The coronavirus pandemic has altered politics in the UK in a number of profound and unusual ways but it is devolution where some of the most fascinating impacts may just have taken place.
IT’S going to be a tough old night for everyone associated with Runrig when the band pull the curtain down on 45 years this weekend. I had the incredible pleasure of being the keyboard player at the height of the band’s success and the experience of being part of Runrig changed me as much as Runrig changed the face of Gaelic’s place in Scotland.
I KNOW it’s a crudely constructed piece of history more designed for Hollywood than Holyrood but I love Braveheart. My favourite part is when the Scots are assembled at Stirling Bridge itching to get into battle and William ‘Mel’ Wallace instructs them to “hold ... hold ... hold ...” before unleashing the weaponry that would lead to victory. Our approach to a second referendum has to be a bit like that and we must be patient and like Mel strike at the optimum time for success.
Scotland’s geography and natural resources, combined with supportive policies at Holyrood and Westminster, have enabled the renewable energy sector in Scotland to grow significantly over the last decade. In 2014, Scotland produced 29 per cent of the UK’s renewable electricity and Scotland is now responsible for more than 60 per cent of onshore wind capacity (and more than 40 per cent of all wind capacity), 85 per cent of wave and tidal capacity and more than 85 per cent of hydro capacity. Not only are we the Saudi Arabia of renewable energy we are practically the whole of Opec.
Scottish Questions has never been the most enjoyable experience for Scottish National Party Members of Parliament but this monthly session seems to be descending further into frustrating farce. Notionally, it exists to question the operation of the Scotland Office and examine the impact of reserved issues in Scotland. In reality it seems to be nothing other than an exercise for English MPs to turn up and shout ''SNP bad '' at the Scottish Government. Out of all the Departmental Question sessions it is by far the most dysfunctional and the frustration felt by bewildered Scottish viewers unfortunate enough to observe this unedifying spectacle on TV is shared by Scottish Members of Parliament.
