Tag Archives: Scotland

There is a new Conservative strategy about Scotland. It is for this reason that we will soon have Douglas Ross as Scottish Conservative leader. It is also the reason why Conservatives will attempt to turn the conversation in Scotland away from independence towards the SNP’s domestic record. Ross first came …

The world is changing rapidly. China is rising and the mighty dollar is under attack from all sides. Never has there been a time when knowing who are your friends has been more important. It is not time for the UK to enter another EU but it is time for …

I remember discussions in 2014 about whether Scottish independence would create a border between Scotland and the rest of Britain. Scottish nationalists insisted vehemently that there would be no border and that we wouldn’t notice crossing from Scotland into England just as an Austrian doesn’t notice crossing into Germany. Six …

Up to three million Hong Kong residents have just been offered the chance to settle in the UK and ultimately apply for British citizenship. I think they should all come to Scotland. Hong Kong Island is around 12 thousand hectares, but there are any number of barely inhabited islands or …

I’ve learned to distrust opinion polling because I don’t think it is remotely scientific. For this reason, I haven’t been concerned about a few polls that have shown support for Scottish independence to be rising. Support also rose after the EU referendum as disappointed Scottish Remainers flirted with Scottish nationalism. …

On 12th June Nicola Sturgeon said: I have previously welcomed the UK Government’s interventions, especially the furlough scheme which has helped to preserve jobs during this period but, in my view, it is now time to signal a further extension of Treasury support. Other countries have already made this move, …

There are two serious secession movements in the UK. One is in Scotland the other is in Northern Ireland. In Wales secession is not a serious option and relatively few Welsh people support it. Covid changes the debate decisively. All British people pay income tax if they work and other …

I am a Conservative voter. I support Boris Johnson completely and think he is the best thing that has happened to our party for decades. I believe in free markets, gradually lowering taxes where possible and leaving the EU. I am represented by no one in the Scottish Parliament. There …

Scotland entered lockdown at exactly the same time as the other parts of Britain. We did so because we were following the advice that had been given to the British Government by the SAGE committee of scientific experts. Boris Johnson announced a very cautious easing of this lockdown some time …

We all have our own ways of using social media. I use Facebook mainly to share my articles with various groups and I use it to talk to people I know as I prefer it to Skype.  I’ve rarely if ever had any trouble on Facebook. Most of the people you …

The SNP has introduced a Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Bill. At present hate crime laws cover disability, race (and related characteristics), religion, sexual orientation and transgender identity. The bill will add age and allows sex to be added later. It also will abolish the offence of blasphemy. What …

In recent weeks we have seen the power of the sovereign nation state deal with a crisis in a way that has not been seen since 1945. The British Government has been able to spend almost without limit to keep our people safe. It has taken other extraordinary measures to …

We were promised that there would be an economic crisis if we voted to leave the EU. For three years our politicians argued with the EU and among themselves about little else. We were promised that leaving with “no deal” would cause economic chaos. Now we have a real crisis …

The problem with Scottish politics is that we have a devolved parliament that is uninterested in devolution. Scottish politicians of all political parties pretend to be interested in those areas of life that the Scottish Parliament actually controls, but campaign primarily on issues that we don’t control. The same goes …

There is a view I like on the west coast of Scotland which takes in the islands of Raasay and Rona, behind them Skye with its Cuillins and in the far distance the Outer Hebrides.  It is perhaps the best view in Europe if you can find an evening in June …

There’s a long street in Aberdeen called Union Street, but the name has nothing to do with England and Scotland. It was named after the Act of Union between the Parliament of Great Britain and the Parliament of Ireland in 1800. The Conservative Party is officially the Conservative and Unionist …

Paul Maginnis is a Conservative Party Councillor, and author of The Return of Meritocracy: Conservative Ideas for Unlocking Social Mobility. In July 2019, Boris Johnson appointed himself as ‘Minister for the Union’. With seemingly rampant Scottish nationalism alongside the divisive issue of the Northern Irish border, it seemed like a smart …

In Moscow Lavrentiy Beria head of the NKVD used to cruise around in his limousine looking for cute girls. When he found what he was looking for he would point her out and have her brought to his dacha. There would be wine and food and afterwards he would sleep …

I was sleeping when we left the EU. It is a matter of complete indifference to me if a fifty pence coin turns up in my change marking the event. If something about being European trends on Twitter I feel slightly amused that some people might think that such things …

There is something odd about the present Conservative Government. On the one hand there has just been a decisive purge of Tory Remainer Wets, on the other Boris Johnson’s Government at least initially is liable to be one of the most left-wing in Conservative Party history. Early signs are that …