Author: YiP
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Want power in Westminster? Scotland is irrelevant.
Since WWI Labour has only needed Scotland in three elections to gain power in Westminster. The Tories never have. So how important is Scotland to them?
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What’s the problem with free tuition?
The SNP provides free University tuition for Scottish students at Scottish universities. Labour thinks they should pay. What’s the problem? The BBC in Scotland is actively criticising The SNP for continuing to provide free University tuition for Scottish students. It means higher education is more inclusive and less dependent on ability to pay. Students in…
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Spit it out! February 2025
Who’s being flash with the cash – and what are they desperate to distract us with? The latest roundup of what the political parties in Scotland are spending their social media money on. Once again Labour is the big spender, with HQ in London continuing to subsidise its Accounting Unit north of the Border. The…
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Scotland’s energy sector is a powerhouse of the economy
Scotland’s energy sector is a powerhouse of the economy. In a future independent Scotland it will sit alongside food and drink, and finance, to grow our economy – entirely to Scotland’s benefit.
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If broadcasting matters, why are Scotland’s broadcasters not based in Scotland?
Scotland doesn’t have its own public broadcaster. The BBC is based in England and regulated from Westminster. Virtually all commercial broadcasters are owned by companies based outside Scotland. So what? A public broadcaster is important: it should be expected to provide a source of trusted, impartial news and information about Scotland, cover topics that might…
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How right wing are the Westminster Unionist parties?
Its generally accepted that most Westminster’s Unionist parties – the Conservatives; the Liberal Democrats; and Reform – are right wing. Labour has now reached Center Right position on its march to win over England’s swing voters in marginal seats. So how right wing are they, and how do they compare with national parties, the SNP…
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Scotland and England are going their separate ways
Scotland and England are going their separate ways – even without Independence. Look at voting preferences and social attitudes and it’s clear – Scotland and England are diverging. And have been for some time. Is Independence inevitable? However you look at it, Scotland and England are different – and increasingly so. Here the author discusses…
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Scotland really doesn’t rate the BBC’s news
Scotland is very interested in Scottish news. But it really doesn’t like using the BBC as the source. In the UK, Barb is the industry’s standard for understanding what people watch. Each year it issues an annual report on the industry, with lots of detailed information about how, why, and what people watch. It reveals…
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That “secret” report about joining the EU
British Nationalists like to point to a “secret” report for Scottish Government Ministers on Scotland’s Post-Brexit routes to membership of the EU on regaining Independence. In fact the report was published in 2019 and made public in 2023. Advice to government ministers is not routinely made public – this one was as a result of…
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People just love the idea of a Republic of Scotland
Historically the Scottish Independence movement has thought that campaigning on more than just independence would dilute support. For example, campaiging for a Scottish Republic would put off independence supporters who liked the English monarchy being Heads of State. But interestingly, a recent Norstat survey suggests that this thinking may be wrong. Polling only on Independence…