Common Weal director Robin McAlpine makes a final plea to SNP delegates at this weekend’s spring conference to reject the Growth Commission’s economic plan for Scottish independence

AT THE weekend, delegates to SNP conference will be asked to make what may well be the most important political decision they will ever make. 

Common Weal director Robin McAlpine argues that the SNP is on the verge of swallowing all of Better Together’s arguments in the last referendum – and weakening the independence case in the process

IS BETTER TOGETHER taking over the SNP? The party’s new spiritual leader (Andrew Wilson) was on BBC radio quite openly telling Scotland that independence will be pain and sacrifice, that Britain is a fine economic and political institution and that Scotland shouldn't get above itself with talk of its own currency.

Common Weal director Robin McAlpine looks at a recent opinion poll on independence, and finds that it highlights the need for the political strategy of independence to enter a new phase

IF Angus Robertson's poll didn't cause nervousness in the independence movement it should have. It suggests that not only are we not winning, we're going backwards. And if that's right, it very strongly suggests we need to do things differently.

Common Weal director Robin McAlpine says focus group work shows tipping soft No voters to Yes is about changing the risk-reward scales – something the Growth Commission’s currency plan makes much more difficult to achieve

WE NEED to talk about No voters. Actually, we need to listen to No voters and then talk about what they say. Because at the moment there are too many people making stereotypical assumptions that are inaccurate.

Common Weal Director Robin McAlpine calls on independence supporters to make their voices heard on the Growth Commission proposals as they go before SNP conference

AS a political strategist by trade, I'd tell any client that if you're in the territory of arguing over the difference between 'forever' and 'indefinitely' then you're in trouble. And yet that's where the SNP leadership is.

Common Weal Director Robin McAlpine says embracing the Growth Commission will put the SNP at odds with the direction of travel of progressive politics internationally

THERE are now two planets SNP members can live on. On one of those planets we are facing massive social and environmental catastrophes which can only be avoided through major, coordinated public action. On the other, the priority is providing comfort for international bankers.

Common Weal director Robin McAlpine argues that the SNP currency vote at its Spring conference next month is a monumental choice: do they want to fully embrace a Scottish currency, or accept a hugely damaging fudge?

HISTORY is just choices. In about six week's time the delegates to the SNP's spring conference are going to be asked to make a choice. It's a momentous choice and the implications are enormous and wide-reaching. It will be a crucial chapter in Scotland's history.

Common Weal director Robin McAlpine argues that the independence movement’s attitude should be to build up – rather than knock down – those trying to change things for the better in Scotland

IN 1979, during the first devolution referendum in Scotland, one of the 'talking points' of the anti-devolutionists was about how rubbish Radio Scotland was. With a new Scottish BBC TV channel just launched, this is a lesson for today's independence supporters.

Common Weal director Robin McAlpine argues that the case for Soft Independence is so riddled with holes that if it were ever presented to the people of Scotland as the independence case it would be a fatal liability

IT LOOKS like the last couple of voices still trying to sell the Growth Commission to the independence movement are determined to force us to make a clear decision – do we want independence or do we want Soft Independence?