PinnedDouglas DowellScottish citizensBreaking up a country means defining who you exclude. Despite their best efforts, the Scottish Government’s plans for citizenship prove it4 min read·Jul 30, 2023----
PinnedDouglas DowellPolitical religionThe blurring of tolerance for personal belief and acceptance of political positions is not an accident5 min read·Feb 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…5 min read·Feb 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 engage5 min read·Feb 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 ranks3 min read·Jan 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 voters6 min read·Aug 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 spurn8 min read·Jul 25, 2020--1--1
Douglas DowellState aid and the union stateUpholding the Union and thumbing your nose at nationalists are different things6 min read·Jul 18, 2020----
Douglas DowellPublic goodThe Cummings farrago exposes a government which doesn't grasp its own role4 min read·May 25, 2020----
Douglas DowellCrowning complexitiesI used to be a convinced republican. I’ve concluded it’s more trouble than it’s worth5 min read·Feb 23, 2020----