MAgazine
Still getting heating policy wrong
The Scottish Government is creating a system which will punish the little guy but let the big guy off the hook. It really ought to be the other way round.
Rolling the dice with housing-again
Will Britain never understand the difference between making housing affordable and subsidising unaffordable housing to prop up the profits of developers? Apparently not...
Rolling the dice with housing-again
Will Britain never understand the difference between making housing affordable and subsidising unaffordable housing to prop up the profits of developers? Apparently not...
Four Ideas for Housing Scotland
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.
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.
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.
Common Weal Consultation Update - June 2025
An update covering some of the government consultations we’ve responded to so far this year.
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.
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.
If you want to bid Government up, don’t start by bidding yourself down
As well-meaning as the Greens’ proposals for property tax reform were, they were doomed by dint of their own self-sabotage by minimisation.
Who is fighting your war?
That’s so woke: time for a language of emancipation
The far right pose a threat in Scotland too, and we can’t be complacent by saying ‘independence will save us’ especially if the independence we offer is built on the economics which have given rise to the far right, i.e. austerity and the sustainable growth commission.
Fair Pay For All
The Scottish Government should add a clause to their Fair Work Framework to limit the maximum pay of executives in companies that wish to claim Fair Work accreditation.
It’s Scotland’s Economy - Or Is It?
Scotland is losing billions of pounds a year to profit extraction. Why is the Scottish Government encouraging even more?
Learning from “Greens in Government™”
As we move forward, we must ensure that we are at the centre of decisions, that there remains a left-wing voice in Holyrood, and that we are not tempted by the neoliberal forces of even Scotland’s establishment if we are to return to power.
Who will speak for the seas?
The sea may look eternal and untouchable but human activity is doing enormous damage to our oceans. The Ocean Rights Coalition is calling for the oceans to be granted legal personality so that they can be properly protected.
This moment is filled with so much hope
Among the chaos and the dark tone of world politics, there is actually rather a lot of reason to feel hope. Things getting better is a long way from guaranteed, but the chances diminish more if we don’t imagine they could be better.
Help us lob a molotov cocktail at failure
The scale of failure in Scotland now has gone well beyond concerning into really alarming territory. We can’t go on like this, but to create a manifesto of change we’ll need help…
Tariffs For Penguins
Despite boasts to the contrary, Keir Starmer was unable to achieve a better trade deal with America than the one Trump gave to an island of penguins.
