This blog is now archived
This blog is now archived
Please note that this blog is no longer being updated.
Hitting the road
Islay will always have a special place in my heart – it’s where I grew up, where I went to school and where my parents still live. It might be a few years since I lived there but I’m a …
Visiting the home of the vikings
Posted by:
, Posted on:
-
Categories:
Ministerial visits, News and current affairs, Scotland's economy, Scottish independence referendum
Last week I spent a couple of days in Denmark on government business. It is a fascinating country which has recently had a prominent profile in Scotland, not least because of successful Danish TV series such as Borgen and The …
Six months and counting
With just six months to go until voters make their choice in the Scottish independence referendum, people need to remember that a referendum is not like an election. You cannot change your mind in five years’ time if you do …
International Women's Day: Inspiring Change
Today – to celebrate tomorrow’s International Women’s Day - I’ve met some of those who are doing their bit to make the positive case for equality for women both in this country and further afield. Huge strides have undoubtedly been …
200 days to go
The referendum is fast approaching and that means it’s time for everyone in Scotland to turn their attention to how they intend to vote. But this is not a decision to be taken lightly – we cannot afford to gamble …
Everyone's looking for a plan B
There’s been a lot of talk in recent days about the need for some people to have a plan B. Well, the good news is that today I found one. I was at Lourdes Secondary School in Glasgow when I …
Scottish referendum - Scotland's choice
It’s certainly true that time flies – we’re already a couple of weeks into 2014 and it definitely feels that the pace is quickening towards the referendum. September 18 will be here before we know it and that’s why it’s …
A sombre week – but people power shines through
Few people throughout the UK can fail to have been touched by the devastating scenes we saw in Glasgow this week, in the aftermath of the police helicopter crash. I visited Glasgow on Monday where I met the team of Fire, Police, …
Still no answers
Coming in at just shy of 700 pages, expectations were high that the Scottish Government’s independence white paper would answer some of the crucial questions facing the nation – pensions, the pound and Europe to name but three. The white …
Scottish referendum: 300 days to go
There’s now less than a year to go until voters in Scotland get the chance to have their say about the nation’s future. In fact, it’s just 300 days until we’ll be going to the polls and making our momentous …