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George Fergusson

George Fergusson

Herald Scotland

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Do the rules of international law still apply in the age of Donald Trump?

The Canadian historian Margaret MacMillan wrote over the weekend that big parts of international law are now being referred to in the past tense, even...

16.03.2026 10

Herald Scotland

George Fergusson

Parallels from Suez to today as Middle East anniversaries cast a long shadow

Historical echoes from Suez to Israel’s early nuclear tensions show how players have switched positions while the risks have only intensified, says...

02.03.2026 9

Herald Scotland

George Fergusson

Trump’s Greenland gambit exposes tensions over devolved diplomacy

Donald Trump’s renewed interest in Greenland has reopened fraught debates over who speaks for devolved governments abroad — and why Scotland’s...

22.01.2026 10

Herald Scotland

George Fergusson

Forget the EU, Britain is more likely to join an American Union led by Trump

The increasingly alarming developments in global politics in the last month – and weeks – and days – have brought us closer to a fundamental...

14.01.2026 20

Herald Scotland

George Fergusson

America first, Europe last? Why Trump’s security strategy demands serious debate

The US National Security Strategy marks a decisive break from decades of Western consensus, embracing ‘America first’ and backing populist forces...

15.12.2025 7

Herald Scotland

George Fergusson

Migration crisis is likely to get worse as birth rates soar

Migration pressures will only grow as climate change , conflict and demographics collide. Without bold, long-term action, Britain faces a future of...

21.11.2025 10

Herald Scotland

George Fergusson

Soldier F trial was probably doomed to fail but our troops cannot be above the law

Soldier F’s’ acquittal in Belfast, for alleged murders during the Bloody Sunday shootings, was almost inevitable. The case was dramatic: a...

25.10.2025 7

Herald Scotland

George Fergusson

Do we want to be like Russia? Here's why we must not scrap the ECHR

There would be a serious downside to withdrawing from the European Convention on Human Rights, argues former diplomat George Fergusson The...

07.10.2025 7

Herald Scotland

George Fergusson

Don’t proscribe organisations: prosecute criminal actions

I was in the Northern Ireland Office in the 1970s, 80s and 90s when the Troubles were both tragic and highly politically sensitive. One regular...

27.06.2025 10

Herald Scotland

George Fergusson

Please, save us from lottery elections

The Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election provided lots to talk about. An alarming, and overlooked, implication is for our voting system. In...

19.06.2025 30

Herald Scotland

George Fergusson

The right way to protest the Gaza blockade

The continued blockade of Gaza, cutting off food, power and medical supplies, is a shocking, continuing horror. It won’t be eased much by the...

22.05.2025 10

Herald Scotland

George Fergusson

George Fergusson: Starmer has a choice: win a battle or win a war

Keir Starmer has to choose between winning a battle and winning a war: a rare moment of historic choice. It isn’t easy. Our main security ally for...

06.05.2025 10

Herald Scotland

George Fergusson

Why we must strive to retain international rules-based systems

Ireland is reeling from President Trump’s choice of Irish representative to visit the White House on St Patrick’s Day: the mixed martial artist...

22.03.2025 20

Herald Scotland

George Fergusson

George Fergusson: Starmer has some difficult choices ahead

Keir Starmer has played his cards well during these last turbulent days. But his – our – way ahead looks hazardous. The transatlantic bridge...

11.03.2025 10

Herald Scotland

George Fergusson

UK needs immediate new income tax band to pay for defence, says former diplomat

US President Donald Trump has put down growing challenges to Britain and wider Europe, most immediately about Ukraine. Allegations of Volodymyr...

21.02.2025 10

Herald Scotland

George Fergusson