A pack of carrots having its bar code read

'Why shouldn’t governments seek to control food prices, especially when inflation threatens to run rampant? Being able to afford food is at least as important as paying the electricity bill, and who opposes a statutory price cap on that? '
Tommy Sheppard, via The National
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We need freedom from fear The core purpose of government is to provide freedom from fear. That means freedom from physical threat, Freedom from want, freedom from discrimination and freedom from the deliberate chaos that destroys the social fabric on which democracy depends. That is what government is for. And right now, in the UK and...

'The far-right has a strategy. It is not chaos by accident. It is chaos by design. Disorder is their desire. Crisis creates their opportunity...
And it has been working, not because the far-right is powerful, but because too few are stopping it.'
Richard Murphy

Elizabeth Tower, with Big Ben inside, pointing up into a darkening skyline, with blurred Union Jacks on both sides of the frame. (Image: PA)

'It's absurd to assume that public protection can be achieved through suppression of the public’s freedoms. Yet Westminster continues to do just that. It stinks of an institution which is terrified of the collective power of the people.'
Lara Bird-Leakey, via The National
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Hold on, wait for it... — Common Weal Our third economic crisis in rapid succession and an unhinged USA mean the time is ripe for major change. But if it is going to be positive change, the left have some important lessons to learn.

'This crisis is probably real, will probably be brutal and will probably create greater calls for change than any I've seen. But the crucial moment probably isn't this year or next. When it comes, a solid alternative idea must be on the table.'
Robin McAlpine, via Common Weal

A close-up of a Ming-Yang offshore wind turbine, bearing the comany's logo.

'The British Government has not chosen to explain the specific reasons why Ming-Yang is uniquely dangerous to British security, save that it is an infrastructure threat. The Scottish Government has not, apparently been informed.'
John S Warren, via Bella Caledonia
bellacaledonia.org.u...

Anas Sarwar, John Swinney and Malcolm Offord dominating the Channel 4 leaders' debate. (Image: PA)

'If Scotland had control over its own immigration policy, we could put in place a system which would have human rights and justice at its heart rather than a plethora of conflicting rules that are a nightmare to navigate.'
Richard Walker, via The National

Why Americans Need to Get Much Angrier About Donald Trump Hope is not a strategy and my fellow Americans need to wake up to the far greater damage to the US this President could still cause, argues Alexandra Hall Hall

'What if Trump is so irked by all the TACO crowing by his critics, that one day he decides not to back down from one of his most preposterous declarations?
How bad does it have to get, before enough Americans wake up?'
Alex Hall Hall, via Byline Times

A Scottish Daily Mail article by Michael Blackley, telling us 'Scotland's now bust' and generally yammering on about us being rubbish.

'The gap between the Scottish electorate and the Scottish commentariat is now a chasm, and it’s mind-defying that it’s even possible that we challenge the orthodoxy of the political message we are bombarded with from every side very single day.'
Mike Small via Bella Caledonia
bellacaledonia.org.u...

A Sudanese Armed Forces soldier walking away from the camera down a road full of smashed, burnt-out cars (Image: PA)

'Security is the one thing that Sudan does not have. What’s more, this isn’t just a result of an abject failure in international peacekeeping, but because outside players are hell-bent on sustaining and escalating the conflict.'
David Pratt, via The National
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Sarwar Admits Regret Over Grangemouth Promise as Pressure Mounts - The Highland Times Anas Sarwar has said he regrets his promise to save Grangemouth refinery, following its closure and job losses, as political pressure grows over industrial policy and differing UK government intervent...

The cost of Aviation Fuel has increased by 270% since Feb, and airlines are dropping flights as a result

🇬🇧 Labour gave an election promise to “SAVE GRANGEMOUTH”, Scotland’s only oil refinery and producer of Aviation Fuel, then let it close

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Are you YES yet ?

thehighlandtimes.com/sarwar-admit...

John Swinney and Anas Sarwar clash during the BBC leaders debate on Sunday 12 April. (Image: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

'Support for independence is not formed in isolation from the cost of living, housing or public services. It is shaped by them – by the experience of rising costs, stretched services and limited room for change.'
Assa Samaké-Roman , via The National
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Labour can’t be trusted not to do a deal with Reform I don’t usually pay too much attention to leaders’ debates in the run up to elections. They are invariably too shouty with the leaders vying to talk over the top of each other. Anas Sar…

'No step is too far, no bar is too low, for the careerist and ambitious Sarwar, who knows he’s blown up his chances of a peerage after his ill fated attempt to force Starmer to resign.'
weegingerdug

Donald Trump blowing a whistle, obviously better than any whistle has been blown any time in recorded history.

' Even if negotiations succeed with Iran, Trump is likely to lash out elsewhere.
As a result, “shoot first talk later” is in danger of becoming standard practice everywhere.'
Chris Nineham of Stop the War, via The National
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An AI chatbot on smartphone (Image: Getty Images)

'It is difficult to convince people that they have the power and agency to bring about change when they can’t see any evidence for this potential in their daily lives.'
Jonathon Shafi, via The National
archive.is/1UHiH

Seesaws of the mind The expression ‘in two minds’ has taken on a particular poignancy of late.

'We are on the verge of a vote that is critical for Scotland’s cause and for every aspect of life in our nation, yet it appears that the nation is responding with a massive communal shrug.'
Peter A Bell

A gannet feeds a chick, known on Lewis as a 'guga' (Image: Phil Botha on Unsplash)

'Nothing is simple when it comes to our relationship with nature. Online, those of us telling our stories are being held to an expectation that is frankly delusional. Even baseline welfare standards are getting stricter by the year.'
Rhoda Meek, via The National
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Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay doing a thumbs up and pulling a funny face during the launch of the party's Holyrood election manifesto at Yotel, Edinburgh, on April 7th

'In ­political terms, “more jail for more ­people for longer” is about the only policy which is never called upon to justify ­itself in public debate – in terms of either its ­social outcomes, or its costs. That ­impunity must end.'
PeatWorrier, via The National
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Photos of some of the far-right 'network' that's previously benefited from dark money funding connected with Viktor Orban, including Nigel Biggar, Richard Dearlove, Rod Dreher, and Frank Furedi

'The Hungarian election result is also a major blow to the networks of dark-money that has flooded the far-right in Britain, including arch-Unionists such as Nigel Biggar and Douglas Murray.'
Mike Small, via Bella Caledonia
bellacaledonia.org.u...

Supporters of Peter Magyar, the leader of the opposition Tisza party celebrate (Image: Darko Bandic)

'Magyar promised voters that after 16 years of autocratic governance and the erosion of the rule of law, he'll root out corruption and create a “peaceful, functioning and humane” Hungary.
What those changes will look like remains to be seen.'
George Gaynor, via The National
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The real risk of system breakdown There are mornings when I scan the news, reflect on what is happening in the world, and then come up with no connection between what the news is reporting and what I feel is going on. This morning is one such day. Some of the issues that I think are significant,...

'To suggest we are heading for a period of economic chaos is not to be sensational, but to be realistic. Without a miracle (and I do not really believe in miracles, least of all those performed by Donald Trump), that disruption is now inevitable.'
Richard Murphy

A Sair Fecht It’s been a long time since I last posted here, nearly two years in fact. I’ve been busy promoting my biography, Don Roberto: The Adventure of Being Cunninghame Graham, and building a p…

'We Scots find ourselves still in the extraordinary position that slightly over fifty percent of us (according to most recent polls) hold views that are almost entirely unrepresented in the mainstream media.'
Jamie Jauncey, via 'Don Roberto and Me'

He's not the Messiah The Lesley Riddoch Podcast · Episode

New podcast from Lesley Riddoch and Fraser Thompson.
Trump's self-portrayal as 'healer of men', and the Pope taking a stand against the destruction of civilization.
Also the first Holyrood leaders' debate, Wes Streeting's contemptuous sniffiness, and much more.

Dynamic pricing: the technology that could deliver massive harm and even famine to the UK The Independent newspaper reported this yesterday: Supermarkets could introduce “dynamic pricing”, allowing them to increase the cost of goods when demand is high, the Bank of England has warned. Consumers are already used to such pricing methods when they use Amazon, Uber or buy tickets for flights or concerts. But it could...

'The reality is that we are very likely to need food rationing and price controls this year to ensure the supply of essential items to everyone in the UK.'
Richard Murphy

We’re counting down again — Common Weal The world is worls is looking to the skies again – not metaphorically, but strategically. As nuclear powers abandon disarmament while enforcing it on others, the non-proliferation regime is fracturing. If the system meant to prevent catastrophe no longer holds, the question is no longer how close we

'The clock is still ticking. The question is no longer how close in seconds we are to midnight. It is whether anyone is still trying to turn the hands back.'
Megan Davidson, via Common Weal

Anas Sarwar, the Wile E Coyote of Scottish politics You can smell the desperation from Scottish Tory Holyrood leader Russell Findlay. At a campaign event, the soon to be sacked Findlay, pulled out the anti-English racism card against the SNP, accusi…

'Sarwar still claims he’s campaigning to become the next FM. He’s like Wile E Coyote running off a cliff, his legs frantically running on thin air, hoping he can defy the laws of political gravity if he deigns not to notice that he’s unsupported.'
weegingerdug

Poster for the 'Nest of Fearties' podcast, showing an outline map of Scotland on a red background.

Interesting discussion of the Holyrood 2026 campaign thus far on Skotia's 'Nest of Fearties' podcast, feasturing Coll McCail, Jamie Maxwell and Bella Caledonia's Mike Small.
bellacaledonia.org.u...

Freedom and the good stuff — Common Weal There are a series of dogmas about choice and freedom which implies that they are the ultimate goal of human affairs. Well I’ve got a pair of jeans which suggests otherwise…

'I believe most people would be happier with fewer choices.'
Robin McAlpine, via Common Weal

The economic shocks to come Steve Keen and I had a conversation yesterday. It will be out as a podcast very soon. What characterised it above all else was the very different perception that we have of the risks arising from the war in the Middle East compared to most of the mainstream media. In this...

'Pretending that the problems we are facing are a minor disruption caused by a temporary blip in fuel prices is ridiculous. What we are facing is the risk of a real long-term downturn in economic activity -recession, or even depression.'
Richard Murphy

So now TRUMP wants to blockade the Strait of Hormuz?
Make it make sense, someone...

Donald Trump bumping his gums during a press conference. Image: Evelyn Hockstein, REUTERS)

'As many people I’ve spoken to here in the Middle East see it, Trump’s threats of committing the worst possible excesses and war crimes to get what he wants have irreparably damaged US standing.'
David Pratt, via The National
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