With the death of Pope Francis, the world loses not only a church leader but also a moral compass

NEXT year, 2024, will see the tenth anniversary of the referendum on independence for Scotland. Since that year, the SNP has consolidated its position as the dominant party in Scottish politics, but very much as a centrist party of neoliberalism.
And if, as Nicola Sturgeon claims, the Tories believe that creating a constitutional crisis on the back of the Gender Recognition Act (GRA), will undermine support for the SNP and independence, they are going to be disappointed.
Without for a moment reducing the importance of the GRA both for its supporters or its critics, it is not a burning issue either in the lives of most Scots or in shaping their political allegiances.

That Scotland was an active participant and beneficiary of colonialism and slavery is not a question of blame games and guilt peddling, but a crucial fact assessing the class nature of the questions of devolution and independence, writes VINCE MILLS


