In my column in today’s Scotsman, I discuss the need for a decent wage for our care workers. “If private sector care homes cannot afford to pay carers a decent wage, they should be taken over by councils or run by not-for-profit organisations.” “I’ve been in many care homes visiting as the constituency representative or meeting elderly friends or relatives…. Read more »
Writing in the East Lothian Courier, I talk about the changes that we must make to our economy, our society and our treatment of the natural world: “The Irish President, Michael D Higgins, made a remarkable speech about how both a better country and a fairer world need to come from this. Those sentiments and that ambition must apply here,… Read more »
In my column in the Scotsman today (Thursday 7 May) I discuss the recent programme on the Scots language by Alistair Heather. “It built on much good work especially by the erudite Billy Kay. A Scots tongue there most certainly is and it’s both contemporary and historic. “I recall reading a biography of Mary of Guise, Mary Queen of Scots’… Read more »
In my column in the Scotsman Newspaper I write about how COVID-19 will only be wiped out if we do so all over the world, and how the poorest nations on earth will need our help. You can read the full piece at the Scotsman’s website here.
In my column in today’s Scotsman Newspaper I talk about the need for Scotland to implement a prisoner release scheme for inmates who will not be a danger to the public in order to avoid as far as possible a major outbreak of Coronavirus in our prisons.
My column in today’s Scotsman: “It’s many years now since I had the pleasure of meeting Sir Alex Ferguson. Interviewing him as friend of Jimmy Reid, I ventured south with some trepidation, dressing-room tales of the “hairdryer” treatment going before him. But I came a way a fan and still rave about him to this day. “Now I’ve no doubt… Read more »
My column in today’s Scotsman: “The looming coronavirus threat can be viewed as a natural phenomenon, but another threat is entirely man-made and that’s the UK Government’s changes to immigration policy. For the Secretary of State for Scotland, Alister Jack, totalk about “genuine difficulties” is as blasé as referring to coronavirus as a seasonal flu. It’s causing genuine fear and… Read more »
My column in this week’s East Lothian Courier: East Lothian isn’t just proud of its beaches but famed for them. It’s one of the reasons that day-trippers and holidaymakers come to the county. The sands are remarkable and a source of enjoyment for locals, as for visitors. But pollution and litter is a growing concern. For it’s not just in… Read more »
My column today in the Scotsman discussing the deepening divides in English society. “Brexit and long-term social and economic changes have seen a divide appear in England and it’s deep. “It’ll take time and a lot more effort than the UK Government is currently making to address it. Indeed, they’re exacerbating it further by widening the gulf between rich and… Read more »
My column today in the Scotsman: How Scotland’s martyrs for democracy were written out of history The radicals of late 18th and early 19th-century Scotland were inspired by the French Revolution and Thomas Paine’s book ‘Rights of Man’ to campaign for greater democracy at a time when the country had only a few thousand voters, writes Kenny MacAskill. History, it’s… Read more »