The pestilence of Brexit and the failure of the political class
The latest confirmation of the sickness evident in British politics these days comes courtesy of political scientists at the universities…
What happened to the Conservative Party?
So now we know. There is no point in denying it and no advantage in wishing away plainly observable reality.…
The magic and mystery of English cricket
Nothing in cricket is quite as visceral, even quite as primeval, as the confrontation between a batsmen of the highest…
The Brexiteers have blown it
If, as Rod Liddle says, Brexit has been killed there is no shortage of suspects. 75 of them, in fact.…
It’s Salmond vs Sturgeon – and whoever wins, the SNP loses
Amid the wreckage of a Brexit process that has disrupted every aspect of British political life, it is easy to…
This is Ukip’s Britain. The rest of us just live in it
The continuing saga of Henry Bolton’s notional leadership of Ukip continues to amaze and amuse and appal in equal measure.…
Hands off our Ruth
At last, there is light in the north. The long Scottish Tory winter has finally ended, giving way to the…
Ruth, Queen of Scots
Twenty years ago, Conservatism all but died in Scotland. Tony Blair’s landslide victory made Scotland, at least in terms of…
Back into battle
On 24 June last year, in the Georgian splendour of her official residence in Edinburgh’s Charlotte Square, Scotland’s First Minister…
Highland sting
There is no party in Britain quite as fake as the Scottish National Party. The SNP, now entrenched in its…
Referendum rage: a warning from Scotland
In Scotland’s grittier pubs, a simple rule has long applied: no football colours and no talking about politics. With enough…
Everyone loves Ruth Davidson. No one will vote for her
Minority sects are often more interesting, and more colourful, than their more popular rivals. That must explain why the Scottish…
Sport’s first celebrity: W.G. Grace
Should you wish to have a good copy of the 1916 edition of Wisden, cricket’s annual bible, you should be…
Hallelujah! The England cricket team is fun again
Something wonderful is happening in English cricket. The Ashes are upon us and, at last, the England team seem determined…
The definitive literary guide to mixed martial arts
This is the best book you’ll ever read about mixed martial arts fighting; and this will still be the case…
Reflections on the revolution in Scotland
Never before — at least, not in living memory — has there been such a disconnect between north and south…
The SNP has replaced the Church of Scotland
The Church of England’s catechism begins ‘What is your name?’ The old Presbyterian catechism favoured in Scotland asked a better,…
Why an SNP surge at Westminster could mean the end of Britain
Anyone seeking to understand the strength of the SNP should look to those parts of Scotland where the party is…
The National shows just how much danger the Union – and Scotland – is still in
Nearly 20 years ago, during one of the many impasses on the road to ‘peace’ in Northern Ireland, Gerry Adams…
The surprise winners from the referendum? Scotland. Politics. Big ideas are back at last
Let us take a trip to America in 1976. The unelected incumbent president, Gerald Ford, is being challenged for the…
Secret oil fields! Skewed polls! The Yes campaign is losing the plot
Edinburgh When the histories of the Scottish independence debate are written, 13 February 2014 will be seen as a crucial…
Alex Salmond is within striking distance of victory. Why hasn’t England noticed?
Edinburgh A century ago, with Britain in peril, Lord Kitchener’s stern countenance demanded that every stout-hearted Briton do their bit…
High tea in Sri Lanka's Hill Country
In the bar of the Hotel Suisse, perched above the lake in Kandy (pictured), high up in Sri Lanka’s Hill…
George Galloway's one-man mission to save the Union
George Galloway is unhappy. One of his interlocutors on Twitter has told him to ‘Fuck off back to England’. Gorgeous…
Why must we worry about London’s success?
For a long time my view of the Imperial Capital — as, like other Scots, I am still prone to…
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