MAgazine
Four Ideas for Housing Scotland
Hysteria at Glastonbury: The intersection of music and politics
Lessons from New York
Democratic Socialist candidate Zohran Mamdani comfortably beat out billionaire-backed billionaire Andrew Cuomo, by 56% to 44% in the final round after vote transfers. Unlike Cuomo, his campaign centred around clearly articulated demands that reflected the needs of the people of New York.
What Scottish independence could deliver for the welfare state
To truly tackle poverty and build a fairer society, Scotland shouldn't just mimic others—it should be bold, learn from Europe's best, and lead with a Universal Basic Income that both saves money and eradicates poverty.
What I learned from the school that made my children
My last child leaves primary school and it gives me a moment to reflect on what our little rural primary school has achieved. There are lessons to be learned for all public policy.
Scotland is being dragged into an RTS crisis
The switch-off of the system that lets many households keep their electricity running is going to have a disproportionate in Scotland. For many it could be a real disaster.
Protest is not a threat to Democracy - Protest protects Democracy
The UK Government’s attempt to ban Palestine Action is a risky overreach that threatens to further quash the kinds of protest that protect rather than threaten democracy.
Why Liam Gallagher is right
It seems that Edinburgh Council has a bit of a snobbery issue—and, somewhat surprisingly, Liam Gallagher isn’t happy about it. Even more surprisingly, he might actually have a point.
Scotland is not for sale Pt. I
Scotland may not be privatising the public realm with quite the zeal of Starmer’s Labour, but it is happening constantly nonetheless. A vision for a public good-driven democracy is needed.
How Common Weal helped reform care
Craig Dalzell looks at the Care Reform (Scotland) Bill - what remains of the National Care Service Bill - and compares it to Common Weal’s own work to see how many of our proposals made it into the final Bill.
Investing pensions in the UK economy
Jim Osborne calls attention to the UK Government’s proposal to compel pension companies to invest into the UK economy - that plan that could support the economy by at least several tens of billions of pounds.
Information, “efficiency” and the Care Reform Bill – a missed opportunity
Nick Kempe looks at the portion of the Care Reform (Scotland) Bill and discusses the missed opportunity to reform how information is gathered in the care sector and how it could be used to improve care.
Seamless services? Only on better foundations
Politicians often talk about seamless public services but don’t want to tackle the underlying problem - public sector data is a mess and it makes our services grind against each other where they should click.
The Ocean Can’t Wait - Scotland Must Lead the World
A new piece of legislation currently passing through the Scottish Parliament would make Scotland world-leading on environmental protection. If you care about the sea, you should back it.
If we don’t get ahead of the game we lose
The chattering classes continue to chatter but fail to reach conclusions. But more chatter is a luxury we can’t afford; we need answers, we need action and we need some savvy.
Common Weal Consultation Update - June 2025
An update covering some of the government consultations we’ve responded to so far this year.
Why a Scottish Currency Can’t Wait: Lessons from Keynes
German economist Jan Frederik Moos explains that the Scottish Government’s current position on an independent Scotland’s currency is simply wrong. Monetary independence is no the final stage in independence, it is the first.
Turning the heat up - the right way
A series of new government consultations could lead to a home insulation scheme that actually works. You should support them and ask your politicians to do the same.
‘Scotland’s Future – Something Worth Talking About’
William Duguid on the Independence Forum Scotland’s upcoming conference in Perth
This is why the food system is unreformable
Our food system has become a system of corporate exploitation, addiction and early deaths. When every incentive points exactly the wrong way, you can’t tweak the system into shape.
