Common Weal director Robin McAlpine argues that reversing the Scottish economy’s bias towards corporations in favour of small businesses could be transformative

I WANT to rig the economy. I want, explicitly, to use public policy and practice to favour some parts of the economy over others. In this I am no different than anyone else commenting on the the economy.

In fact, on this if nothing else I agree entirely with the 'administer the last rights and stop prolonging the cruelty' Growth Commission. There are only two real differences.

Following Nicola Sturgeon’s exchange with Andrew Neil, Common Weal director Robin McAlpine offers his guide to some of the most common questions facing supporters of independence

FOR five years now, Common Weal has repeated over and over that, sooner or later but with absolute inevitability, the independence movement will have to provide clear and coherent answers to the kinds of questions Andrew Neil asked Nicola Sturgeon this week. These were not unreasonable questions.

Common Weal director Robin McAlpine challenges the perception of public ownership that has been promulgated by its enemies

WHAT is it about the UK's chattering class that causes them to get so confused about the pretty straightforward United Nations Resolution 1803? Some of it is ignorance, but it's also virulent free-market ideology.

Ahead of the launch of Common Weal’s Green New Deal report this weekend, Robin McAlpine argues that pursuing utopian ideals is more necessary than ever

ONE of my final dissertations at university was on utopia. I read more than a dozen historical utopias from Thomas More's 500-year-old original up until about the 1960s after which they peter out – my conclusion being we didn't have a utopia for our generation.

CommonSpace director Robin McAlpine looks ahead to the General Election and what it could – and should – mean for the Scottish independence movement

SO THIS is to be a General Election where independence is put at the heart of the campaign. Great. But what exactly would that sound like?

Ahead of Saturday’s RIC conference in Glasgow, Common Weal director Robin McAlpine argues that the independence movement desperately needs its radical current

WHILE the Radical Independence Campaign (RIC) has been ticking away in the background of the independence movement over recent years, it clearly hasn't had anything like the centrality and influence it did during the indyref. And, honestly, the independence movement has suffered.

Common Weal director Robin McAlpine argues that the importance of a Green New Deal – for the independence movement, Scotland and the world itself – cannot be underestimated

THERE is a big factor I think the independence movement is missing, and while it gives some cause for concern, its also a big opportunity. It's young people, and I'm a little worried that we're not paying attention.

Common Weal director Robin McAlpine takes a hard look at the state of Nicola Sturgeon’s government, and what its achievements and failures mean for the cause of independence

I BELIEVE the independence movement needs a government that is inspiring people by being bold and showing the kind of change that could be possible with independence. Most people accept that Nicola Sturgeon's government is not that.

She instead pitched her government as being about 'competent management' and asked that she be judged on her education track record.

Common Weal director Robin McAlpine compares the current state of the Scottish and Welsh independence movements, and asks what they might learn from each other

I’M writing this in Cardiff. I've been down doing some meetings and am just about to head off to Swansea where I'm speaking at the Plaid Cymru conference. I was delighted to be invited because I've long believed that Scotland and Wales should be forming stronger links.