This is my latest column, published in today's Scotsman (4th August 2026). As a rule, derelict buildings are more likely to catch fire than your average fully functioning structure. Setting aside conspiracy theories, poor maintenance of electrical or safety systems, vandalism and careless workmen can all cause problems. So it was no real surprise when the old Debenhams building on Princes Street was gutted by fire. Given the state of Edinburgh’s premier thoroughfare, it’s a w

This is the subject of my latest column, published in the Scotsman on 21st July 2026. Far be it for me to add to the idle speculation about the brutal murder of former politician Ann Widdecombe, but if I were a betting man I would venture a few shillings on ‘mental illness’ being a factor when we eventually find out the background of the individual responsible. It would be a pretty safe bet, for poor mental health in such incidents is a recurring theme. A scan of recent extre

My column, published in today's Scotsman (7th July 2026). It’s hard to imagine a more idyllic spot than North Berwick. Just 25 miles east of Edinburgh, with a beautiful coastline, a picturesque harbour, and surrounded by some of Scotland’s finest links golf courses, it’s easy to see why the East Lothian town is one of our most desirable places to live. You might assume such a prosperous place would be a haven of tranquillity, but you’d be wrong. A revolt is simmering, and it’

This is my latest column, published in today's Scotsman (23rd June 2026). We may eventually hear the answer to an intriguing question from the SNP embezzlement case. Why would Peter Murrell, a successful and well-paid senior executive, risk it all by stealing to buy luxury goods he didn’t need, mostly didn’t use, and could probably have afforded anyway? In many ways, the case was straightforward, common thievery with a large slice of breach of trust. The only complications w

This is my latest column, published in The Scotsman on 9th June 2026. Images of the death of Henry Nowak give a glimpse into the dark and dangerous world of street policing. The police body cam footage of the death of Henry Nowak was a hard watch even for me who has probably seen more of my share of the gruesome side of life. A young man breathing his last and begging for help, while police seemed to pay little heed to his pleas while handcuffing him. All the while the real

This is my latest column, published in today's Scotsman (26th May 2026). There was a weary familiarity about the hooliganism following Celtic football club’s league victory earlier this month. A pitch invasion, threats and abuse against opposition players, followed by drunken and violent disorder masquerading as celebration in Glasgow city centre. We have seen it all before in the 1970s, 80s and 90s. Today’s so-called ‘Ultras’ can sometimes be the old ‘Casuals’ rebadged, and

This is my latest column, published in today's Scotsman (12th May 2026). Far be it for me to offer advice to our political party leaders, but I must respectfully suggest that, in his recent criticism of police actions during the arrest of a suspect in the Golders Green stabbings in London, England’s Green Party leader Zack Polanski is talking tripe. Fortunately, the entire incident involving two Metropolitan Police Officers and the suspect, Essa Suleiman, was captured on vid

As the Scottish Parliament election looms, it’s worth remembering that police need to be adequately funded if they are to carry out long, expensive investigations into serious crimes This is my latest column, published on today's Scotsman (28th April 2026) When to stop investigating a crime? It’s a vexed question that every police force must answer sooner or later. Some crimes are so terrible that they must be investigated to the last but, in most cases, it’s a pragmatic deci

This is my latest Scotsman column, published in today's paper (14th April 2026). Antecedents are among the key components of any murder investigation. The careful examination of the life of the deceased can give clues as to how they met their end. Likewise, the same exercise for the accused often offers strong indications of how and why their behaviour led to catastrophe. Carrying out a detailed ‘antecedents’ investigation is a skill-set that must be learned and is often a jo

This is my 200th column for the Scotsman, published in today's newspaper (31st March 2026). The elephant in the room remains the fraught question about the source of the killer Covid virus. No one who’s read Baroness Heather Hallett’s CV could have doubted she would be fastidious in her chairing of the UK Covid Inquiry. A former Appeal Court judge, she led the comprehensive inquiry into the 7/7 terrorist bombing. Her remit was straightforward: “To examine the UK’s response to

Here's my latest column, published in today's Scotsman (17th March 2026). If council and emergency services are being starved of cash, where exactly are our unprecedented taxes being spent? With the embers still glowing in the smoking ruins of Glasgow’s grand old Union Corner building , our political leaders were already on the scene. Kitted out in obligatory hi-viz, to signify professionalism, we heard the predictably sombre declaration that the rules and regulations would h

The techniques used to reduce the prevalence of violence could also be deployed against Scotland’s drug-deaths crisis. This is the topic of my column, published in today's Scotsman (3rd March 2026). First, a major success that may point a way forward. The number of murders in Scotland has fallen dramatically over the past 20 years, from 137 in 2005 to 47 last year. The figures are impressive but behind the statistics lies a huge reduction in the suffering of families and fri

My latest Scotsman column, published in today's paper (17th Feb '26). There are so many witch-hunts going on just now, it’s hard to keep up, and guilt by association is the new mood. Anyone who was even in the outer orbit of Jeffrey Epstein is being cast out. King Charles is discovering that he is his brother’s keeper after all, while supporters of Lord Peter Mandelson continue to wonder how it was that he did not change his spots. Guilt by association is now ascendant. You d

Many good people have served on the Scottish Police Authority, but none have had a democratic mandate. This is the subject of my column, out in today's Scotsman (3 Feb 2026). There’s no doubt that police reforms in England and Wales are long overdue. Last reorganised in the 1960s, various attempts to overhaul structures have been successfully nudged into the long grass. Now we have another bold new vision. Don’t hold your breath, but if this initiative does go ahead, I hope

Health and safety regulations can be a pain in the neck - until they save lives This is my latest column, published on 20th January 2026. Hands up, I’ve sometimes not been a great fan of the ‘health and safety’ movement. The regulations designed to keep us safe have often, in my experience, been used as an excuse for inaction and a block on initiative – the dead hand of ‘thou shalt not’. There are often times when there’s a thin line between being risk averse and risk aware,

This is my latest article, penned for 1919 Magazine's January issue where I look at the long history of gang wars – the winners, losers, and what happens next. Read my piece here.

Happy New Year. This is my first Scotsman column for 2026, published in today's paper (6th January). You wouldn’t have to be much of a soothsayer to foresee hard times ahead for Scotland’s blue light services in 2026. No crystal ball required to see that there will be no great uplift in cash come the Scottish Government's budget. Our insatiable health services apart everyone else will be lucky to keep what they have, never mind get what they want. It will be another year o

This is my latest column, in today's Scotsman (23rd December 2025). The Chief Constable recently laid out the start consequences for Police Scotland of a funding deficit, so it's impossible to claim we were not warned. It’s been a busy year for the Justice Column in this esteemed publication, and a very diverse one. We have covered Cyber Crime, the long and weary public inquiry into the death of Sheku Bayoh as well as The Sandy Peggie Tribunal. Then there was President Tr

This is the subject of my latest column, published in the Scotsman today (9th December 2025). Thank goodness MSPs are finally questioning the effectiveness of recent public inquiries. There is nothing quite as futile as asking questions to which we already know the answers, yet that’s exactly what’s been happening. Holyrood’s Public Administration Committee concluded, predictably, that “greater care should be taken when instigating public inquiries to reign in costs”. Amen t

This is the topic published in the Scotsman on 25th November 2025. The horrific death of five youngsters in a car crash in Ireland was a tragic reminder of the dangers that still lurk on our roads. We do not have the information to speculate on the causes of that terrible collision, but it was a familiar story and one that reminded me of the dark days of the early 1970s when upwards of 800 people were killed on Scottish roads each year. Since then, the death toll has come dow