Bella Caledonia
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Bella Caledonia was formed in 2007 by Mike Small and Kevin Williamson as an online magazine combining political and cultural commentary. Bella Caledonia is an online magazine, based in Scotland, exploring ideas of independence, self determination and autonomy
Bella Caledonia
15h ago
“You know, this is the same garbage from last week’s game. I’m starting to recognize things.” – The Odd Couple, Neil Simon IT was, shall we say, a study in contrasts. This is what normally happens when Scotland is posed against the outside world of which it is only nominally a part. As the short ..read more
Bella Caledonia
15h ago
From the Lantern podcast by the Scottish Poetry Library (listen to the previous episodes HERE): ‘Me and my Dad will just about manage a handshake’. Is male emotionality a barrier we have to break down? And are male friendships changing generationally? Poets Andrew Greig and Michael Pedersen join Scottish Makar Kathleen Jamie and Alistair Heather ..read more
Bella Caledonia
15h ago
In Naomi Klein’s Doppelganger we are asked to consider a ‘mirror world’ in which versions of ourselves stare back at each other in digital and paranoid confusion, trying, and failing to navigate a post-truth world. It was brought to mind as John Swinney announced his cabinet and Keir Starmer welcomed his new recruit Natalie Elphicke ..read more
Bella Caledonia
3d ago
The Scottish Green Party has been for most of its existence a flat democracy, where everyone gets a say and debates can, and usually do, become lengthy. Party conference rarely completes the matters up for vote. For many, this level of debate is what democracy should look like. Sadly, over the last five years this ..read more
Bella Caledonia
3d ago
This week marks the 25th anniversary of the Scottish Parliament. It is being celebrated with events throughout the year which will include multiple panel discussions about the virtues of devolution. What is needed in these discussions is a candid conversation about how Scotland can do better to make devolution work for marginalised and under-represented communities.  ..read more
Bella Caledonia
5d ago
Dear Friend, I am writing to you on behalf of my family and the Sheku Bayoh Justice Campaign. I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the support you have given us so far. As you know my much-loved brother died in police custody on a Kirkcaldy street nine ..read more
Bella Caledonia
1w ago
The events of the past few days have caught many off-guard. Humza Yousaf‘s abrupt termination of the agreement with the Greens, their resultant fury and desire for revenge, with the inevitable resignation of Yousaf as it became obvious that he could not win a vote of confidence without paying a high price to Alba and ..read more
Bella Caledonia
1w ago
Its worth unpacking the establishments unbridled glee at the crisis of the SNP. Here’s Andrew Neil on LBC (which gets short-shrift from Lesley Riddoch): We get the usual Unionist canards: any criticism of Westminster is secretly nothing more than anti-Englishness; Scotland is an economic basket-case; a secret Socialist enclave and guilty of not embracing the ..read more
Bella Caledonia
1w ago
As bloodied horses run through London city centre and policies that were not long ago consigned to the far-right fringes, Britain is entering darker and more macabre times. For years Britain has felt like its creeping into V for Vendetta territory. This week, the British govt passed laws that take us way off the map ..read more
Bella Caledonia
1w ago
Delighted to say we’ve passed our crowdfund target (see HERE) – so sending a massive thanks to everyone who supported us and thanks too for the very positive encouraging comments. This will allow us to keep going and extend our range of freelance writers and contributors and maintain our tradition of independent Scottish media. We ..read more