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If you thought 'woke' was bad wait until you see what is coming next

The right-wing is becoming more and more radicalised and we’re entering a very dark time politically, our Writer at Large Neil Mackay warns This...

latest 4

Neil Mackay

What the Caerphilly by-election means for Scotland, the SNP and the Union

The Caerphilly by-election signals imminent destruction for Labour, but rather than take the necessary action, the party will just head further right....

25.10.2025 10

Neil Mackay

It’s not John Swinney insulting Scotland, it’s you Starmer, you flailing buffoon

If the SNP gets a majority at the next election and London still says No to indyref2, then the party should recall its MPs from Westminster, our...

24.10.2025 8

Neil Mackay

Here's why the working class is vulnerable to Reform, and it's not racism

It's often said that working-class people back Reform because they're inherently racist. That’s nonsense, argues our Writer at Large Neil Mackay ....

22.10.2025 6

Neil Mackay

The New Left: The Greens are on the rise and it spells ruin for Labour

North and South of the border, it’s boom time for the Greens. They’re capitalising on Keir Starmer’s abandonment of the left and could even...

18.10.2025 10

Neil Mackay

Reality TV and politics now share a revolving door and this cultural titan proves it

The original reality show Big Brother is 25 and The Traitors is now the biggest hit on TV. Our Writer at Large Neil Mackay explores the influence of...

17.10.2025 2

Neil Mackay

Politics is such a mess right now there's only one option for Scots like us

Neil Mackay voted Labour until the Iraq War. Now, with little faith in Westminster, our Writer At Large is ready to re-evaluate his political stance...

17.10.2025 3

Neil Mackay

Claudia and The Traitors shaped the politics of hate

The original reality show Big Brother is 25 and The Traitors is now the biggest hit on TV. Our Writer at Large Neil Mackay explores the influence of...

16.10.2025 5

Neil Mackay

Alas, poor England: a suffering nation now the biggest threat to the Union

A case could be made that the best medicine for what ails England would be an English departure from the Union, argues Writer at Large Neil Mackay ...

15.10.2025 5

Neil Mackay

The killing of drug rehab bill at Holyrood disgraces the principles of devolution

Proposed legislation which would have given addicts the legal right to treatment has just been shot down at the Scottish Parliament, proving that...

11.10.2025 7

Neil Mackay

Reform and Tories are in a racialised race to the bottom. They disgrace us

Policies from Farage and Badenoch for mass deportations and ICE-style removal squads are the antithesis of everything Britain stands for, our Writer...

10.10.2025 5

Neil Mackay

Growing brains in labs to power computers... this is like a horror movie

Humanity has godlike powers when it comes to science but emotionally we’re too lacking to handle our abilities, argues our Writer at Large Neil...

08.10.2025 7

Neil Mackay

We’re a cultural colony of America dominated by their imported trash

As Donald Trump inflicts 100% tariffs on all films made outside the US, our Writer at Large Neil Mackay argues we must wean ourselves off American...

05.10.2025 20

Neil Mackay

Nationalists are now out in front in all four home nations… what comes next?

The SNP, Plaid Cymru, Sinn Fein and Reform are all nationalist parties and all in the lead. Our Writer at Large Neil Mackay says this reveals major...

04.10.2025 10

Neil Mackay

We will all grow old: Scotland’s broken care system is everyone’s problem

As Scotland’s care system teeters on the brink, a damning undercover report and personal reflections expose the moral crisis at the heart of how we...

03.10.2025 4

Neil Mackay

So the rumours were true: time to ask some serious questions about Reform and Russia

As a former prominent leader of Reform faces jail for taking bribes to make pro-Russian statements, Neil Mackay says we have to ask serious questions...

01.10.2025 7

Neil Mackay

With a Yes majority, Swinney should call indyref2 and dare London to stop him

This article appears as part of the Unspun: Scottish Politics newsletter. There are no rules when it comes to Scotland and the...

27.09.2025 20

Neil Mackay

American idiots have declared war on science - we need a firewall to protect us

Claims by the US president that vaccines cause autism and climate change is fake aren’t just dangerous, they’re stupid and unworthy of even...

26.09.2025 9

Neil Mackay

Praise the TV gods: Coldwater is come to burst Scotland's progressive bubble

The ITV drama Coldwater helps us take a good hard look at ourselves – and that can only be a good thing, argues Herald Writer at Large Neil Mackay ...

24.09.2025 9

Neil Mackay

The scourge of 'performative reading' … we can't let the troglodytes hijack books

There’s a new trend which sees influencers taking selfies of themselves with books they aren’t even reading. Herald columnist Neil Mackay rages...

21.09.2025 5

Neil Mackay

The left only played at cancel culture, the right are absolutely pros

As MAGA America clamps down on free speech, and protesters are arrested in Britain, our columnist Neil Mackay says cancel culture is back where it...

20.09.2025 7

Neil Mackay

Banquo at the banquet: The spectre of Epstein haunts Trump’s visit

The state visit of the US president reveals shocking truths about the gulf between ordinary people and those who rule in the 21st century, Herald...

18.09.2025 7

Neil Mackay

A Muslim child was racially attacked in my neighbourhood … what have we become?

A schoolgirl in Newton Mearns has been assaulted in a reported race hate incident . Columnist Neil Mackay says this is evidence that bigoted violence...

17.09.2025 8

Neil Mackay

Ever wondered why films are so bland now? Here's why

Humanity is in danger of being taken over by technology, particularly in the arts sector, warns Writer at Large Neil Mackay, and we've only got...

14.09.2025 6

Neil Mackay

People like Peter Mandelson are the reason why conspiracy theories exist

The Epstein scandal reveals a world not just of sexual crimes against children, but of his gilded friends living lives of luxury and privilege none of...

13.09.2025 9

Neil Mackay

Mob rule shows the divide between Scottish and English politics

It is worrying how stories of vigilante groups and mob riots in England have become almost normalised because of the Ulsterisation of British...

12.09.2025 10

Neil Mackay

Farewell, Melvyn Bragg, our greatest broadcaster and my working-class hero

The departure of Melvyn Bragg from Radio 4's In Our Time sadly brings to an end an era of intellectual broadcasting, says our Writer at Large, Neil...

10.09.2025 20

Neil Mackay

Farage got the daylights kicked out of him in America… not that you’d know

This article appears as part of the Unspun: Scottish Politics newsletter. Is there anyone left in Britain who still cannot see the kid-glove...

06.09.2025 40

Neil Mackay

From 'taking the knee' to waving an England flag, the strange journey of Keir Starmer

Prime minister Keir Starmer says his Downing Street flat is bedecked with St George’s flags. “I always sit in front of the Union Jack,” he...

05.09.2025 9

Neil Mackay

The mad dog of racism is loose on the streets and empathy has fled

Writer at Large Neil Mackay argues that a wave of protests outside hotels housing asylum seekers, including in Scotland, demonstrate that...

03.09.2025 20

Neil Mackay

The SNP must tool up for a dirty fight to the death with the far right

John Swinney and the SNP are at a fork in the road when dealing with Nigel Farage and Reform's rise, the ascendency of the far and hard right, and the...

30.08.2025 20

Neil Mackay

Do you like playing music on public transport without headphones? Then I despise you

The world is divided. The country is divided. Communities are divided. Even families are divided. But there’s one thing which unites us all...

29.08.2025 20

Neil Mackay

A nation which makes a martyr out of Lucy Connolly has lost its moral bearings

BURN them in their hotels, she said. And try to burn them in their hotels they did. On July 29 last year, Lucy Connolly wrote on the social media...

27.08.2025 8

Neil Mackay

All hail the death of Crocs, but wait til you see what’s set to replace them

My daughter once had a boyfriend who I liked a lot, but couldn’t look at from the knees down. Unlike most of her failed suitors, this rather...

26.08.2025 4

Neil Mackay

Prosecutors are diverging on Palestine Action… is another devolution fight brewing?

Look closely and it’s possible to discern the outline of a new battle brewing between the Scottish and UK governments. The contention is how to...

23.08.2025 7

Neil Mackay

Neo-Nazis now brazenly stalk Scotland’s streets … blame malevolent politicians

The claim that protestors outside asylum hotels are all just ‘concerned citizens’ is a lie. Concerned citizens don’t perform Nazi salutes, as...

22.08.2025 6

Neil Mackay

Can't we see the danger? Mobile phones must be banned from schools

Do we need more warnings? Can we still, as a society, not see what is staring us in the face? Giant tech companies are colluding in the corruption of...

20.08.2025 10

Neil Mackay

Watching Sturgeon live rent free in her enemies’ minds is joyous political theatre

This article appears as part of the Unspun: Scottish Politics newsletter. Keep up to date with our coverage on Nicola Sturgeon's memoir It was...

16.08.2025 5

Neil Mackay

The absurdity and horror of everyday life in a time of genocide

There are moments which send a shudder of moral disjunction through the soul. They come faster and more frequent as the tide of blood rises. We all...

15.08.2025 10

Neil Mackay

Ed Sheeran feels ‘culturally Irish’. So can you be ‘culturally Scottish’?

In 2021, my wife and I held a private celebration. It wasn’t a special wedding anniversary, but it did mark a significant moment in our lives. ...

13.08.2025 20

Neil Mackay

I hate podcasts with a passion - but I’ll make an exception for these two

I’m not a violent man. In fact, I consider myself a pacifist. However, these days, if someone says the words ‘I’m starting my own podcast’ to...

10.08.2025 4

Neil Mackay

I’m a shock-seeker, so I watched Masterchef and chucked my morality away

This article appears as part of the Unspun: Scottish Politics newsletter. I’ve always been drawn to the forbidden. When tabloids scream ‘ban...

09.08.2025 3

Neil Mackay

Us vs them: why the rich are destroying our world

Inequality in America is today equivalent to that of Ancient Rome during slavery. That statistic came roaring off the page at me yesterday. You’ll...

08.08.2025 9

Neil Mackay

We don’t need to be tied to the prejudices of our upbringing: Sandie Peggie take note Sandie Peggie admitted using racial slurs but said she was “brought up like that", But people can rise above the prejudices of their upbringing

"They f**k you up, your mum and dad. They may not mean to, but they do. They fill you with the faults they had And add some extra, just for...

06.08.2025 10

Neil Mackay

Corbyn’s new party doesn’t just threaten Labour, it’ll badly wound the SNP too

This article appears as part of the Unspun: Scottish Politics newsletter. The leak is about to become a flood. All across the west, political...

26.07.2025 7

Neil Mackay

Make indy great again? Why Swinney should hijack Trump’s visit to Scotland

John Swinney needs a Hail Mary shot. It’s not that he’s doomed to lose the next Scottish election and see the curtain fall forever on his...

25.07.2025 8

Neil Mackay

Your life ruined for an affair… what kind of puritanical world is this now?

Love is meant to be difficult. The human heart is hard terrain to navigate. Nobody who has ever truly loved did so without some suffering. Any love...

23.07.2025 7

Neil Mackay

John Swinney’s chat about independence is just getting embarrassing now It’s all becoming a wee bit sad lately. John Swinney starts talking about independence and nobody cares.

This article appears as part of the Unspun: Scottish Politics newsletter. It’s all becoming a wee bit sad lately. John Swinney starts talking...

19.07.2025 4

Neil Mackay

Children are now dying of measles. Anti-vaxx conspiracists have blood on their hands

When the history of this absurd era is eventually written, one major theme will surely be the ease with which those unfit and unqualified rose not...

18.07.2025 10

Neil Mackay

Anti-woke stormtroopers are gunning for Superman. Has the world gone mad?

There's a peerless meme on social media which sticks a stiletto up the idiot nostril of the anti-woke league. It spoofs the old Ladybird books. On...

15.07.2025 5

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If you thought 'woke' was bad wait until you see what is coming next

Neil Mackay

What the Caerphilly by-election means for Scotland, the SNP and the Union

Neil Mackay

It’s not John Swinney insulting Scotland, it’s you Starmer, you flailing buffoon

Neil Mackay

Here's why the working class is vulnerable to Reform, and it's not racism

Neil Mackay

The New Left: The Greens are on the rise and it spells ruin for Labour

Neil Mackay

Reality TV and politics now share a revolving door and this cultural titan proves it

Neil Mackay

Politics is such a mess right now there's only one option for Scots like us

Neil Mackay

Claudia and The Traitors shaped the politics of hate

Neil Mackay

Alas, poor England: a suffering nation now the biggest threat to the Union

Neil Mackay

The killing of drug rehab bill at Holyrood disgraces the principles of devolution

Neil Mackay

Reform and Tories are in a racialised race to the bottom. They disgrace us

Neil Mackay

Growing brains in labs to power computers... this is like a horror movie

Neil Mackay

We’re a cultural colony of America dominated by their imported trash

Neil Mackay

Nationalists are now out in front in all four home nations… what comes next?

Neil Mackay

We will all grow old: Scotland’s broken care system is everyone’s problem

Neil Mackay

So the rumours were true: time to ask some serious questions about Reform and Russia

Neil Mackay

With a Yes majority, Swinney should call indyref2 and dare London to stop him

Neil Mackay

American idiots have declared war on science - we need a firewall to protect us

Neil Mackay

Praise the TV gods: Coldwater is come to burst Scotland's progressive bubble

Neil Mackay

The scourge of 'performative reading' … we can't let the troglodytes hijack books

Neil Mackay

The left only played at cancel culture, the right are absolutely pros

Neil Mackay

Banquo at the banquet: The spectre of Epstein haunts Trump’s visit

Neil Mackay

A Muslim child was racially attacked in my neighbourhood … what have we become?

Neil Mackay

Ever wondered why films are so bland now? Here's why

Neil Mackay

People like Peter Mandelson are the reason why conspiracy theories exist

Neil Mackay

Mob rule shows the divide between Scottish and English politics

Neil Mackay

Farewell, Melvyn Bragg, our greatest broadcaster and my working-class hero

Neil Mackay

Farage got the daylights kicked out of him in America… not that you’d know

Neil Mackay

From 'taking the knee' to waving an England flag, the strange journey of Keir Starmer

Neil Mackay

The mad dog of racism is loose on the streets and empathy has fled

Neil Mackay

The SNP must tool up for a dirty fight to the death with the far right

Neil Mackay

Do you like playing music on public transport without headphones? Then I despise you

Neil Mackay

A nation which makes a martyr out of Lucy Connolly has lost its moral bearings

Neil Mackay

All hail the death of Crocs, but wait til you see what’s set to replace them

Neil Mackay

Prosecutors are diverging on Palestine Action… is another devolution fight brewing?

Neil Mackay

Neo-Nazis now brazenly stalk Scotland’s streets … blame malevolent politicians

Neil Mackay

Can't we see the danger? Mobile phones must be banned from schools

Neil Mackay

Watching Sturgeon live rent free in her enemies’ minds is joyous political theatre

Neil Mackay

The absurdity and horror of everyday life in a time of genocide