"Stands Scotland where it did?" is the question that was first asked by Macduff in Shakespeare's Macbeth.
Yet this week, centuries after the Bard wrote "the Scottish play", the same question will be on the lips of politicians and commentators as soon as the result of Thursday's election in Scotland is known.
This week, Scottish voters are going to the polls for the sixth parliament election since the establishment of devolved government in 1999.
The anaesthesia of the pandemic has dampened political debate. Without the traditional rallies, meetings and street campaigning, the mood of the electorate has proved difficult to judge.
According to opinion polls, the ruling Scottish National Party seems likely to win – the question is by how much – but in a political environment in which political opinion is congealed rather than vigorous and fluid.
For the time being, Scottish politics is about identity more than policy
Voters will choose 129 representatives (MSPs) to hold the Scottish government to account on the wide range of policy areas that are devolved, such as transport, health and education.
Yet this week’s election may appear to have significance beyond Scotland because of the salience of the “national question” – whether Scotland should leave the United Kingdom to establish itself as a separate sovereign state.
The issue is back on the agenda because, if the opinion polls are to be believed, the SNP are within touching distance of securing a majority, and are campaigning on a manifesto commitment to hold a referendum on independence.
It would not be the first time that Scotland has considered whether it wants to break away from the UK.
Only seven years ago, after the SNP victory in a previous Scottish Parliament election, the referendum was held.
On a record turnout of 84.6 per cent, the 2014 vote resulted in a clear 10-point victory (45/55) for the remain side, with Scotland voting to stay part of the UK.
Since that referendum, the nation has remained divided broadly 50/50 on the question of independence, but with the pro-UK vote split between three parties – Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat. The SNP have dominated parliamentary representation.
Now, the SNP argue that the 2016 Brexit vote – in which the UK opted narrowly (52/48) to leave the EU but Scots were 62/38 in favour of the UK remaining in the EU – provides the basis for another referendum.
The deep unpopularity of scandal-ridden Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his government’s erratic handling of the Covid crisis – with a tragically high death toll followed by widespread vaccination – also provide the backdrop to this week’s vote.
So, what is likely to happen this week and beyond?
It is already clear that the domestic policy failures of the incumbent SNP government – on schools, hospitals, care homes and ferries – have struggled to get a hearing amid the Covid-19 crisis.
The divides and, indeed, wounds of 2014 are still evident in Scottish politics, and accountability for policy failure seems a casualty of a nation so deeply polarised by a politics of flags. For the time being, Scottish politics is about identity more than policy, never mind policy delivery.
Over their 14 years in power, the SNP have proved far better at campaigning than governing.
Yet the break-out star of this campaign is Anas Sarwar, elected as leader of the Scottish Labour Party only seven weeks ago, who appears to be enjoying himself.
In contrast, First Minister and SNP Leader Nicola Sturgeon, who is troubled by the re-emergence of her long-time mentor Alex Salmond at the head of the new Alba Party, looks like she'd rather be anywhere else than on the campaign trail.
Yet it’s already clear that, important though it is, this campaign has struggled to catch fire amid continuing pandemic restrictions and voters’ understandable worries about the toll taken by Covid.
It could yet be a result in which everyone loses – with the SNP falling short of a majority, pro-UK parties struggling and only the pro-independence Greens shoring up the SNP vote.
Turnout will shape the result and its impact. The last time Scots voted for MSPs, turnout was only 56 per cent, so it’s possible during the pandemic that it will fall below 50 per cent.
If there is a pro-independence majority, the Scottish government will undoubtedly seek the authority to hold another referendum.
The legal authority to hold such a referendum rests with the UK Parliament, so the focus would move to Mr Johnson.
He has indicated that he does not support the holding of a further referendum only seven years since the last one, so the stage would be set for legal challenges and more political arguments.
What is clear is that this week’s Scottish election seems likely to pose more questions than it answers.
The most important politics may come not before polling day, but afterwards.
Rt Hon Douglas Alexander is a Senior Fellow at Harvard University’s Kennedy School and a former Secretary of State for Scotland
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
Western Region Asia Cup Qualifier
Results
UAE beat Saudi Arabia by 12 runs
Kuwait beat Iran by eight wickets
Oman beat Maldives by 10 wickets
Bahrain beat Qatar by six wickets
Semi-finals
UAE v Qatar
Bahrain v Kuwait
Company%20Profile
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Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
INDIA%20SQUAD
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
RESULTS
6.30pm Handicap (TB) $68,000 (Dirt) 1,200m
Winner Canvassed, Par Dobbs (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer)
7.05pm Meydan Cup – Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (Turf) 2,810m
Winner Dubai Future, Frankie Dettori, Saeed bin Suroor
7.40pm UAE 2000 Guineas – Group 3 (TB) $125,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner Mouheeb, Ryan Curatolo, Nicholas Bachalard
8.15pm Firebreak Stakes – Group 3 (TB) $130,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner Secret Ambition, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar
9.50pm Meydan Classic – Conditions (TB) $$50,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner Topper Bill, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
9.25pm Dubai Sprint – Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (T) 1,200m
Winner Man Of Promise, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
'Laal Kaptaan'
Director: Navdeep Singh
Stars: Saif Ali Khan, Manav Vij, Deepak Dobriyal, Zoya Hussain
Rating: 2/5
