This comment piece is very good, and is one of the first I have been able to find in a major newspaper that actually explores the idea of Devo Max: greater devolved powers to Scotland without full independence (and the stance that I personally support).
Do you think Scotland should become independent? | Politics | guardian.co.uk.
An interesting poll this, especially when you click through to the results page. The number of people registered in England, Wales and Ireland who believe Scotland should become independent is surprising.
Or perhaps not. In recent weeks there has been a significant push for the argument that letting Scotland go from the Union might not be a bad thing if it’s government continues to ‘act aggressively’ towards Westminster.
I am currently writing a critical analysis of the newspaper coverage of David Cameron’s referendum announcement on Sunday, and it makes interesting reading. The polarity of slants taken by Scottish and UK-wide press on the story is staggering.
Scottish independence has become an extremely contentious issue in recent weeks, and could be used as an underpinning of future Conservative policy as they try to consolidate an absolute majority.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/dec/04/why-british-public-life-dominated-men
This is a very interesting and well written article on the disparities between male and female representation within the media and politics, with a particular focus on political and current affairs programming. I particularly liked the fact that this author has managed to include the all to often ignored piece of information that while women as a group are grossly under-represented, non-white women are often entirely excluded. Well worth the read.
Infamous for his wild-eyed depictions of Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair, Steve Bell has created some of the most iconic political
David Cameron a la Steve Bell
caricatures of the past thirty years. Coinciding with the launch of his retrospective, If…Bursts Out, Bell guides the audience through the challenges of the cartoonist as he developed his designs while dodging angry and confused politicians and worried editors. A man of erudite wit and sharp observation, Bell’s cartoons have documented some of the most turbulent events in world history providing an alternative view with the tongue firmly in cheek. It becomes very quickly apparent for the audience that Bell is of a left-wing persuasion, and his general distaste for government no matter the party in power, has allowed him a measure of equanimity when tackling the prime ministers and movers and shakers of the time, portraying all as senseless, mad, scheming, and sometimes ridiculous. The presentation took the audience through some of the most iconic drawings featured in Bell’s new book from the staring left eye of Thatcher to Dubya the war-hungry chimp, from Tony the bat-eared madman to Cameron the rubber-faced toff. Bell explains the features he looks for in politicians and the way his sketches develop from odd and over-exaggerated faces to the hilarious and oddly accurate caricatures we see in the paper every day. Bell’s cartoons have been the visualisation of the angry left-wing for decades, and with this new retrospective the legacy of these cartoons in the way we approach politics is set to be confirmed.
A small add-on to this review and an example of Bell’s excellent humour:
When approached out of the blue by David Cameron at a Tory party conference:
David: “So Steve, what’s with the condom thing?”
Steve: “It is your rubbery and youthful complexion Prime Minister. And it is easier to draw than a jellyfish.”
*David Cameron walks away looking confused*
Steve: “Well, it wasn’t like I could say, ‘Well Prime Minister, it is because you are a massive dick.'”
kitchentablenewsroom 
Shame on you, Alex Salmond, for selling us out to the Bullingdon Club | Stewart Lee | Comment is free | The Observer
Shame on you, Alex Salmond, for selling us out to the Bullingdon Club | Stewart Lee | Comment is free | The Observer.
A hilarious wee comment piece from The Dark Side, as it were. Without us cool Scottish Lefties, how will the English liberal minorities cope? It is a serious consideration!
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