here, good observations, especially about the hurt and sense of dislocation — Read more →

A frozen budget for Scotland

 Steven Kellow    Politics

Today John Swinney announced the draft Scottish budget for 2016-17, the final of this current SNP administration and a significant one in terms of Scotland’s future.  This was the first budget in which new powers over income tax and housing were available to the Scottish Parliament, courtesy of the 2012 Scotland Act, and perhaps the last one before the more comprehensive package of new powers is devolved to the Parliament through the current Scotland bill. While the SNP will try to position it as a — Read more →

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