The impact of Scottish independence on the university sector has been a mere footnote during the referendum campaign. That’s not surprising when there are bigger issues at stake. But as the referendum…
Can the genie be put back in the bottle?
Andrew Milligan/PA
Will the heady blend of Westminster love-bombing, ominous corporate warnings and a saltire flag over Downing Street be enough to persuade the Scots to come back into the fold? We have already looked at…
A common refrain of the Better Together campaign in the Scottish independence referendum is that it is unlike any other poll. If the nation’s choice at a General Election was in error, the government can…
While Edinburgh and London wrestle over the future of the pound, it has has been sinking. The slide (especially against the US dollar) is widely seen as a knee-jerk reaction to the possibility of Scotland…
On the back of the rising prospects for a Scottish Yes vote to independence next week, the markets have taken a hit. The FTSE100 and FTSE250 posted drops that were markedly worse than performances in other…
The Victorian view of William “Braveheart” Wallace was somewhat different.
stocksolutions
In 1998 Alex Salmond dismissed doubts over Scotland’s Celtic lineage as “ignorance bordering on silliness”. In 2007 he expounded a vision of the country as a “Celtic lion” economy. In 2005 a Scottish National…
The people of Scotland are suddenly facing the realistic prospect that monumental change may be in the offing. As most recently confirmed by a shock YouGov poll, support for Yes appears to be rising fast…
Is Yes Scotland in socialist dreamland?
Danny Lawson
We are now barely two weeks away from Scotland’s referendum on independence. According to the latest polling, the No camp’s lead is disappearing fast. A Yes victory is becoming a realistic possibility…
‘I’ll give yer 6/1 on a Yes victory round the back.’
Phil Burns
Debate in the referendum continues to rage over to what extent we can trust the opinion polls. While the Yes side have most recently being putting their faith in the circa one million undecided voters…
Over a cup of tea – that is how it all started. Now it is a viral phenomenon. During the past 48 hours, the Better Together video clip featuring a woman talking about independence has been shared 2,974…
Scotland’s leading historian has not learned the lessons of his trade.
Andrew Milligan/PA
Much debate, and perhaps even more invective, has buffeted Scotland during the marathon referendum campaign. But Scotland’s 15 universities have been left surprisingly untouched by the tumult, at least…
Salmond’s detractors still think his campaign has the currency blues.
BasPhoto
In the second TV debate between Alistair Darling and Alex Salmond, the currency issue was again to the fore. This was almost inevitable after it was the Scottish first minister’s undoing in the previous…
So early in the history of UK debates, we’re still understanding their impact.
PA
Within less than an hour of last night’s second debate between Salmond and Darling, post-match analysis indicated a win for Scotland’s first minister. The polls showing the latest voting intentions will…
Salmond/Darling: don’t get carried away with the snap polling.
David Cheskin
To work out who won the debates between Alex Salmond and Alistair Darling, you have to ask the audience. The trouble is that different audiences will tell you different things. If you asked the studio…
Darling appeared to struggle in the second debate.
David Cheskin/PA
When Alex Salmond and Alistair Darling lined up for the first TV debate on August 5, Darling came out the surprise winner for the Better Together campaign. Few would disagree that the positions were reversed…
Both indyref sides need the female vote, so what’s with the half-baked policies?
The Arches
Women appear to be everywhere in the debate on Scotland’s independence, except in the thinking of the mainstream parties when it comes to seeking ways to promote gender equality and eliminate discrimination…
Sir Tom Devine’s conversion to the Yes cause may seem like a road-to-Damascus event, but should occasion little surprise. Most Scottish historians who have come out on the independence question are yes…
Can canvassers believe what Scots are telling them on doorsteps?
Duncan C
Political campaigners can often be heard complaining that opinion polls do not reflect what they hear on the doorstep. Arguing that they have spoken to many more people than the 1,000 or so typically interviewed…
Alex Salmond played the NHS card this week, to much derision from Better Together.
Scottish Government
David Cameron and other prominent unionists have accused Alex Salmond of desperation over his decision to question the future of the NHS in Scotland if it stays in the UK in recent days. The first minister’s…
Leading intellectual Tom Devine with Alex Salmond at this year’s Edinburgh Book Festival.
Andrew Milligan/PA
Tom Devine, Scotland’s most celebrated historian of recent years, sent shockwaves through the country when he revealed in a news report in The Observer newspaper last weekend that he intends to vote in…