Robert Pyper

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

Perhaps not high in the set of issues attracting interest today, but might we hope that the pseudo-sciences of opinion polling and psephology are subject to greater challenge in future? The mystique surrounding these modern readers of chicken entrails needs to be punctured.

The hand-wringing of the Scottish political and cultural establishment is something to behold. As if they didn't know about the racism and xenophobia which underpins their creed ...

Will a future historian write an account of the heresy hunts in the UK public sector during the early decades of the 21st century?

In a normal polity the accumulated evidence (written and oral) of gross incompetence revealed by the Peggie Tribunal, plus today's bizarre Board statement would already be sufficient for the adults in the room act by placing NHS Fife in special measures, and removing the Board.

Is there one of those 'laws' of organisational behaviour which captures the following: poor leadership begets weak governance, which seeps downwards. Scottish Government's culture of minimal note-taking and 'can't recall' responses has permeated the public sector. #NHSFife

Always good to work with @johnconnolly747 and delighted to see our chapter on the political and crisis management strategies of Sunak and Starmer published in the new book edited by Jennifer Lees-Marshment and Ioannis Zisis on the 2024 UK General Election.

Today's Supreme Court judgement marks yet another spectacular policy failure for the political and cultural establishment in the dysfunctional devolved polity. This should (but probably won't) bring to an end a period of privileged access and policy capture by ideologues.

Devolution has not been particularly kind to any of the key institutions in Scotland, but the education and legal systems, previously emblematic of a certain quality, have fared especially badly. Both are now seriously damaged.

A timely reminder that the failures of preening, incompetent politicians have consequences for public services. We visitors reorganising trips from Arran today are inconvenienced, but the ongoing impact on islanders' lives and businesses is unacceptable. telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/03/1…

With only a few honourable exceptions, the behaviour of leading figures in the political class of a failing devolved polity has plumbed new depths in recent days. Entirely predictable, but utterly depressing all the same.

Outstanding concert (Wagner and Bruckner) from the orchestra of @ScottishOpera in Ayr last night. Conductor Gabriella Teychenne and musicians in fine form.

This thread captures the nature and consequences of incompetence and poor leadership in a dysfunctional organisation.

Deployed with forensic effect in an employment tribunal today.

We are living in an era when the 'achievements' of political campaigners and activists are lauded, despite their appalling records in government and their failures across all key areas of public policy.

In 1974, civil servant George Pottinger was jailed for his association with John Poulson, who funded Pottinger's lifestyle, including his suits. 'Declarations of interest' now legitimise many links, but it seems morally repugnant for public servants to have their clothes bought.

Academics are the public face of their universities. Behaviours on display in Glasgow last weekend remind me why, as an alumnus of both a Scottish 'ancient', and an English university, I am happy to make financial contributions to the latter, but not to the former.

The consequences of ideological capture are on full display at the Paris Olympics. #SaveWomensSports

In 1969 the British journalists Lewis Chester, Godfrey Hodgson and Bruce Page wrote a wonderful book about the previous year's Presidential campaign. Its title was 'An American Melodrama'. I wonder if anyone is writing 'An American Melodrama: Part 2' on the 2024 campaign.

A timely and important book from @LucyHunterB and @DalgetySusan. Testimonies and analysis chart institutional and policy capture by ideologues, and the individual and collective resistance to a regressive establishment orthodoxy. A graphic case study of dysfunctional governance.

Really enjoyed working with @johnconnolly747 on an analysis of political leaders' management skills and strategies in global crises for our chapter in Jennifer Lees-Marshment's new book.