Common Weal housing convention and guest speakers announced

AN EVENT exploring ‘a vision for homes, communities and places’ will take place in Glasgow the day before the SNP conference kicks off next month.

Fracking consultation ends with rally and cross-party of MSPs backing a full ban

ANTI-FRACKING CAMPAIGNERS hope that the “landmark” consultation on unconventional oil and gas drilling will have succeeded in persuading the Scottish Government to move towards a permanent ban.

Thinktank preparing policy for the new independence fight

COMMON WEAL, Scotland’s pro-independence thinktank, has hit its initial fundraising target of £25,000 to support work on it’s White Paper Project, which aims to offer the answers to the big questions facing the next Scottish independence campaign.

Scottish National Investment Bank plan backed as alternative to “failed” private sector 

A NATIONAL INVESTMENT BANK that puts public interests before private profit has won the support of the Scottish National Party. 

Delegates at the party’s spring conference have unanimous backing to the policy, and the action of “examining the feasibility and the creation of a Scottish National Investment Bank”. 

“Unfinished business” of land inequality remains high on the political agenda

CAMPAIGNING FOR more equal ownership of Scotland’s land will step up a gear this August as the second ‘Our Land Festival’ begins across the country. 

Scotland’s land reform movement won significant progress in the Land Reform Act 2016, which was passed overwhelmingly in the Scottish Parliament to improve access, transparency, community ownership, and to build towards further land reforms. 

Report author: Impact on outbound tourism would be substantial

A TAX CUT for the aviation industry would risk a “double whammy” to Scotland’s economy in public finances and the domestic tourism industry, according to the Common Weal campaign group. 

Planning Permission for public housing should make the people of Scotland wealthier, not a few big landowners, think-tank says

Common Weal has published proposals to give local authorities the powers to buy land at its current value, rather than the current system which forces cash-strapped council's to pay the estimated future price of the land after planning permission and development. 

Research by the think-tank has shown planning permission can increase the price tag of land by up to 100 fold or more.

Average private rents increasing across all property sizes, official statistics show

LIVING RENT AND COMMON WEAL have called for the Scottish Government and local authorities to take action to make housing affordable as official statistics published on Tuesday reveal that private rent increased on average over the last year by 4 per cent for one bedroom properties, 4.4 per cent for two bedrooms, 4.6 per cent for three bedrooms, and 4.9 per cent for four bedroom properties.

Scottish small businesses could get boost from new ethical project

A NEW project to help Scottish small businesses grow and consumers buy ethically, is set to launch in time for Christmas shopping.

Common Market, a project initiated by the leftwing pro-independence think tank Common Weal in collaboration with independent businesses across Scotland, will launch on 14 November in time for the Christmas shopping spree.

Economic impact likely to be short-term and benefit major companies above communities

THE USE OF fracking and other forms of unconventional gas extraction would damage Scotland's economy in the long-term, according to a new report by the Common Weal think-tank.

Controversial fracking licenses, granted across the central belt of Scotland, have been met with angry community opposition, mainly surrounding fears about the environmental impact of dirty fossil fuels extraction and burning.