HeyJaredTommy Sheppard
- Indexed articles, last 90 days
- 10
- Latest publication
- Sep 14, 2026
- Outlet visibility, for Thenational
- Top 100K sites
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- Jul 6, 2026
Latest articles
Andy Burnham slipped up â so how can we take advantage? (opens the original)
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ANDY Burnhamâs statement last Wednesday that the trigger for a referendum in Scotland should be the same as laid out in the Good Friday Agreement (GFA) has been seized upon by all sides as evidence of something. Given the boredom-inducing years of stasis as the British government repeatedly told Scotland ânow is not the timeâ, it is unsurprising that saying anything at all on the question will get juices flowing. But letâs curb our enthusiasm. Was it a gaffe? It certainly looks that way.
Change is long overdue in local government – here's what Scotland should do (opens the original)
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WHAT are we going to do about Scottish local government? It’s about time someone asked the question and answered. So, the suggestion of a review, cautious and caveated though it was, in last week’s Programme for Government was welcome. A start at any rate. It is after all more than a generation since anyone had a look. Scotland’s 32 councils are run on a structure devised by Michael (now Lord) Forsyth and funded by a mechanism little changed since that was brought in by Michael (now Lord) Heselt
Why a de facto referendum is the wrong route to Scottish independence (opens the original)
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SO, John Swinney is shutting down debate in the SNP on political strategies to advance the independence campaign – at least according to one unnamed party member extensively reported in this paper at the end of last week. That would be a terrible thing if it were true. Is it though? The evidence cited is that a resolution calling for the next election to be treated as a de facto referendum on Scotland becoming independent has apparently not been included on the draft agenda for the coming party
Every time Labour lose, those responsible get job of putting things right (opens the original)
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ELECTIONS – even leadership elections – are meant to be exciting. A time for debate about differing perspectives resulting in an agreed choice, then compromise, coming together, moving on. Someone should tell the Labour Party in Scotland. I feel somewhat sorry for the remaining members whose ballot to elect a new leader starts on Friday. What a boring, dispiriting and uninspiring contest they are being presented with. I don’t know Joe Fagan or Michael Marra, the two men standing to replace Lord
Make having an elected head of state part of the indy case (opens the original)
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WE need to talk about the monarchy. It’s in trouble. And what better time than the parliamentary recess to take stock and decide what we should do about it. For two decades, UK opinion has been on the move, and sustained changes are now apparent. Prior to 2010, support for the royals hovered around 75%-80%. It’s now consistently 20 points lower and showing no signs of going back up. Meanwhile, support for a republic was often below 20% and is now regularly over 30%. These are the findings of man
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