“You will know what I fear happens if trust in democracy is eroded. But I believe we must also face the aberrant nature of national political debate which results when democracy is in trouble. We cannot – cannot – allow this to become normal.”
Opinion
“The health impacts of Covid-19 shouldn’t just be assessed in terms of those who have died, but also by looking at the lives of those who have survived.”
Nick Kempe: What’s happening with rehabilitation in care homes in Scotland?
“The essential pre-requisite for the review of the fiscal settlement is that the proposals being put forward should be public knowledge, and should be subject to thorough public scrutiny before they are agreed. Unless this happens, then the danger is that Whitehall will continue with its neo-colonial tricks.”
Jim Cuthbert: Review of the fiscal settlement must be transparent to avoid Whitehall tricks
Vinnie Collins looks at the example of Green Jobs Oshawa in Canada, where a coalition is looking to repurpose a closed General Motors plant into a Green New Deal manufacturing hub, and finds there may be lessons to learn for the case of Alexander Dennis in Falkirk. Scotland and Canada have a lot in common. […]
Vinnie Collins: From Canada to Scotland, we need to bring the fight for decent jobs and climate justice together
The founding principles of the Scottish Parliament emphasise accountability, accessibility and the need to treat all people fairly. While these are principles we all hold close, we know in practice that our politics can often fall short. Wealth and power can get people access and influence that normal citizens can only imagine. It is, after […]
Willie Sullivan: Scotland’s loophole ridden lobbying laws are in need of an urgent upgrade
A major study, the first of its kind, has been published by the League Against Cruel Sports Scotland for the Revive coalition for grouse moor reform, showing the extent of mass animal killings on Scotland’s grouse moors. The results are shocking. Calculating Cruelty shows that between 120,000 and up to around quarter of a million foxes, stoats, […]
Max Wiszniewski: Now we know the true extent of mass animal killings on grouse moors
The scale of the SQA mess is, I think, acknowledged by everyone. Of course governments get into policy messes all the time – it’s hardly a unique situation. But this government is producing far too many of them far too fast. The care home crisis, Nikegate, the early failures on Covid-19 control, the blended learning […]
Robin McAlpine: As the disasters come thick and fast, how do we stop the conveyor belt?
Common Weal communications officer Becki Menzies looks at the SQA grading debacle through her own experience of going to a school in a deprived area. She argues that this should be a wake-up call. If my fifth year exams results had been marked by the same SQA methodology as this year, I’d probably not the […]
Becki Menzies: I would have been one of those kids let down by the SQA system – it’s time for change
“We will have to change the focus and ask the Scottish public: Are you listening? Can you see what we see?”
Craig Dalzell: The Scottish Government seeks validation instead of wellbeing
“Given the choice between being ‘credible’ and being fair, a choice was made that strengthened inequality and erected roadblocks to social mobility for the poorest and most disadvantaged. In a just world, it would be the SQA and the Scottish Government that bore the consequences of that decision. In this one, that price will be paid by the nation’s youth”