Democracy & State > UK state
Referendum has nothing to offer
07 Jun 2012
Neither Scottish independence nor British unionism. Sarah McDonald looks at the launch of the "Yes" campaign
Obscene wealth not main problem
02 Jul 2026
Instead of showing how ‘transparent’ the royal family is, writes Carla Roberts, the release of the tax returns of Charles III and William Mountbatten-Windsor shows how vulnerable this abhorrent institution really is
Ten years after
02 Jul 2026
Brexit went hand-in-hand with the promise of national freedom, economic dynamism, the shredding of bureaucratic regulations and a massive NHS spending boost. Few would argue nowadays that anything like that has been delivered, writes Paul Demarty
North of the border
25 Jun 2026
Labour trailed far behind in Scotland’s two by-elections. The trade union movement commits to bone-headed sectionalism. As for the left nationalists, they merely serve petty bourgeois nationalism. Tam Dean Burn comments
Two letters for Andy
25 Jun 2026
Can he halt long-term British decline with his Manchesterism magic? Within the confines of the present political system, can anyone? Paul Demarty examines the prospects for the ‘king of the north’
Small-nation crook
04 Jun 2026
Peter Murrell’s bizarre shopping habits have badly damaged the SNP. But the national question is still very much on the agenda, argues Paul Demarty. Around half of voters remain committed to separation
Toxic nationalist recipes
14 May 2026
With the rise of Reform UK, the SNP and Plaid as the biggest parties in Scotland and Wales, our demand for a federal republic has become even more relevant, argues Eddie Ford
How much longer?
14 May 2026
Though Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership hangs in the balance, his failure is less due to incompetence than to Britain’s objective situation, argues Paul Demarty
He who pays the piper
07 May 2026
Nigel Farage likes to present himself as one of your mates down the pub, but in reality, writes Eddie Ford, his friends are filthy rich. Then there is Christopher Harborne, the crypto billionaire and Reform mega‑donor
He didn’t want to know
23 Apr 2026
Claimed ignorance of Peter Mandelson’s security rating tells us a great deal about the inner workings of the state. But, says Paul Demarty, we should be demanding full access. Publish everything and ‘security’ be damned
Basic rights are under attack
09 Apr 2026
It is not only the government, the police and the judiciary. Too much of the left takes a ‘free speech … but’ approach. Then there are the AWL scabs, says Carla Roberts
Secularism means mutual toleration
26 Mar 2026
Communists oppose the scurrilous attacks on Muslim public worship. Eddie Ford says it is all part of the right’s culture war designed to promote white nationalism and a particularly bigoted version of Christianity
Not just a feudal relic
26 Feb 2026
It is not enough to exploit occasional royal scandals, let alone adopt monarchical socialism, argues Paul Demarty. The left needs to consistently advocate a democratic republic as a matter of basic programmatic principle
Ban fraudulent legislation
19 Feb 2026
Judges have struck down the government decision to proscribe Palestine Action under terrorism legislation. This is an important victory - but a limited one, argues Mike Macnair. In the name of ‘national security’ the government can, and says it will, appeal
Heading to dreamland
12 Feb 2026
Separatism is taken as common sense by much of what passes for the left in Scotland nowadays. But, argues Peter Kennedy, socialism and nationalism contradict each other
More lies, more paranoia
05 Feb 2026
Rightwing media outlets continue to denounce the new Chinese embassy building - clearly they take their cue from Donald Trump and his claim that it is “very dangerous” for the UK do business with China. Mike Macnair explores what lies behind the entirely artificial campaign