Saturday, 22 September 2012

Dilettante on Open Unionism: ‘One Ireland, One Vote’ displays a chauvinist nationalism that all democrats should oppose

In my latest Open Unionism contribution, I take aim at the James Connolly Society's 'One Ireland, One Vote' campaign and the chauvinist strain of nationalism that underpins it. Read it here.

Tuesday, 18 September 2012

Dilettante on HuffPost UK: No need for a post-Union Jack

My first article for the Huffington Post UK went up today, offering my thoughts on the apparent dilemma about what to do with the Union Jack in the event of Scottish independence. Please read it here.

Sunday, 9 September 2012

Dilettante on the Nolan Show: Private Schools and BUPA

I took part in a debate on the Nolan show last night, responding to Lord Adonis' suggestion that Education Secretaries should not use private schools, nor Transport Secretaries cars. Predictably, I thought this was utter nonsense and had great fun saying so. Listen here.

Friday, 31 August 2012

Dilettante on The Commentator: The NHS - Safety Net or Straightjacket?

In my latest Commentator piece, I respond to a post by Robert Colville over at Telegraph blogs about the potential impact of the divergent lifestyles of rich and poor on the future of the NHS.I argue that, this being Britain, it is not the NHS that is in jeopardy but the lifestyle liberties of the expensive poor. Read it here.

Friday, 24 August 2012

Dilettante on Open Unionism: Are the Northern Isles the start of Salmond's Northern Ireland?

In a rather (but not totally) tongue-in-cheek piece for OU, I assess the potential impact on the independence debate of the SNP's recent concession that the Northern Isles would have the right to self-determination in the event of Scotland voting to secede from the UK. Read it here.

Monday, 6 August 2012

Dilettante at The Student Journals: Hail Pistorius, Herald of Change

In my latest TSJ article, I try my hand at something Olympics related by musing on the implications of human enhancement - or 'transhumanism' - on the future of sport.

Friday, 3 August 2012

Dilettante in Crossbow: Conservatives and Unionism

I've contributed an article to Crossbow, the journal of the Bow Group think-tank, on the historical relationship between the Conservative Party and unionist politics. Read it here.

P.S. I get my laptop back at the weekend, ought to be back to writing properly then.