They say that a week is a long time in politics. It has now been two weeks, a veritable political epoch, since the United Kingdom narrowly voted to leave the European Union.
Read MoreAssessing the efficacy of Westminster's Lobbying Act in Scotland
Various campaign scandals have plagued Westminster over the last decade. Ostensibly to avoid a political landscape akin to the US, where special interests are unduly influential, the Conservative-led coalition government passed the controversial Transparency of Lobbying, Non-party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Act 2014, or the Lobbying Act, in January 2014.
Read MoreKeeping a language alive: the past and future of Gaelic in Scotland
A couple of weeks ago, another edition of the Seachdain na Gàidhlig (‘Gaelic week’) took place in Edinburgh. The University of Edinburgh introduced this week of events last year to promote and celebrate the Gaelic language. Three centuries ago, Gaelic was a flourishing language spoken by approximately a quarter of the Scottish population. Nowadays, this has dropped to 1.1%
Read MoreOn home ground…
If you are a regular visitor to this blog, you might have noticed that we are a somewhat eclectic mix of contributors, with a fairly eclectic selection of things to say about a rather eclectic range of topics. That is actually quite a good representation of our home institution – the School of Social and Political Science at the University of Edinburgh.
Read MorePublic housing - utopia of the past or necessity of the future?
Amidst a housing crisis that threatens to price many lower income earners out of London, and that has brought levels of homelessness to new records, the ideal of home ownership continues to underpin British housing policy.
Read MoreIndyRef 2014
In what follows, the best and the brightest of IANS editors, staff writers and contributors discuss why they intend to vote the way they do. We then finish off our discussion with a short consideration of the alternative: devo plus.
Read MoreThe Yes Movement & Political Engagement
Something is happening in Scotland which few predicted. The possibility of a yes vote in the independence referendum has proved the catalyst for serious and wide-ranging political engagement. It shouldn’t be disregarded as mere nationalism – this is far bigger than the official Yes Scotland campaign.
Read More