The covid pandemic poses huge challenges for Scotland – but also a unique opportunity to rethink who we are as a country, where we are heading, and how to restructure our economy, culture, politics and relationships in addressing the deep disparities the virus has exposed. Bringing together the unique voices of some of our best creative writers, poets and commentators, this book makes a significant contribution to rethinking our future. It explores what 'after the virus' could look like, a...

As the battle of words over the future of Scotland as a democracy, nation and society continues, A Better Nation: The Challenges of Scottish Independence aims to go beyond the superficial divisions and media noise in order to address matters of real substance. Drawing on a range of original thinkers from a wide range of backgrounds, it tackles key issues about money, culture, equality, energy, borders, jobs, Europe and other 'big questions' head on. A Better Nation illustrates the high sta...

Politics took a decisive turn twenty years ago with the birth of the modern Scottish Parliament. People in Scotland want to 'make a difference' and build a better future. Scotland the Brave? offers both an acute assessment of where we are today and a route map to the future.Editors Gerry Hassan and Simon Barrow have brought together an impressive array of Scottish and international voices to cover concerns including the economy, environment, social policy, beliefs, human rights, me...

A Nation Changed? Provides the first detailed and wide-ranging analysis of the SNP in office. It looks at how Scotland has changed and not changed during that time, and the challenges that lie ahead. The book examines the SNP's record, its role as a government and as a party, detailed policy issues such as education and health, the Brexit conundrum and independence.Offering insights and suggestions for further action and reform, A Nation Changed? brings together a...

After fourteen years of Conservative government – combined with Brexit, a global pandemic, the rise of a populist far right and the existential threat of climate change – many see Britain as undergoing serious social, economic and cultural decline. This is the context in which Labour have taken office at Westminster after a decade and a half in opposition. With recent ways of doing politics, government and statecraft in crisis, how can a serious, humane alternative emerge? What scale and t...

Communication is the key to organisational success and nowhere is this truism more apparent than in the influence of internal communication during a transformational process as dramatic as a merger or acquisition. During the complex process of bringing the two sets of employees together, continuous effort is crucial for keeping in touch with how people feel; communicating information clearly across both bidder and target; and beginning the process of creating a new culture for the merged c...

On 18 September 2014, Scots will decide their future: should the country quit the United Kingdom and take control of its own destiny, or should it remain part of what advocates call the most successful political and economic union of modern times? Everyone in the country has a stake in this decision. Now, in this fascinating and insightful new book, David Torrance charts the countdown to the big day, weaving his way through a minefield of claim and counterclaim, and knocking down fictions ...

A different Scotland is possible. Caledonian Dreaming: The Quest for a Different Scotland offers a penetrating and original way forward for Scotland beyond the current independence debate. It identifies the myths of modern Scotland, describes what they say and why they need to be seen as myths. Hassan argues that Scotland is already changing, as traditional institutions and power decline and new forces emerge. He outlines a prospectus for Scotland to become more democratic and to embrace r...

Will the 2015 general election herald the return of a Labour-dominated government? Could another coalition be on the cards with a rival party, or will the Labour Party be doomed to remain in opposition for another term? In this concise and authoritative guide, Dan Jarvis MP brings together a cast of Labour's brightest and best to explain how the Labour Party proposes to address the problems facing the nation today if they win power in 2015. Exploring the party's key policies, agendas and t...

A TIMES POLITICAL BOOK OF THE YEARA LONGMAN/HISTORY TODAY BOOK OF THE YEARThe award-winning history of the British Welfare State –now fully revised and updated for the 21st Century.‘A masterpiece’ Sunday TimesGiant Want. Giant Disease. Giant Ignorance. Giant Squalor. Giant Idleness.These were the Five Giants that loomed over the post-war reconstruction...

At the height of the Scottish Independence debate, After Independence offers an in-depth and varied exploration of the possibilities for Scotland, from both pro and anti-independence standpoints. Drawing together over two dozen leading minds on the subject, After Independence offers a comprehensive and balanced analysis of Scotland's current and prospective political, economic, social and cultural situation. Brought together in an inclusive, accessible and informative way, After Independen...

Shortlisted for 'Polemic of the Year' at The Paddy Power/Total Politics Political Book Awards 2013!Following an introductory chapter exploring why political argument deals in probability and plausibility across interdependent areas of social activity not certainty in individual areas, this book offers a case for independence under six main headings - the democratic case, the economic case, the social case, the international case, the cultural case and the environmental case. Under each hea...