Opinion: pragmatism and politics – thoughts on constitutional reform
By John Knox There is no “end solution” or “settled will” to constitutional reform, as the Holyrood parliament has found out. It is all very well to go constitutional engineering, but it is a minority...
View ArticleZambia set up emotional return to scene of tragedy for AFCON final
By Andrew Macdonell in South Africa When Zambia’s footballers line up for their national anthem before Sunday’s African Cup of Nations final, they may be forgiven if their minds are elsewhere. The game...
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Opinion: If society is more open about death it will help us all
By Mark Hazelwood What did you watch on TV last night? Did you see Freaky Eaters, a programme exploring the needs of people with dietary difficulties? Or perhaps you chose to watch Embarrassing...
View ArticleReview: Old Ideas, by Leonard Cohen
By Alex Wood Losing your pension pot is hardly justification for a 77-year-old entertainer completing a strenuous series of world tours, from 2008 to 2010, with a new album. But if that’s why Leonard...
View ArticleCameron outfoxed by Salmond before he even arrives in Edinburgh
When David Cameron sits down with Alex Salmond in Edinburgh tomorrow, the prime minister’s message will be clear – if just a bit patronising. “Talk to my man,” he will say (if not quite in those exact...
View ArticleRobinson’s new Scotland team is better – but may not be good enough
Is the Scotland team which will face Wales this weekend better than the one that lost so dispiritingly to England? Undoubtedly. But could it have been even better? Unquestionably. Andy Robinson, the...
View ArticleAnother defeat, another frustrating match: same old story for Scotland
So, Scotland can score tries. They can’t as yet win games, though. Scotland’s 27–13 defeat away to Wales this afternoon proved that some things are soluble, but other – more important – issues are not,...
View ArticleVideo: Fort William Mountain Festival
This week, the annual Mountain Festival comes to Lochaber. Now in its fifth year, the event is a mixture of workshops offering practical skills in mountain craft, films and lectures on a wide range of...
View ArticleFought over, commemorated, eaten – some hearts for Valentine’s Day
The heart has long been used as a symbol for love, emotion and romance. And nothing says Valentine’s Day more than hearts. Today, people will be sharing paper ones, floral ones, chocolate ones or...
View ArticleOpinion: a wise council is one that helps to build the local economy
By Colin Borland Local authorities really do suffer from a lack of public respect. Bereft of premium channels, we call terrestrial TV “council telly”. Comedians ask hecklers, “Who cuts your hair? The...
View ArticleVideo: Aberdeen Asset Management sponsors Scottish Hockey
Hockey is a popular sport in Scotland – thousands of people play every week. But it doesn’t attract the media attention or indeed the crowds enjoyed by football or rugby. However, its governing body,...
View ArticleUseful Scots word: doot
By Betty Kirkpatrick The talk at the bus stop the other day was, as it often is, about the weather. The conversation centred on the fact that, for once, the east of Scotland was enjoying a remarkably...
View ArticleOpinion: Rangers – and all that is wrong with professional football
By John Knox All of us honest taxpayers are outraged at the tax-dodging that has been going on at Rangers Football Club. And now, with the club in the deserved disgrace of administration, it looks like...
View ArticleFriday song: Madonna In Scotland
Looking forward with eager anticipation to the Queen of Skibo's Murrayfield gig on 21 July, the latest song from the Sensational Alex Salmond Band is entitled Madonna In Scotland. The band's Best Of...
View ArticleTime to tackle at least one myth spread by the SNP
All politicians are very good at spreading myths in an attempt to skew the debate their way – none better, in fact, than the SNP. There is one myth, in particular, that has had a lot of air recently...
View ArticleWeir’s Week: stupid Suárez, defensive Dalglish and JFK at Ibrox
By Stewart Weir Saturday Tensions were high ahead of the Manchester United–Liverpool clash for reasons that are known to everyone. But no one saw what came before a ball was kicked, namely Luis Suárez...
View ArticleEconomic downturn undermines Scottish retail and building sectors
The current economic climate is having a serious impact on Scottish jobs and future business prospects. Newly published data from the Bank of Scotland, the Scottish Retail Consortium and the Scottish...
View ArticleWhy the ageing Madonna could do with going Zen like Len
“You can't help getting older, but you don't have to get old.” The comedian George Burns, who made it two months past his centenary, understood this well. Nowhere in showbusiness is this maxim more...
View ArticleOpinion: Welfare reforms or plain old-fashioned cuts?
By Bill Scott The UK government has announced £18 billion of cuts to welfare benefits over the period 2011–15. Independent think tanks such as Demos estimate that £9.2bn of these cuts will fall on...
View ArticleOpinion: Should green thinking be getting a red light?
By Colin McInnes When the climate took a turn for the worse during the so-called Younger Dryas period some 12,000 years ago, our ancestors didn’t don hair shirts and hope for the best. They innovated....
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