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Profile: Alyn Smith

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Latest articles from Alyn Smith

The bill will ensure that there is a proactive culture of everyday accountability for children’s rights across Scotland’s public services

Why is the UK Government opposed to enshrining children’s rights?

I’VE long thought that one of the least considered aspects of the electoral success the SNP has had in recent years has been that we’re blessed in our opponents – and at some point surely they have to wise up. Little sign of it lately, I have to say.

The war in Syria has raged on for 10 years

Tories say there’s no cash for bairns but plenty for bombs

MANY young Syrians have known nothing but war for all of their short lives. For the last 10 years, their country has been torn apart by a brutal civil war marked by some of the most heinous war crimes of my lifetime, including the starvation and gassing of children and the deliberate targeting of schools and hospitals by government planes.

The Scottish electorate will vote according to what they want to see happen

We won’t win Scottish independence by gaming our democracy

A LOT of ink has been spilled on the prospects of list parties lately, and a lot of the promises and claims seem to rest on an ability I don’t have – to see the future.

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The people of Scotland are looking for hope, for competence and for a vision of the future

Alyn Smith: We’ve got answers – now it’s time for us to focus on independence

ENOUGH. We need to unite and win independence. The last couple of days have been a rollercoaster for anyone involved in Scottish politics, and some come out of it looking better than others. But there’s one thing and one thing only that we

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Boris Johnson has shown his true vision of Global Britain: breaking international law and forging closer alliances with serial human rights abusers

Tories are on a confused supermarket sweep to chase imperial fantasies

THERE is a gap between the bluster and the reality with this Tory Government. This is the space the Prime Minster inhabits – the space where trust is corroded and integrity undermined. On the long-awaited Integrated Review finally published yesterday, this gulf is plain to see.

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As many as 5% of LGBT people have been offered conversion therapy

Alyn Smith: Bigots must not stop us from banning conversion therapy across UK

THERE’S a vile activity that is still largely permitted by law throughout these islands. It is both fraudulent in nature and serves only to break down the individuals it falsely promises to help. There has been much discussion of it recently, and it’s high time we did something about it.

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The Scottish Government has moved mountains in reaching businesses and households with superfast broadband

Scotland must ensure it is ahead of the tech game as digital revolution marches on

I MAKE no apologies for shouting from the rooftops about how great the Stirling constituency is. I’m lucky to represent the part of our country that really does have it all: spectacular natural scenery, inspiring historical heritage, and now it is the first gigabit city in Scotland (and, indeed, in the UK).

Would a ban on anonymous accounts limit free speech?

Social media giants have responsibility to root out bad actors online

IT was not supposed to be like this. Not long ago, the internet was expected to open up a brave new world of democratised information, empower citizen journalists, break down the barriers between the citizens and their representatives, open up new fields of discourse and generally improve our lives. It would sweep away the gatekeepers to and guardians of the powerful, the commentators, the insiders, those “in the know” and let us all see what is going on.

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We could do better in Scotland, working with the structured international solidarity that is the EU to common challenges

An increasing number of Scots are now taking notice of the arguments for leaving the UK

I WAS on the BBC’s Debate Night last week and the conversation turned as one would expect, after 20 opinion polls in a row showing a clear lead for it, to independence. I like Debate Night, the avuncular host Stephen Jardine is a good journalist who keeps the conversation rattling along, doesn’t encourage a rammy and in so doing I think actually gets more out of the guests.

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As of Monday this week, after 2147 days of conflict in Yemen, 9810 civilians have been killed and 8758 have been injured

Alyn Smith: 'Global Britain' will not be a force for good while selling arms

THE more I’m seeing of the still new US administration, the more I’m appreciating just how awful the last four years were. Erratic policy-making, rash decisions, unstable priorities and a feeling that there was no particular sense of vision, or morality, in US foreign policy. This has all been replaced with clear, calm and methodical announcements, followed up with considered action. Nowhere is this more important than in Yemen, as we discussed in Westminster this week.

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