Latest news with #Frankly
The Herald Scotland
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
Nicola Sturgeon book compared to Barack Obama memoir: really?
We are now T-minus 23 days away from the publication of Frankly, Nicola Sturgeon's memoirs, and things are already becoming too silly for words. The [[pub]]lishers have been sending out advance copies to 'friendly' reviewers in the hope of getting some nice words for the cover. I'm not sure Andrew O'Hagan has done himself, or the former First Minister, any favours with his contribution. 'A triumph,' says the author of Mayflies and Caledonian Road. 'Frankly is the most insightful and stylishly open memoir by a politician since Barack Obama's Dreams From My Father.' Sturgeon the new Obama? If only. And what does 'stylishly open' mean? That it's got more holes in it than Rab C Nesbitt's vest? JK Rowling has added to the excitement by offering to review the book for free, as long as newspaper editors don't edit out the swear words. The book's [[pub]]lication was always going to be a three-ring circus (insert tent jokes here). But you might have thought with the Sandie Peggie tribunal going on that some restraint, sensitivity even, was called for. Alas, no. What we got instead was a spectacularly clumsy intervention from former SNP MP and Sturgeon pal Hannah Bardell. Read more The occasion was the newspaper review on BBC Radio Scotland's The Sunday Show, presented by Graham Stewart. What follows is an account of what happened, edited for brevity and my sanity. You know, there were an awful lot of you knows, you know? In the papers was Brian Leishman MP, recently stripped of the Labour whip for serially rebelling, or what one party wag called 'persistent knobheadery'. Bardell said she had 'a lot of respect for Brian' and his principled stands. As an [[SNP]] MP she had been in the fortunate position of agreeing with most of what the party stood for. 'But if you're in the situation where you believe in certain values that your party should hold … and you see it veering off to the right, I think fair play, stay and fight. I know it's a thorn in Keir Starmer's side, but that's the kind of people we need in politics.' Asked if that had worked for Joanna Cherry, Bardell replied: 'Joanna caused a huge amount of upset and distress to a huge number of people, particularly in the trans community. Our party should have been stronger on that… because there are people, vulnerable communities, particularly the trans community, that are facing widespread ostracisation in the media, from very senior people, and Joanna has been one of those. I find that heartbreaking.' This 'stuff', continued Bardell, was having a 'profound impact' on society. 'I think it's the last post of bigotry as well. We would not now discriminate against people because of their race, or their religion, or their sexuality. We used to, but we don't any more. In 15 to 20 years, hopefully sooner, we will look back and say what a shameful thing to have done. Where did we lose our humanity?' Stewart, still taking shots at an open goal, said Nicola Sturgeon had upset a lot of people on the other side of the debate by linking them with 'right-wing bigots'. Was that necessarily helpful language? Bardell: 'I think unfortunately it's true. I don't think it's the case that everybody who is anti-trans is necessarily recognised as a bigot, nor should they be, because there's a lot of misinformation and disinformation out there. But we're in the situation that people are being radicalised. People have become obsessed with folks' genitalia, what's in their pants. Where have we got to? Scotland has been the world over a nation that believed in humanity. We're all Jack (sic) Jock Tamson's bairns according to Robert Burns. We need to get back to those fundamentals.' Dear Lord, where do you even start? Radicalised? Saying people are too stupid to know misinformation and disinformation when they encounter them? A nation obsessed with what's in people's pants? To think Bardell describes herself on LinkedIn as 'a problem solver with excellent negotiation, leadership and communication skills'. Yes, you and Mr Blobby, mate. Ordinarily, Joanna Cherry KC might have been all over Bardell's comments like the pattern on an Orla Kiely bag, but she chose to rise above them, saying on X: 'If I sued everyone who defamed me for standing up for the rights of women & lesbians I wouldn't have time to get on with my life which has improved immeasurably away from the poisonous atmosphere Sturgeon fostered within the SNP". Now there's an example we might all follow as this 'debate' rumbles on, possibly to the Holyrood elections and beyond given the speed at which John Swinney is not moving. That's a long haul and then some. Even then, as with the independence referendum, we will never be completely done with it. Resentments are festering, not healing. In the meantime, the rest of us will keep stumbling on, trying to do the right thing, sometimes getting it wrong like the flawed humans we are, and all the time fearful of being called out by one side or the other. Who wants to live like that? Now, if you'll excuse me, I shall be heading back to 2014, that more innocent time when the most terrifying words you might hear were 'Hello, I'm Jim Murphy.' If that doesn't work I'll be joining the lad from Essex in the 1940s. Rest assured: we'll meet again soon.
STV News
3 days ago
- Politics
- STV News
JK Rowling offers to review Nicola Sturgeon's memoir for free
JK Rowling has offered to review Nicola Sturgeon's memoir for free in British newspapers. The Harry Potter author has repeatedly criticised the former first minister of Scotland for the SNP government's controversial gender recognition reforms. Most recently, Rowling hit out at 'Sturgeon's legacy' amid an ongoing employment tribunal against a NHS health board involving a female nurse whose complaint about sharing a changing room with a transgender doctor led to her being suspended. 'This is Nicola Sturgeon's legacy: a government that publicly backs the hapless, unprofessional, ideologically captured health board that's persecuting a nurse for asserting her legal right to a single-sex changing room,' Rowling posted on X on Saturday. Rowling said she would review Sturgeon's book, due to be released on August 14, in any paper for free so long as they 'don't edit out the swear words'. She said she 'ready to take one for the team' by reading the former first minister's memoir titled Frankly. Sturgeon was responding to coverage of promotional reviews of the book, in which one quote compares it to former US President Barack Obama's memoir. Sturgeon has previously said she has 'poured her heart into' her book, which will cover 'extraordinary events', 'colourful characters,' and 'incredible experiences'. The memoir will be published a few months after the ex-SNP leader's name was cleared in a police investigation into the party's finances. In March, Sturgeon announced she would not be seeking re-election next year. STV News has contacted Sturgeon for comment. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Scotsman
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
JK Rowling offers to review Nicola Sturgeon's memoir for free in newspapers
Nicola Sturgeon's memoir is due to be published next month | PA The author has been a vocal critic of the former first minister, and joked she would 'take one for the team' Sign up to our Politics newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... JK Rowling has offered to review Nicola Sturgeon's memoir for free in British newspapers as long as they do not "edit out the swear words". The Harry Potter author, who has repeatedly criticised the former first minister over her views on trans rights and the principle of self-identification, joked she was 'ready to take one for the team'. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad She recently hit out at Ms Sturgeon after the Scottish Government said it still had confidence in NHS Fife despite the ongoing fallout over an employment tribunal involving nurse Sandie Peggie. Nicola Sturgeon's memoir is due to be published next month | PA Ms Peggie was suspended from her work at the Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy, Fife, in January last year after she objected to Dr Beth Upton, a trans woman, using the female changing room in the A&E department. Writing on social media, Ms Rowling said: 'This is Nicola Sturgeon's legacy: a government that publicly backs the hapless, unprofessional, ideologically captured health board that's persecuting a nurse for asserting her legal right to a single-sex changing room.' The author was a fierce opponent of Ms Sturgeon's planned gender reforms, which aimed to make it easier for trans people to change their legal gender. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Opponents raised concerns this would undermine women's sex-based rights, such as access to women-only spaces, and the legislation was later blocked by the UK Government. In 2022, Ms Rowling posted a photo of herself to social media wearing a t-shirt calling the former first minister a 'destroyer of women's rights'. Ms Sturgeon's memoir, Frankly, is due to be published next month. In a review quoted on Amazon, the author Andrew O'Hagan called it a 'triumph', adding: 'Frankly is the most insightful and stylishly open memoir by a politician since Barack Obama's Dreams From My Father.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Responding to an article in the Daily Mail that featured political opponents ridiculing the comparison with Mr Obama, Ms Rowling wrote on X: 'Calling all British newspapers: I am available to review Nicola Sturgeon's memoir. No fee required as long as you don't edit out the swear words.'
The National
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
Jack McConnell, Nicola Sturgeon and Humza Yousaf to feature at festival
Jack McConnell, who served as first minister from 2001 to 2007, Nicola Sturgeon, 2014 to 2013, and Humza Yousaf, from 2023 to 2024, will all feature at events part of the the Beyond Borders Scotland festival. The 15th Beyond Borders International Festival will take place from August 23-24 at Traquair House, Scotland's oldest inhabited house. The festival builds on Scotland's heritage, with a programme of cultural events, exhibitions, visual arts performances and panel discussions. McConnell and local student Beth Lapsley will join former UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Martin Griffiths his latest ventures to combat further conflict and chaos in global politics and war. READ MORE: Will John Swinney surprise us with a courageous election manifesto? Sturgeon will discuss her new memoir, Frankly, with journalist Allan Little. Elsewhere, Yousaf will speak with Palestinian ambassador Husam Zomlot and award-winning Gazan photographer Mohammed Salem about the future of Gaza and the realities of life during genocide over the last eighteen months. Jeremy Corbyn will also reflect on life as a now independent MP, general David Richards and professor Huw Strachan will speak on Britain's military on the global stage, and veteran BBC correspondent, Jim Naughtie, will host a panel to talk about the state of the UK and the world. Medicines San Frontier/Doctors without Borders chief Chris Lockyear will later speak about the future of aid amongst UK and US government cuts. Debut writers Sam Dalrymple and Phoebe Greenwood join the programme, while attendees can also hear from historian Willie Dalrymple, Moin Mir, and Professor Murray Pittock. Outside the main tent, events feature poetry and literary strolls with MSP Alastair Allan, a storytelling walk with Mary Kenny, a foraging walk led by local environmentalist Fi Martinogya, and a magical musical journey through Ukrainian history, music, and culture with Nigel Osborne in the Traquair forest. Music will come from Barbara Dickson, local trad musician Kirsty Law, and Latin American bands Los Chichanos and Dias Brazil. There will also be four art exhibitions, including an immersive portrait installation of Belarusian political prisoners in the maze by artist Xisha Angelova, traditional Belarusian and Palestinian dance workshops, and film screenings curated by the Britain Palestine Project. Tickets are on sale now, with students and under-25s enjoying 50% off all events. Flexible ticket options are also available for those wishing to only attend Walled Garden events at a discounted price.
New Statesman
16-07-2025
- Climate
- New Statesman
Who loves the sun?
Photo by Miriam Reik/Millennium Images Early on in life, I noticed something fundamental about myself that I have struggled to make sense of ever since, let alone find a way to explain to other people in clear and comprehensible words: a strange pattern that has travelled with me everywhere. It was the same in Istanbul, it is the same in London. It was the same when I was young, and the same now that I am middle-aged. It goes like this: on sunny days, I feel demoralised, down and depressed, but it is quite the opposite when the weather turns chilly, overcast and gloomy. Give me rain and plenty of grey and I am most upbeat. As soon as the sun peeks through the clouds my soul starts to plummet. This week as London sizzled and temperatures rose I wondered if there are others out there who have always felt the same way. I did not need to look far. Our dog, Romeo, a small Maltese with a huge heart, responds in a similar way to the hot weather. He visibly hates the sun and each morning crawls under a sofa with miserable, melancholy eyes, waiting for the evening to descend. We are nocturnal creatures. But this week, I told Romeo we must change our ways: we must rewire our brains, as the climate crisis is an acute reality that will be worsening with each passing day. I put him on his lead and we went out for a walk to find some inspiration. We saw people sunbathing, playing frisbee and socialising. We saw a man on a bike with a loudspeaker on his back playing Santana's 'Maria, Maria'. We returned an hour later with our tongues lolling out, sulking, in a state of despondency. Temporary reprieve Heatwaves. Hosepipe bans. Water companies systematically failing to invest in infrastructure while pumping sewage into our beloved rivers. Climate destruction is primarily the story of water. This week, an international NGO announced that Kabul was likely to become the first major city to completely run out of water. Seven million people live in the Afghan capital. I stayed at home. I read. I finished Damian Barr's brilliant book The Two Roberts and found it immersive, intelligent, immensely sensual. Nicola Sturgeon's Frankly is a memoir of profound power, honesty, emotional intelligence and humanity from one of our most influential politicians. It touched me, the journey of a shy child from a working-class family becoming Scotland's first female and longest-serving First Minister. Then I dived into Lyse Doucet's The Finest Hotel in Kabul. Everyone should read this book. It is important, insightful, subtle and simply unforgettable. A labour of love Mid-week, I was asked to visit Penguin headquarters in London's Embassy Gardens to give a talk to the employees at Viking. When I entered the room, there was a surprise waiting for me: a beautiful cake, and on it a drop of water with the title of my latest novel, There Are Rivers in the Sky. So many people contribute to the journey of a novel, from cover designers to printers to copy editors and then, when it's been released, booksellers and librarians. Many young people and women work in the publishing world, and they put so much labour and love into making books accessible in this age of hyperinformation and fast consumption. I left the office with much gratitude in my heart. On the wall I was touched to see a small quote from my work: 'Home is Storyland.' Stories to tell It was an immense honour to receive the British Academy President's Medal from Julia Black. On the way home I took a cab. The driver, an immigrant in the UK from Eritrea, was a gentle, mannered person. When he learned I was an author, his face lit up. He told me about his daughter, Betty: 'She will become a writer someday. I know she will.' Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month Subscribe His wife died suddenly years ago, and he has raised their three children on his own. Betty is the youngest, and the only girl. 'She did not speak for a long time, and then she started writing stories,' he said. 'She loves books – she even talks to them sometimes.' It was very moving to listen to these words from a single father, a hard-working immigrant, doing his best not only to raise his kids but to support their creativity, their talents. We rarely share positive stories of migration. We seldom publicly acknowledge how much immigrants contribute to all areas of life in the UK – from medicine, the economy and the NHS, to small businesses and arts and culture. These stories matter. At home, Romeo was waiting for a walk in the evening, our usual time. [See also: Britain's billionaire tax problem] Related
