PinnedDouglas DowellScottish citizensBreaking up a country means defining who you exclude. Despite their best efforts, the Scottish Government’s plans for citizenship prove itJul 30, 2023Jul 30, 2023
PinnedDouglas DowellPolitical religionThe blurring of tolerance for personal belief and acceptance of political positions is not an accidentFeb 25, 2023Feb 25, 2023
Douglas DowellThe union state and the social contractScottish nationalists who claim the UK will fund pensions after independence or ask why no independent country wants to return to it miss…Feb 21, 2022Feb 21, 2022
Douglas DowellThe Union of 1707 and the art of the dealFor Scotland, Britain was built upon a bargain. Renewing that bargain needs England to engageFeb 21, 2021Feb 21, 2021
Douglas DowellEvery man for himself?The EU was partly built to check its members’ worst instincts in dealing with each other. But that only holds within its ranksJan 28, 2021Jan 28, 2021
Douglas DowellPolitics and the peerageYou’ll never get politics out of the Lords, and nor should you. The problem isn’t including politics — it’s excluding votersAug 16, 2020Aug 16, 2020
Douglas Dowell‘This is not a debate’Sometimes you can say that once you’ve built a settled consensus. Otherwise, you’ll lose the debate you tried to spurnJul 25, 20201Jul 25, 20201
Douglas DowellState aid and the union stateUpholding the Union and thumbing your nose at nationalists are different thingsJul 18, 2020Jul 18, 2020
Douglas DowellPublic goodThe Cummings farrago exposes a government which doesn't grasp its own roleMay 25, 2020May 25, 2020
Douglas DowellCrowning complexitiesI used to be a convinced republican. I’ve concluded it’s more trouble than it’s worthFeb 23, 2020Feb 23, 2020
