Susan Dalgety

Better together: my dream for my grand-daughter

These are my remarks that I gave today at the Scottish Women’s Convention’s debate on the independence referendum. Thanks to the audience of great women, from across Scotland, who made it such a lively, passionate event. In a few week’s time my grand-daughter will be born. I want her to grow up in a country […]

by Susan Dalgety

Madiba: one of the greatest men who ever lived

There will be many words written about Nelson Mandela over the coming days and weeks…indeed in the years to come. There is nothing I can write that will add to what we know, or feel, about the man who showed us all how to live, how to govern, how to be a human being. I […]

by Susan Dalgety

That was the week that was

It has been a momentous week. Robbie Williams’ new LP became the 1,000th number one in the album charts Nigella Lawson’s life was ripped apart, again. And Scotland’s First Minister, and his faithful deputy, published their prospectus for breaking up the United Kingdom. Scotland’s Future is 670 pages long. And every one of those pages […]

by Susan Dalgety

Two invitations in one day

I got not one, but two, invitations today. Most unusual. The first was to speak, with my new comrade Kate Higgins, at the Women in Parliament dinner next week. I immediately said yes, even though it meant rearranging a trip to Leeds to spend time with my husband. I may not be in frontline politics […]

by Susan Dalgety

A woman’s place is in the Scottish Parliament

A week late, but you might still be interested in this piece that Kate Higgins and I wrote for the Scotsman. http://www.scotsman.com/news/comment-walker-by-election-can-be-watershed-1-3087740 And good luck to Cara Hilton, Labour’s candidate for the Dunfermline by-election. She will make a great MSP.

by Susan Dalgety

Okay, so it’s my birthday

I share a birthday with Sean Connery, probably the best ever Bond and one of Scotland’s few global icons; Jim Wallace, one of the UK’s nicest politicians and Elvis Costello, the best singer British songwriter alive today. So, what have I achieved in my first 57 years… Well I’ve made a lot of mistakes. Probably […]

by Susan Dalgety

Women on top

Dr Margaret Sutherland (r) and me (l) with Alice Harding Shackleford, UN Women’s country representative in Malawi. Fifteen good women (and one good bloke) had a great conversation yesterday in Glasgow, discussing gender equality, Malawi, patriarchy and, of course, the glorious sunshine. Little known fact. It was warmer yesterday in Blantyre, Scotland than Blantyre, Malawi.

by Susan Dalgety

Mindfulness, more than just another middle class fad

I have been a worrier all my life. One of my first memories is of being anxious. I have no idea what was the source of the anxiety that frightened me as a wee girl, but the stomach churning, self-doubting fear has plagued me since. But perhaps I am finding a way to stop worrying […]

by Susan Dalgety

Bowie: where are we now?

It was a tweet from his son Duncan Jones that alerted me – and quite a few thousand others, to the stunning news that David Bowie had made his first album for more than a decade. “Who wants to know a secret?” he teased at midnight New York time, 5.00 am here in the UK. […]

by Susan Dalgety

A recipe for disaster

642 Things to write about #6 I am not looking forward to 2013. Let me qualify that. I am looking forward to lots of things in 2013. Spending time with my grandchildren. Working in Malawi. Hopefully enjoying the Greek sunshine with my husband. Planting more lavender bushes. The occasional rummage round TK Maxx. Suppers with […]