A short break...
Independence Captured will be back on July 28th
This is a quick note to inform readers and subscribers that Independence Captured will be taking a short break, returning on July 28th.
I am lucky enough to be going on holiday outside of the UK for the first time since well before the pandemic. It will be a welcome change of scenery, but also a chance to take stock of things without scrolling through social media and being updated on the hourly developments around the disarray gripping the Tories (and everything else).
The last few editions of Independence Captured have attempted to deal with big strategic issues. We examined the launch of the independence “scene setting” papers, scrutinised the First Ministers update on the proposed route to a referendum and delved into the underlying divisions that are driving the chaos at the heart of Westminster.
There are about six or seven topics I could have written about this week, building on all of this. But sometimes it is necessary, especially in periods like this, to take a step back to get a wider perspective on events.
Having had no reason to navigate an airport over recent years thanks to Covid, it does make you think. If we are honest, the pandemic has affected us in lots of unsaid and unregistered ways. As we tip from one crisis to the next, there is little time to digest what our society has endured in recent years. This is something that we all might benefit from doing. Taking some time out, where possible, is part of that.
Lastly, if you are managing to get away or to take some days off work over summer, I wish you a restful time.
We are going to need it.