mastodon 4.8.0-nightly.2026-10-06Scotland's think and do tank, sharing hope and ideas for a new era.
Our ultimate goal is to build an independent Scotland that puts All of Us First.
We have a crowdfunder to develop a Prospectus for a New State: https://www.commonweal.scot/crowdfunder
https://www.commonweal.scot/prospectus-for-a-new-state
Website: https://commonweal.scot
Donate: https://www.commonweal.scot/donate
Subscribe to our newsletters: https://www.commonweal.scot/subscribe
In a victory for transparency, the Scottish Government has admitted that they wrongfully redacted key portions of the initial response to our FOI request into details of their First Homes Fund policy.
A review has revealed that the policy may have been rushed to meet their first 100 days commitment and some lenders are warning that recipients of the loans may have to pay larger deposits - undercutting the point of the scheme.
We're so grateful for the support folk have been showing for our Prospectus plan.
Let's shift the dial together!
https://www.commonweal.scot/crowdfunder
Today's Common Weal Daily Briefing
The UK's national electrical grid operator took on Palantir in a secret deal and now says that they are "too reliant" on the tech company to get them out.
When will the public sector wake up to the risk of private tech?
Common Weal is a people-powered, non-party-aligned, pro-independence "think and do" tank in Scotland.
Some of our biggest issues are social and economic equality, participative democracy, environmental sustainability, wellbeing, quality of life, peace, justice and cooperation.
Our motto #AllOfUsFirst reflects that our society is only as resilient as our most vulnerable member.
Our ultimate goal is to build an independent Scotland that puts All of Us First.
Professor Richard Murphy on why he is lending his considerable expertise to supporting our Prospectus for a New State.
Common Weal Daily Briefing
It's hard to see the logic of Health Board mergers.
This week's Common Weal Magazine!
Subscribe: https://www.commonweal.scot/subscribe
Support our Crowdfunder: https://www.commonweal.scot/crowdfunder
1) Craig - Borders are easy, but not simple
https://www.commonweal.scot/articles/magazine-cl3mj
2) Megan - Why are we so good at creating work? https://www.commonweal.scot/articles/why-are-we-so-good-at-creating-work
3) Robin - Invest in Meatspace
https://www.commonweal.scot/articles/magazine-c5mpx
4) Megan and Rory - You'll dae what yer telt
https://www.commonweal.scot/articles/youll-dae-whit-yer-telt
Graph of the Week
Who is funding political parties?
www.commonweal.scot/visuals/partyfundiing
Common Weal Policy
Several countries around the world are now banning children from social media - and there are good reasons to do it.
In our paper "Saving Childhood in Scotland" from earlier this year before the UK's own ban was announced, we point out that much more should be done than just a simple ban, including better regulations for algorithms that feed us all content and education policies that focus on wellbeing and socialisation.
https://www.commonweal.scot/policies/saving-childhood-in-scotland
Strathclyde needs better buses.
Rather than the current system of multiple private companies who can skim off large profits at our expense, there should be a single region-wide public operator and a network of community owned local bus routes.
This is how we build it.
Published in partnership with Living Rent and Get Glasgow Moving
https://www.commonweal.scot/policies/strathclyde-better-buses
Today's Common Weal Daily Briefing
Scotland must value carers as much as we value care.
Today's Common Weal Daily Briefing
On our lead story in The Herald today: If you want policy to fail announce first, think later
Common Weal Weekly Magazine
Every Friday we publish a magazine of articles written by staff and our friends.
You can subscribe to the magazine here: https://www.commonweal.scot/subscribe
This week our articles are:
1) Robin on the politics of plenty.
https://www.commonweal.scot/articles/magazine-cwprx
2) Craig on why the SNIB is apparently failing.
https://www.commonweal.scot/articles/magazine-6wjgy
3) Megan on decentralising Scotland.
https://www.commonweal.scot/articles/scotland-needs-to-start-rewiring-its-own-state
4) Craig again on regulating data centres.
https://www.commonweal.scot/articles/magazine-gwr6t
Today's Common Weal Daily Briefing
Financial sector lobbying groups are concerned that public opposition to data centres means that Scotland might not get “its” share of the global AI industry.
Elsewhere, we have a new analysis that should help us understand what it is that we would be getting a share of.
Last week, our Head of Policy & Research Craig Dalzell was on the Scottish Independence Podcast to talk about "Escalating Pressure Campaigning" - a strategic approach to activism with lessons for the independence movement.
Today's Daily Briefing
Support for workers keeps disappearing when the news moves on.
Today's Common Weal Daily Briefing
It’s not food that’s too expensive – It’s your house
This week's Common Weal Magazine!
Subscribe to the Magazine at: https://www.commonweal.scot/subscribe
Donate to support it and everything else we do: https://www.commonweal.scot/donate
1) Megan - Scotland has a population problem.
https://www.commonweal.scot/articles/scotland-has-a-population-problem
2) Craig - The Programme for Government 2026.
https://www.commonweal.scot/articles/magazine-wjege
3) Megan - When aid becomes a tool for migration control.
https://www.commonweal.scot/articles/when-aid-becomes-a-tool-for-migration-control
4) Robin - Scotland is cutting its own throat.
https://www.commonweal.scot/articles/magazine-23wag
Graph Of The Week - Bond Yields
Today's Common Weal Daily Briefing
Care is to be centralised again - and it’s still a bad idea.
In Common in The National
This is how we should regulate data centres.
Data centre companies are lobbying the Scottish Government to let them write their own environmental regulations.
Instead, we should demand that at a minimum they do not push up electricity demand, "do no harm" to Scottish water, pay up front for any social harm they will cause, and make sure their buildings and the computers within meet Net Zero and Circular Economy standards.
https://www.thenational.scot/news/26498669.can-regulate-data-centres-scotland
Common Weal is an unusual think tank. We're almost entirely funded by folk like you who give us an average of £10/month.
No Government money
No corporate sponsors
No shadowy billionaire "philanthropists"
And <5% of our annual funding comes from third sector funding bodies or commissioned work.
The rest comes from folk like you, giving us £10/month of whatever you can afford.
If you'd like to help us keep doing what we're doing then please donate at https://www.commonweal.scot/donate
Our Head of Strategic Development, Robin McAlpine, was on the Ordinary Elite Podcast discussing how we can reclaim our power from the current elite set in our society.
https://podcastaddict.com/the-ordinary-elite/episode/231625772
Our crowdfunder to build a Prospectus for a New State is almost at the half way mark!
Check it out at:
https://www.commonweal.scot/crowdfunder
Today's Common Weal Daily Briefing
Decoding the Data Centre Vote
Today's Common Weal Daily Briefing
The new annual report from the Scottish Information Commissioner shows that your rights to Freedom of Information are still at risk.
A letter from our Board on our Prospectus for a New State
https://www.thenational.scot/politics/26546334.going-win-undecideds-yes-can-help/
Today's Daily Briefing
Why we’re trying to finish the indy preparation work.
On our new campaign for a Prospectus for a New State.
Big news from us today.
We're launching a crowdfunder - https://www.commonweal.scot/crowdfunder
To win independence we need to persuade more voters. Research shows conclusively that one of the biggest barriers for those voters is that they don't think we have a properly worked-out plan for what happens if they vote YES. We do not have this prospectus – and we need it. With your help, we can build it.
Read more and donate at the link above.
This week's Common Weal Magazine!
Subscribe to the Magazine at: https://www.commonweal.scot/subscribe
Donate to support it and everything else we do: https://www.commonweal.scot/donate
1) Craig - Burnham hasn’t changed the game, but he has taken to the field. https://www.commonweal.scot/articles/magazine-56m9k
2) Bill - What happened to Older People in the PfG 2026? https://www.commonweal.scot/articles/magazine-kpx58
3) Megan - Britain Has Sanctioned the Settlements. But Is It Enough? https://www.commonweal.scot/articles/tsh3jinmqvhsep92v9719h8fvj1tf9
cont.
