Episode 154 of the Common Weal Policy Podcast You can download the episode directly here . This week, Craig talks to Malcolm Fraser, sustainable architect and Convenor of Common Weal's Board, about the proposed demolition of Glasgow's Wyndford Estate, what will happen to the community there, why this goes against the climate promised made in Glasgow less than two years ago and how Scotland should change its approach to building standards and retrofitting. Malcolm recently wrote an article on the...
Jan 25, 2023•36 min•Season 5Ep. 154
Episode 153 of the Common Weal Policy Podcast You can download the episode directly here . This week Craig talks to Prof Richard Murphy about the agreement between the Scottish and UK Government's to create two "Green Freeports" in Cromarty and Forth. They discuss the origin of Freeports, their promises of creating "jobs" in the freeport area and how those promises often end up panning out. Common Weal's work is only possible thanks to our generous supporters who regularly donate an average of £...
Jan 18, 2023•45 min•Season 5Ep. 153
Episode 152 of the Common Weal Policy Podcast You can download the episode directly here . This week, Craig brings you the final Policy Podcast of 2022 by inviting in the Common Weal team to discuss the year that has been, the most interesting and underrated news stories of 2022, where Common Weal has been influential in Scottish politics (and beyond) and what their hopes are for 2023. You can buy our new book Sorted and all of our other merch in our shop . Common Weal's work is only possible th...
Dec 14, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Season 4Ep. 152
Episode 151 of the Common Weal Policy Podcast You can download the episode directly here . This week, Craig talks to Dr Paul Dorfman, Chair of the Nuclear Consulting Group, about the UK's plans for new nuclear plants. They discuss how expensive new nuclear is compared to modern renewables, how it'll take too long build the new plants to make an impact on climate targets and why the "PFI-like" funding model the UK is using to pay for the plants will force your energy bills up for years or even de...
Nov 30, 2022•43 min•Season 4Ep. 151
You can download the episode directly here . This week, Craig is on a well-deserved break after working on Sorted: a handbook for a better Scotland , so Social Media & Communications Coordinator Rory Hamilton is filling in as guest host. Rory is joined by Common Weal Board member Allison Graham, former SNP Policy Development Convenor Chris Hanlon, and editor of the Vive Ecosse independence blog, Graeme Spence. They reflect on the result of the UK Supreme Court's decision on Wednesday morning...
Nov 22, 2022•50 min•Season 4Ep. 150
Episode 149 of the Common Weal Policy Podcast You can download the episode directly here . This week, Craig talks to Keith Baker from Common Weal's Energy Working Group and Dr Marc Hudson, historian of climate science and climate policy. They look at COP27, the failure of politicians to make sufficient promises when it comes to averting climate change, why they then go on to fail to meet those insufficient promises and what we as individuals can do to rise to the challenge they have abdicated. M...
Nov 09, 2022•47 min•Season 4Ep. 149
Episode 148 of the Common Weal Policy Podcast You can download the episode directly here . This week, Craig talks to Simon Jones, political activist and founder of the Common Weal Consultation Club. They discuss why it is important for members of the public to engage with consultations, how they can impact policy and legislation in Scotland and how you can join the Consultation Club to get advice on how to respond to consultations yourself. You can join the Consultation Club by joining Common We...
Nov 02, 2022•27 min•Season 4Ep. 148
You can download the episode directly here . This week, Craig talks to James Meadway from the Progressive Economy Forum to talk about the political turmoil currently enveloping the UK, why has it brought down two Prime Ministers already this year, whether or not UK politics is now irretrievably beholden to “the markets” spooked by Liz Truss and what the UK Government should actually be doing to fix the UK’s economic and political problems. Common Weal’s work is only possible thanks to our genero...
Oct 26, 2022•38 min•Season 4Ep. 147
Episode 146 of the Common Weal Policy Podcast You can download the episode directly here . This week, Craig talks to Cameron Archibald from Modern Money Scotland - a think tank that advocates Modern Monetary Theories in determining monetary and fiscal policy. They discuss the independence White Paper released by the Scottish Government this week and the implications for an independent Scotland if its policies - including the "Sterlingisation" of Scotland's currency - on the early years of our in...
Oct 20, 2022•44 min•Season 4Ep. 146
Episode 145 of the Common Weal Policy Podcast You can download the episode directly here . This week, Craig is doing something a little different with the podcast. Instead of interviewing a guest, he presents Common Weal's contributions to three recent public events around Scotland. First, Craig himself discusses the Common Weal Common Home Plan at the Edinburgh Climate Coalition's "Plan it for the Planet" event. Nick Kempe presents Caring for All, our blueprint for a National Care Service, and ...
Oct 12, 2022•43 min•Season 4Ep. 145
Episode 144 of the Common Weal Policy Podcast You can download the episode directly here . This week, Craig talks to Line Christensen from Jubilee Scotland who campaign against exploitative public finance deals in Scotland and internationally. Scotland has built up a legacy of Public Private Partnership (PPP) deals that now cost more than £1.4 billion per year and limit Scottish Local Authorities in particular from delivering public services. Line discusses the various forms of PPP being used in...
Oct 05, 2022•30 min•Season 4Ep. 144
Episode 143 of the Common Weal Policy Podcast You can download the episode directly here . This week Craig talks to Isobel Lindsay, one of the Vice Chairs of Scottish CND - the campaign for nuclear disarmament - about the 70th anniversary of Britain's first nuclear test, how the UK's nuclear strategy has affected Scotland over the past seven decades, why British PMs feel the need to threaten to nuke civilians just to win elections and what Scotland could do to assist with global nuclear disarmam...
Sep 28, 2022•51 min•Season 4Ep. 143
Episode 142 of the Common Weal Policy Podcast You can download the episode directly here . This week, Craig talks to Constitution expert Elliot Bulmer about Heads of State, what they do and how we could select one. The UK is currently undergoing a transition of Head of State for the first time in the lifetime of most of the current population but in other countries, this transition happens frequently. In this challenging and perhaps controversial episode Elliot discusses the pros and cons of var...
Sep 20, 2022•40 min•Season 4Ep. 142
Episode 141 of the Common Weal Policy Podcast You can download the episode directly here . This week, Craig talks to Prof. Mike Danson from the Basic Income Network Scotland about Universal Basic Income or UBI, how it compares to the means-testing that the UK demands of its benefit system and how a more universalist approach would have made the response to Covid and the coming energy crisis easier and more effective. They also discuss the current state of Scotland’s attempts to launch UBI pilots...
Sep 14, 2022•43 min•Season 4Ep. 141
Episode 140 of the Common Weal Policy Podcast You can download the episode directly here . This week, Craig talks to David Gow from the European Movement of Scotland about the political and diplomatic implications of Scottish independence and the prospect of re-joining the European Union. This includes discussion about the process of rejoining the EU itself, some of the myths about that process, some of the genuine barriers that may be placed in front of Scotland and the implications of the curr...
Sep 07, 2022•40 min•Season 4Ep. 140
Episode 139 of the Common Weal Policy Podcast You can download the episode directly here . This week Craig talks to Common Weal's Robin McAlpine about the energy transition that Scotland needs to go through if we are to meet our obligation to avert the climate emergency. Scotland is in many ways in an envious position with rich resources and potential for decarbonising our energy needs. Robin discusses how we do that to each of Scotland's three main energy uses - Electricity, Transport and Heat ...
Aug 31, 2022•1 hr 9 min•Season 4Ep. 139
Episode 138 of the Common Weal Policy Podcast You can download the episode directly here . This week, Craig talks to Katy Clark, MSP for the West of Scotland and Carole Ewart from the Campaign for Freedom of Information. They discuss their new campaign to launch a Members' Bill in the Scottish Parliament designed to strengthen and improve Freedom of Information legislation by, amongst other things, including within FOI any private company that is performing a service using public money that woul...
Aug 24, 2022•40 min•Season 4Ep. 138
Episode 137 of the Common Weal Policy Podcast You can download the episode directly here . This week, Craig talks to Prof. Richard Murphy, accountant and tax expert, about the multiple economic crises crashing into the UK at the moment. They discuss the impact of the release from Covid lockdowns, the inflation spike this caused and which was then exacerbated first by the war in Ukraine and then by corporate profiteering and then they talk about the energy crisis and what will happen if millions ...
Aug 10, 2022•51 min•Season 4Ep. 137
Episode 136 of the Common Weal Policy Podcast - Extended Edition You can download the episode directly here . This is an extended edition of Episode #136 and includes around 12 minutes of extra content. This week, Craig talks to James Foley and Ben Wray who, along with the late Neil Davidson, have written a book looking at the "two souls" of the independence movement. On one hand, the pluralistic and largely left-wing grassroots "Indy Movement" and on the other, the more top-down, centralised an...
Aug 08, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Season 99Ep. 136
Episode 136 of the Common Weal Policy Podcast You can download the episode directly here . This week, Craig talks to James Foley and Ben Wray who, along with the late Neil Davidson, have written a book looking at the "two souls" of the independence movement. On one hand, the pluralistic and largely left-wing grassroots "Indy Movement" and on the other, the more top-down, centralised and centrist or even centre-right campaign of the Scottish Government. Scotland After Britain looks at the two pos...
Aug 03, 2022•49 min•Season 4Ep. 136
Episode 135 of the Common Weal Policy Podcast You can download the episode directly here . This week, Craig talks to Cat Train and Gail Squires from Incredible Edible Neilston, a community growing group who grow food on unused land in their community and give away the produce for free to anyone who needs it. They talk about how they got started guerrilla gardening a piece of council land, how the council and local community supported them to expand and what they've been getting up to this season...
Jul 28, 2022•34 min•Season 4Ep. 135
Episode 134 of the Common Weal Policy Podcast You can download the episode directly here . This week, Craig talks to Simon Brooke a land activist, smallhold farmer and previous guest of the podcast when he talked about his experience self-building his home. They discuss the Scottish Government's new Land Reform Bill and the public consultation that is being held to inform it. We encourage everyone to submit their thoughts to this consultation, even if you only answer a single question. If you wo...
Jul 20, 2022•47 min•Season 4Ep. 134
Episode 133 of the Common Weal Policy Podcast You can download the episode directly here . This week, Craig talks to fellow Common Weal staffers Leo Plumb and Kaitlin Dryburgh. After an introduction to Kaitlin - our new Policy Comms Coordinator - they talk about Common Weal's involvement in the upcoming Doune The Rabbit Hole festival and the Douniversity - a tent of interesting political and social talks, demonstrations and activities taking place throughout the weekend of the festival. Common W...
Jul 13, 2022•33 min•Season 4Ep. 133
Episode 132 of the Common Weal Policy Podcast You can download the episode directly here . This week, Craig talks to Ellie Harrison from Get Glasgow Moving about new legislation that allows Scottish Local Authorities to bring their bus networks back into public ownership, what else needs to happen to allow them to practically do so and what this would mean for existing passengers and for people who would be able to switch from cars to public transport. You can find out more about Get Glasgow Mov...
Jul 06, 2022•53 min•Season 4Ep. 132
Episode 131 of the Common Weal Policy Podcast You can download the episode directly here . This week, Craig talks to Dr W. Elliot Bulmer about the UK's recent Constitutional turmoil. They discuss why the UK does not have a codified or written constitution, what that has allowed to the UK Government to do with regards to things like our human rights and how an independent Scotland could go about writing first a transitional and then a permanent constitution that could be broadly accepted across s...
Jun 29, 2022•49 min•Season 4Ep. 131
Episode 130 of the Common Weal Policy Podcast You can download the episode directly here . This week, Craig talks to Barbara Sharp and Fi Thorburn from West Kilbride's Community Roots. Formed at the onset of the pandemic, they created a community garden and growing network called SHED (Social Horticulture for Experts and Dummies) and now help people learn how to grow as well as providing food for their community Food Larder. If you'd like to know more about Community Roots and the SHED project y...
Jun 22, 2022•41 min•Season 4Ep. 130
Episode 129 of the Common Weal Policy Podcast You can download the episode directly here . This week, Craig talks to Ellen Dalzell about Freedom of Information in Scotland and how the Scottish Government may still be using loopholes in the legislation to limit access to information requested via FOI. Her journey starts with an investigation into whether the Scottish Government had conducted any polling in parallel to the UK Government's own "secret polls" on attitudes towards the Union and uncov...
Jun 15, 2022•29 min•Season 4Ep. 129
Episode 128 of the Common Weal Policy Podcast You can download the episode directly here . This week, Craig talks to Jeff Kirschner CEO and founder of Litterati - a company in the USA that enables communities to identify dumped waste in their area, track it back to the company who made it and to build up a database and map of the worst offending products and companies. They rely on communities of citizen scientists who download their app and track when and where they encounter litter with the ai...
Jun 01, 2022•31 min•Season 4Ep. 128
Episode 127 of the Common Weal Policy Podcast You can download the episode directly here . This week, Craig talks to Ruth Watson from Keep Scotland The Brand a campaign organisation that calls for clear labelling of Scottish produce and resists replacing "Made in Scotland" labels with less clear, less valuable "Made in Britain" labels or shops removing marks of provenance altogether. They discuss why it is so important that we know where our food and other goods is made, why Scotland's brand is ...
May 25, 2022•55 min•Season 4Ep. 127
Episode 126 of the Common Weal Policy Podcast You can download the episode directly here . This week, Craig talks to Susan Guy from Dunbar's Miixer Zero Waste Hub. The hub intercepts and redirects materials that would otherwise be thrown out as "waste" and makes it available for reuse - boasting that they can reclaim over 1,000 tonnes of material every year and that they manage to achieve a 95% reuse rate for that recovered material. Susan talks us through the process of recovery and reuse and t...
May 18, 2022•37 min•Season 4Ep. 126
