“One of the things the SNP profited from is that when Labour set up the Scottish Parliament, they didn’t send any of their A-listers there.”
Having run as her heir, he seems unable or unwilling to put enough distance between his regime and hers if the fraud investigation blows up.
The conference exhibited scepticism about levelling up and widespread enthusiasm for devolution – but less cognisance of the trade-offs it entails.
The Government has once again taken on the Nationalists and, contra 25 years of devolutionary received wisdom, won the day.
Jamie Driscoll, the serving Mayor of North Tyne, did not make the longlist for the North East mayoralty.
It is not a coincidence that the only bits of England he omits from his coalition of “progressive values” are those that are net contributors to the Exchequer.
Also: DUP and Heaton-Harris in staring match over extra funding as Rishi Sunak rules out coalition with the Unionists at Westminster.
“Because all the reforms you guys passed already have panned out really well over the past 20 years, haven’t they.”
The localist idea that decisions should be taken as close to the people they affect as possible, has been undermined by the Mayor of London’s failings.
Meanwhile, both Humza Yousaf’s personal ratings and support for independence on the wane as the Sturgeon magic wears off.
The changing global landscape should refocus our policy on the factors that are need to improve the investment outlook – such as sound macro polices and the level, predictability and simplicity of tax.
As the place where the first cracks appeared in the Red Wall, our region is of huge political significance, and results here matter.
For years, the ravages of the Scottish Government’s failures have not shown up in the Nationalists’ polling. But the spell has broken.
Its most honest advocates concede it would effectively abolish the upper limit for terminating a pregnancy; only one per cent of women polled support this stance.
New research for Power to Change finds that progress on the Government’s agenda has been patchy, and voters have noticed.