Columnists

In the distant past, parliament would meet when the monarch wished it. But the UK constitution has moved on from those days – at least in that the Queen exercises her power to prorogue parliament only on government advice. But events of the past few weeks have prompted questions about whether the prime minister can seek to suspend parliament at will, for any reason, and for any duration, writes Dr Asif Hameed.

Councillors cannot make big decisions about Edinburgh’s future based on pretty pictures in the City Centre Transformation document, we need to see the detail, writes Joanna Mowat.

WHY would a high-risk serial rapist with a 40-year record be released from jail and housed in an area where he would be free to attack and rape an innocent neighbour?

When trying to tackle ‘Scotland’s shame’ of sectarianism and the violence it can lead to, we must examine the root causes and question whether religious segregation in schools is acceptable in the 21st century, writes Tom Wood.

Leaving the European Union or the United Kingdom would not be in the best interests of any of us, writes Christine Jardine.

As simpering sycophants pillory the legal system, Boris’s tragic day trip is worthy of a command performance, writes Euan McColm

The lesson of Northern Ireland to Glasgow is that feeding a sense of sectarian grievance won’t end the violence, writes Dani Garavelli

Since 1801, the census has asked members of every household in the UK whether they are male or female, as a simple, binary sex question. For 200 years, the authorities responsible for the census did not consider it necessary to guide respondents in answering this question. Indeed, it is an established point of principle that census questions should be self-explanatory to people from all backgrounds and levels of education.

I almost feel scared to turn on the news at times and with the recent story reporting that child killer Aaron Campbell has had his sentence reduced by three years already, I’m left seething with anger!

If Boris Johnson cannot strike a deal with the EU, he will have two options: quit as Prime Minister and fight the inevitable general election or finish the Tories by breaking his pledge not to delay Brexit, writes John McLellan

Nearly everyone has faith of some kind in Malawi, a country where only 11 per cent of the workforce has a formal job with a regular salary and employment rights, writes Susan Dalgety.

Labour deputy leader Tom Watson’s weight-loss ‘journey’ inspires Kevan Christie to restrict himself to six bags of Mini-Cheddars a day, take up yoga and ditch the fish suppers with a smoked sausage chaser.

I never saw Downton Abbey on television and felt no deprivation but this week I attended the movie premiere… in Bucharest.

Huge portion sizes in restaurants simply mean huge amounts of wasted food, writes Stephen Jardine.

David Cameron says a second Brexit referendum or ‘People’s Vote’ should not be ruled out ‘because we’re stuck’.

While Boris Johnson and Michael Gove have been telling obvious lies about Brexit and the current political crisis, it is the electorate, and not the courts, that should be the ultimate judge of politicians who are dishonest, writes Brian Wilson.