Common Weal head of Policy Ben Wray look at key problems in housing in Scotland: low supply, high house prices, the rise of the private rented sector, vacant & disused land and the need for energy efficient homes

ON Scottish Housing Day, Common Weal Policy provide an analysis of Scotland’s housing situation in five graphs, which collectively reveal the need for deep, systemic transformation of our housing system – tinkering round the edges will not cut it.

Devolved governments send joint letter asking for amendments to EU (Withdrawal) Bill

THE SCOTTISH government has sent a letter to Theresa May asking her to respect the powers of devolution after Brexit.

Alongside Welsh Prime Minister Carwyn Jones, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is proposing amendments to the European (Withdrawal) Bill that will allow the transfer of powers to the Scottish Parliament and Welsh assembly when the UK leaves the EU in 2019. 

Despite widespread criticism, EU Withdrawal Bill makes it through first Commons vote

THE second reading of the EU Withdrawal Bill concluded on Monday (12 September), with MPs voting 326 to 290 to let the bill continue to the committee stage.

No Conservative or DUP MPs voted against the bill, while seven Labour MPs rebelled against the party whip to vote for the Bill.

Speaking in Edinburgh on the 20^th anniversary of the referendum on a Scottish Parliament, the first minister said devolution flows from the same intellectual current as the independence movement

NICOLA STURGEON, speaking in Edinburgh on the anniversary of the 1997 referendum on the re-establishment of the Scottish Parliament, said that “at its heart, independence is the natural extension” of the demands which led to devolution.

Gender equality ‘roadmap’ launched at feminist conference

FEMINIST policy organisation Engender launched a paper on Friday (8 September), urging the Scottish Government to take action on gender equality.

The Citizen’s Basic Income Network Scotland offers comment and analysis on the Scottish Government’s plan to fund research into a basic income

THE CITIZEN’S BASIC INCOME NETWORK SCOTLAND has welcomed renewed discussion regarding the possibility of a basic income scheme for Scotland, with one of its trustees arguing that “at the right level” a basic income could “do away with poverty”.

Despite the Equal Pay Act being brought in 1970, women are still not being paid the same as men for doing the same job

COUNCILS ACROSS SCOTLAND are not doing enough to resolve the long-standing issues with equal pay, according to a report from the Accounts Commission.

Ahead of second reading of Brexit bill, CommonSpace explains the key points

THE Conservative government’s EU Withdrawal Bill will have its second reading the House of Commons on Thursday (7 September) and Monday (11 September), where MPs will debate the bill before voting on whether to pass it to the next stage.

The bill, which sets out the regulations for the transfer of powers back from the EU, has been widely criticised by opposition parties and pro- EU Tories since it was made available at the first reading on 13 July.

CommonSpace rounds up a selection of reactions to the new Programme for Government from commentators, trade unions, campaign groups and the third sector.

THE NEW PROGRAMME FOR GOVERNMENT has unveiled a raft of policies, some surprising and some long planned.

Association asks for housing to be kept “centre stage” following Programme for Government announcement

THE SCOTTISH Government is being urged to do everything within it's powers to soften the effect of the rollout of Universal Credit throughout the next sitting of parliament.

The Scottish Federation of Housing Associations (SFHA) is demanding housing be kept "centre stage" after the first minister revealed the Programme for Government 2017/18 yesterday.