In which I make the post-colonial liberal case against secessionism - and outline how to truly be a 'good' democrat - in the context of established democracies like Britain's. Get it read! ✍️ spectator.com/article/how-...

There is no need for non-nationalists to outline a path to a second independence referendum because it's already as clear as day what that path is. New from me @thespectator1828.bsky.social 👇 ✍️ spectator.com/article/how-...

Heads up. I have a new column out @thespectator1828.bsky.social tomorrow morning arguing that the route to a 2nd indyref is perfectly clear, and that it is in fact the SNP & Scottish Greens who are the real anti-democrats in this debate. Look out for it tomorrow am! ✍️ 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

It's a sad state of affairs when creating division between the north & south of this island is the only real motivating factor behind Scottish government action. But that is where we are. Me @thespectator1828.bsky.social on John Swinney's supermarket food gimmick ✍️ spectator.com/article/john...

New from my @thespectator1828.bsky.social , on @johnswinney.bsky.social's food price cap policy👇 spectator.com/article/john...

Break away from Britain’s integrated electricity market and you smash the model that has led to Scotland being a ‘leader’ in wind energy in the first place. New from me @thespectator1828.bsky.social ✍️ spectator.com/article/the-...

Misleading the people of Scotland in this way might be an effective core vote strategy, but it comes at the expense of degrading trust in the democratic system. New from me @thespectator1828.bsky.social ✍️ spectator.com/article/the-...

Wrote this a while back about politicians attending flag-waving 'Believe in Scotland' marches and how it reinforces an ugly form of identity-driven politics. Seems a good day to repost. www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/opinion/c...

New from me @thespectator1828.bsky.social: spectator.com/article/the-...

Good piece here from @staylorish.bsky.social on the millions the SNP Scottish Government is spending to issue bonds that won’t increase borrowing capacity by a single penny. More taxpayer money spent on Nationalist posturing. 👇 spectator.com/article/scot...

Sam Taylor clearly explaining how the SNP is misleading Scottish voters on income tax. Important, necessary work in the age of populists👇

Ahead of the budget tomorrow, the full story of the SNP’s statistical chicanery on income tax.

On bond issuance plan: John Swinney suggests Scottish independence would be shrugged off by the bond market, with an impact similar to that caused by the Wes Streeting briefing war. Absolutely ludicrous.

been watching lots of focus groups - clearly many young Scots believe we “send all our taxes to Westminster but get only a fraction back” but Scottish Government’s own National Statistics show we consistently benefit from 9.1% of UK public spending while contributing less than 8.5% to UK revenues 🤷🏻‍♂️

The most serious failure of the SNP’s latest independence paper is that it completely ducks the question of how an independent Scotland would get its public finances onto a sustainable footing.

“They are seeking to turn this country into little MAGA Britain” Former President of Global Affairs at Meta Nick Clegg says Elon Musk and JD Vance are interfering in European politics, which would “never” be tolerated stateside #Peston

At no point has Nicola Sturgeon or Humza Yousaf questioned whether actively working to create a divide that directly ties politics with identity might be socially detrimental. From me for @thespectator1828.bsky.social ✍️ www.spectator.co.uk/article/its-...

The SNP cynically split Scotland into two opposing camps: virtuous, culturally enlightened nationalists who are welcome to embrace the Saltire, and unionists who must be socially excluded from their Scottishness until they switch to the culturally superior camp ✍️ www.spectator.co.uk/article/its-...

Nicola Sturgeon and Humza Yousaf have been part of the illiberal process that has removed individuality and reasserted national identity as a political driver. Their hypocrisy on flags is astonishing. New from me @thespectator1828.bsky.social Get it read! ✍️👇 www.spectator.co.uk/article/its-...

New from me @thespectator1828.bsky.social ✍️ www.spectator.co.uk/article/its-...

This is a self-serving twisting - of course! - of the reality, but the key thing is it's designed to deflect attention away from the SNP's many failures in government. Ignore it, and don't let them get away with not answering for their failures across education & health, the ferries fiasco etc.

Using the latest GERS figures, @kevverage.bsky.social compares Scotland’s fiscal position with independent EU countries and argues that a fiscally autonomous Scotland would need to dramatically reduce investment in public services.

Yes, it’s very frustrating when people whose politics you fundamentally disagree with appropriate your national symbols for their cause…

Fundamentally this latest ScotGov paper is just yet another demonstration that the SNP intends to fight yet another election on issues around independence rather than on their record in health, education, transport, crime and all the other things they have actually been responsible for for 18 years.

The Scottish Government has put out a paper - written by British civil servants - making the case that SNP manifesto commitments are a matter not of politics but of law. This is obviously constitutionally wrong. Our civil service resources should not be used in this way. @johnswinney.bsky.social

I see national identity culture war fighting is unfortunately becoming all the rage. I wrote this a couple of years ago, on how damaging this form of politics is. www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/opinion/c...

Defence spending in GERS. @kevverage.bsky.social explains how the Scottish Government is pushing a dishonest narrative.

it’s GERS day 🎉🫤 - all you really need to know is this: Scotland (inc N Sea) generated very similar revenue/head as UK avg (£91 higher) but spending/head in and for Scotland was much higher (£2,669 higher) and that higher spending is mainly explained by devolved (SG controlled) spending (1/2)

grateful as ever to the National for highlighting the important and impactful work @theseislands.bsky.social is doing to inform the constitutional debate - if you would like to support our ongoing efforts, you can donate to these Islands here > www.these-islands.co.uk/funding/d5/

a masterclass in rhetorical deception 1. that a big new wind farm “could” be built has nothing to do with current electricity bills 2. Scotland is a “renewables superpower” because the “Westminster run” energy market offers price guarantees to wind farm developers (which impact all GB bill payers)

This from Janan Ganesh is very good. Beware those insisting only a full system reset will work because 'can it really be any worse than this'. www.ft.com/content/c34f...

Nationalism really is *fascinating*. Today we've seen (absolutely justifiable) protests against Trump during his visit, and people are praising "Scotland" for this. Meanwhile the actual elected FM of Scotland announced money for Trump's golf course and says the visit is an opportunity to be grasped.

I have seen quite a bit of b*!!*cks talked on @bsky.app about the issue of electricity pricing. This article from @staylorish.bsky.social is really useful in understanding what zonal pricing is really about www.these-islands.co.uk/publications... (1/2)

Everything you always wanted to know about zonal pricing. Plus why the SNP is incoherent and unserious on electricity market reforms.

Decent start to the weekend

I can't get my head around this. Extraordinary. Peter Murrell granted legal aid after embezzlement charge www.heraldscotland.com/news/2528231...

When I was elected to Holyrood in 2016 we had just 2 councillors in the capital. This is how city of Edinburgh council looks this morning.

'By 2029–30, a ‘funding gap’ of £2.6 billion a year for day-to-day (non-investment) spending is projected... roughly equivalent to spending on Scottish police & fire services, or the revenue from increasing all rates of income tax in Scotland by around 4 % points.' ifs.org.uk/articles/imm...

1/ In May 2022, Kate Forbes made a significant pledge: Scot Gov would reset the public sector, returning the size of the workforce to pre-Covid levels, & freezing the pay bill. Here she discusses the plan at a June 2022 meeting of the Finance & Public Administration Committee.🧵

Puncturing the national exceptionalism myths spouted by those who claim we in Scotland are so different to our immediate neighbours as to be incompatible in the same state. www.economist.com/britain/2025...

The Economist has written about Scottish nationalism, and there will be howls of indignation from the usual suspects. But who can credibly deny that Scotland is a land of unchecked fantasies and make-a-wish politics?

From electing uber-populist Alex Salmond as FM to the capture of our national symbols to inflame a national identity culture war, Scotland is just as susceptible to populism as anywhere else. Some will hate this analysis, but it's spot on: www.economist.com/britain/2025...

'...far from being an antidote to Mr Farage’s populism, the [Scottish] nationalist cause is its mirror.' '...in the populist pandemic that has roiled Europe and America since the global financial crisis, Scotland was Patient Zero.' Some hard truths delivered here! www.economist.com/britain/2025...

Former President Barack Obama issued a warning about the future of American democracy, while speaking at an event in Connecticut. Obama cautioned that the country is “dangerously close” to normalizing behavior “consistent with autocracies.”

Farage and the far right in general come from a grievance culture. If you do what they want, even maximally – Brexit – they’ll move the goalposts and keep moaning. If you engage seriously with their concerns, they’ll find new ones. You will never satisfy them, because they don’t want to be satisfied

The voters yearn for the radical centre.

Essentially, the UK is a normal country with normal problems. It does some things better, others worse. If it thinks it’s an exceptional country with exceptional virtues and vices, it will do exceptionally stupid things. 1/

Agree with Kevin. I think there’s a big chunk of the UK right now- and certainly all of the bits which control institutions- that are in complete denial a) about our ageing population and b) what the policy implications of the political choices they made 2010 to 2024 and indeed since *are*.

Interesting comparison here of 2021 Scottish parliament constituency voters (probably the most relevant comparator, I guess) for working out where Reform is getting its support from. That 18.3% is a big number (ahead of Labour) of SNP-to-Reform switchers. Doesn't quite fit Swinney's narrative.

All carers - paid and unpaid, young and all deserve better, because they are too often forgotten and ignored. It’s why our plans would see care workers properly rewarded, high quality care for everyone who needs it and unpaid carers given the fair deal they deserve.