John McLellan | The Scotsman

John McLellan is director of the Scottish Newspaper Society

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The real hallmark of Nicola Sturgeon's time as First Minister has been wealth redistribution (Picture: Jane Barlow/PA)

Sturgeon's legacy? An uncompetitive economy struggling to afford her socialism

Labour leader Neil Kinnock looked set to become the next Prime Minister in the run-up to the 1992 general election, won by John Major's Conservatives (Picture: Michael Stephens/PA)

Labour landslide? Starmer looks more like Kinnock than Blair – John McLellan

The film Thelma and Louise, starring Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis, seen at a 30th-anniversary drive-in screening, does not provide a useful political guide (Picture: Amy Sussman/Getty Images)

Will SNP rebels oust Sturgeon before she drives Scotland off a cliff?

Nicola Sturgeon's political energy may be further depleted if she has to backtrack on her plan to have a 'de facto referendum' on independence (Picture: Andy Buchanan/PA)

Nicola Sturgeon's 'tank' may be closer to empty than she thinks – John McLellan

SNP's plans for alcohol advertising could cause serious problems for an industry that provides thousands of jobs (Picture: Chris Furlong/Getty Images)

SNP's nanny-state attitude to alcohol poses threat to Scotch whisky industry

A poster advertising the launch of Prince Harry's memoir, Spare, on sale from today, is seen in a shop window (Picture: Leon Neal/Getty Images)

Harry doesn't seem to realise 'the media' can't be controlled by royal decree

Edinburgh’s Eric Milligan and Glasgow’s Pat Lally jog along Princes Street in the hope of bringing the Olympics to Scotland in this 1996 MacDonald cartoon

SNP's centralising instincts set to scupper plan for directly elected provosts

Karl Marx might have been pleased with some Edinburgh politicians recently, but investors are likely to have been put off (Picture: Thomas Lohnes/Getty Images)

Indy push and left-wingers putting Capital economy at risk – John McLellan

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s 'self-entitled, vacuous psycho-babble' irritates John McLellan but he doesn't want them pelted with anything (Picture: Rosa Woods/pool/Getty Images)

On Clarkson, freedom of speech includes freedom to be shocking – John McLellan

Anas Sarwar and Keir Starmer should work on a much clearer vision of the UK's future relationship with the EU (Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

How Scottish Labour can make greater inroads on SNP support – John McLellan

Stephen Flynn, new leader of the Westminster SNP group, is watched by his predecessor, Ian Blackford, as he makes a point in the Commons (Picture: House of Commons/PA)

SNP may be delighted by recent polls, but there are hopeful signs for unionists

Former Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown speaks with current party leader Keir Starmer and other party members after a press conference about The Commission on the UK’s Future report (Picture: Ian Forsyth/Getty Images)

Brown's big plan might just be enough to bring down Sturgeon – John McLellan

Nicola Sturgeon addresses a Scottish independence rally outside the Scottish Parliament after UK Supreme Court judges rejected her plans to hold a second independence referendum (Picture: Peter Summers/Getty Images)

Sturgeon's democracy denier jibe adds to poisonous nature of political debate

The UK should reconsider its relationship with the European Union (Picture: Tolga Akmen/AFP via Getty Images)

Brexit's damage to UK economy makes case for greater co-operation with EU

Climate change protesters demonstrate outside the UK offices of Royal Dutch Shell (Picture: Tolga Akmen/AFP via Getty Images)

Vilifying oil firms will not help build greener future – John McLellan

Supporters of the Yes and No campaigns gather outside Dumbarton Town Hall in September 2014 ahead of the Scottish independence referendum (Picture: Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images)

Unionists need to make the emotional case for staying in the UK – John McLellan

Liz Truss has undermined unionists' efforts to point out the failings in the SNP's economic case for independence (Picture: Adrian Dennis/AFP via Getty Images)

Truss is a gift to the SNP and must resign – John McLellan

Nicola Sturgeon said: "I detest the Tories and everything they stand for." (Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

Sturgeon might as well go full Putin and call Tories ‘traitors’ – John McLellan

Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise were a hugely popular double act (Picture: Tim Graham/Evening Standard/Getty Images)

57-point swing shows Kwarteng and Truss double act is jaw-droppingly unpopular

Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng delivered his mini-budget in the House of Commons on Friday

Here's why the SNP are so angry with Tory tax cuts – John McLellan

Boris Johnson needs to realise it's time to take his David Brent act on the road (Picture: Ian West/PA Wire)

How Boris Johnson has, in his own words, become like David Brent – John McLellan

Scottish election results while Tony Blair was Prime Minister have a message for unionists (Picture: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

History shows unionists need a modern-day Tony Blair to make their case

Pro-independence supporters may end up being disappointed despite Nicola Sturgeon's rhetoric (Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

As Sturgeon hogs headlines, unionists need to offer better alternative vision

Will Nicola Sturgeon and Boris Johnson still be First Minister and Prime Minister, respectively, in 2024? (Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

Why Sturgeon and Johnson's days in high office may be numbered – John McLellan

Rishi Sunak's measures to help people cope with rising cost of living are similar to the steps a Labour Chancellor would take (Picture: Justin Tallis/WPA pool/Getty Images)

How Sunak is proving SNP jibes about 'heartless' Tories simply aren't true

Nicola Sturgeon unveiled a specially branded train at Glasgow Queen Street Station to mark ScotRail becoming publicly owned (Picture: Robert Perry/PA)

Government can't spend its way out of trouble, only into even bigger mess

The SNP should say that, while independence is its long-term goal, the immediate priority is the economy (Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

SNP should admit independence isn't going to happen any time soon

Should Boris Johnson be looking to Winston Churchill for inspiration?

UK needs wartime-style economic plan, not a trade war with EU – John McLellan

Compared to Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham, Edinburgh and Glasgow’s SNP leaders are lickspittle satraps (Picture: Martin Rickett/pool/Getty Images)

How to stop national politics overshadowing local elections – John McLellan

Tony Blair has called for the reform of courses which do not build valuable skills (Picture: Victoria Jones/PA Wire)

Tony Blair's home truths aren't the only sign of trouble for universities

Boris Johnson's lockdown breaches are driving even life-long Conservatives away (Picture: Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty Images)

Partygate fines mean Boris Johnson should resign – John McLellan

Boris Johnson meets Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv, Ukraine, shortly before the Russian invasion (Picture: Peter Nicholls/PA)

Johnson may survive for now, but lockdown fines could come back to haunt him