SNP MP joins disability and poverty campaigners in denouncing the Tories’ approach to welfare amid newly uncovered figures  

ALISON THEWLISS, SNP MP for Glasgow Central, has accused the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) of being “intent on refusing people at every turn”, after it emerged nearly £200m in five years was spent fighting appeals by rejected disability benefit claimants.

Greens, TSSA and Common Weal say the government must do more to support a publicly-run rail service

GREEN MSP John Finnie has questioned the Scottish Government’s “determination” to see a publicly-run rail service become a reality, after transport minister Michael Matheson confirmed the government would be “giving equal treatment to all bidders”.

CommonSpace sits down with the experts to learn more about how the criminal justice system works for domestic abuse survivors 

COMMONSPACE JOURNALIST Caitlin Logan sits down with Scottish Women’s Rights Centre solicitor Sarah Crawford, clinical psychologist and domestic abuse expert Dr Mairead Tagg, and SNP councillor Julie McKenzie who was the victim in two domestic abuse cases which saw her former partner convicted.

We ask, is the Scottish justice system working for suvivors of domestic abuse, and what can happen to ensure it does?

From Brexit, to independence, to sustainable energy, the latest figures on Scotland’s revenue, expenditure and deficit are sparking debate

THE ANNUAL Government Expenditure and Revenue Scotland (GERS) released today (22 August) has served to underline vastly differing views on the economy and where it is and should be headed.  

The report, published by the Scottish Government, shows that Scotland’s public sector revenue, including from its geographic share of the North Sea, was £59.6bn in 2016/17 - £1.3bn of which was North Sea revenue.

Despite progress, experts say systemic change is needed to ensure domestic abuse survivors do not feel “let down” by the courts

SCOTLAND’S COURTS system must be reformed to better support domestic abuse and rape survivors who can find the process “as traumatic as the abuse”, according to campaign and advocacy organisations.

CommonSpace speaks to four women who have been through the courts in domestic abuse cases to learn how the system works for them

“HIS ABUSIVE pattern was without a doubt back in full force and I was beginning to realise it had never really gone. People were being hurt by him once again. I needed to speak the truth.”

Education secretary faces criticism for seeking tax break for local private school despite government scrapping the relief

EDUCATION SECRETARY John Swinney has come under fire for ‘lobbying’ on behalf of a private school in his constituency over concerns that it would no longer receive business rates relief after the government decided to scrap it last year.

The revelation has led to accusations of “hypocrisy” on the part of the education minister and of a lack of “vision” in the Scottish Government over the kind of education system it wants to create.

Parents urged to opt-out of P1 standardised testing which experts warn could be detrimental to child wellbeing

PRESSURE ON the Scottish Government to reconsider its policy of standardised testing – initially introduced last August – has intensified after five children’s charities, a former Children’s Commissioner for Scotland and teachers’ union Education Institute of Scotland launched a campaign urging parents to withdraw P1 children from the tests.

Sir Geoff Palmer brands Michael Fry’s mindset on slavery as “unacceptable” and “completely out of this time”

HISTORIAN, AUTHOR and The National columnist Michael Fry has come under fire for defending controversial 18-19^th century Scottish politician Henry Dundas’ role in securing a delay in the abolition of slavery in Britain as a “tiny, minor incident”.

Scottish Women’s Awards declines to name the organisation running the event amid concerns over transparency

WOMEN’S CHARITIES and a BBC journalist nominated for awards at the Scottish Women’s Awards will not attend over a lack of transparency about the event, being held at the Crowne Plaza in Glasgow next month by profit-making organisers ‘Creative Oceanic’.