With Oscar the Springer, rewarded with fine views as the mist cleared on this morning's climb up Arran's Goat Fell. Keeps things in proper perspective ... #Arran #SpringerSpaniels

With @johnconnolly747 looking forward to publication of our book 'The UK Labour Party and the Governance of Regional Inequalities: From Opposition to Government'. Historical and comparative perspectives, lessons from the Starmer Govt's failure. Out with @Palgrave in November.

The Scottish devolution experiment has not only entrenched dysfunctional bodies such as the Holyrood Parliament, it has undermined local government and contaminated/corrupted established institutions including the civil service and the Crown Office.

It's not difficult to see why disgraced, narcissistic politicians (Mandelson, Sturgeon) gravitate towards Laura Kuenssberg's show, where they can apparently rely on soft-focus, lightweight questioning. No fear of a forensic examination of the murky details in that environment.

If the Scottish devolution project was an organisation, there would be a strong case for it being placed in 'special measures'.

Given the scenes in Glasgow over the past few hours, the silence tonight from a Scottish political and sporting establishment (with all of its personnel overlaps), which is normally eager to rush into comment, is very, very telling ...

Addressing the scandal in Scottish football: 1. Demote Walsh, Clancy, Beaton, Robertson and the others to the lower leagues; 2. Bring in professional officials from countries with referees at World Cup Finals level; 3. Replace Collum with an outside appointee; 4. Bin VAR.

Incompetence and corruption run through every aspect of Scottish public life, including the major sport.

In devolved Scotland, we have perpetual 'activism' and 'campaigning' in lieu of proper government. In which light, an election period is simply a continuation of the tedious norm.

Before the sanctification of Olly Robbins goes too far: his over-eagerness to 'deliver' without qualification for two weak PMs only added to the self-inflected problems of Theresa May and Keir Starmer.

The adverse consequences of having incompetent mediocrities populating the ranks of both political and civil service 'leadership'. Chickens now coming home to roost in Whitehall and Westminster (they are already comfortably berthed in Edinburgh ...)

If the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary knew about Mandelson's vetting failure they are culpable of lying. If they didn't know, they are incompetent. Either way, using the Permanent Secretary at the Foreign Office as a human shield should not be an option.

The reported interactions between the Lord Advocate and the First Minister only confirm the impression that there are serious ethical, governance, and behavioural flaws at the heart of Scottish devolution.

The long, slow decline of the civil service continues. Weak leadership across its key posts, poor performance, and a corrosive culture. Marry this to a political class characterised by short-termism and mediocrity, and the result is depressingly predictable.

How many fundamental errors is an employment tribunal judge allowed in Scotland before proper standards of accountability apply?

As the NHS Fife tribunal judgement descends into farce, questions arise about accountability. The public interest demands an explanation for the gross errors, changes to the process at fault, and an apportionment of culpability, with appropriate sanctions.

NHS Fife released several, 'corrected', versions of a press statement during the Employment Tribunal. Will we now see a 'corrected' version of the Tribunal judgement, with distorted and falsified quotes removed? Will formal complaints be made about alleged judicial misconduct?

Initial readings suggest that the judge who presided over a rambling, shambles of an employment tribunal, has produced an incoherent and contradictory, dog's breakfast of a judgement. Even so, there's exposure of disgraceful behaviour by NHS Fife towards an employee.

The report from 'Our Scottish Future' sets out some of the failings of devolution, but is (predictably) weak on prescriptions. It's surely too late for such marginal changes within the current model - radical decentralisation and a dismantling of the Holyrood culture is needed.

Rachel Reeves has been leaking elements of her budget over several weeks, and now the entire package is 'inadvertently' leaked by the OBR. Hugh Dalton resigned as Chancellor in 1947 for disclosing a few items from his budget minutes before his speech.#ministerialresponsibility