thecommongreen

thecommongreen, 3 days ago to random

If you believe that war crimes should only be prosecuted when your enemies commit them, you are complicit in the war crimes of your allies.

thecommongreen, 10 days ago to random

Go on Rishi. Declare Belfast a "foreign court". Do it. XD

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/huge-blow-rishi-sunak-court-32798530

thecommongreen, 11 days ago to random

Rishi Sunak drumbeating war as an election stunt at an event hosted by a think tank that scores the lowest possible rating for financial transparency.

https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/who-funds-you/policy-exchange/

thecommongreen, 14 days ago to random

My column in this week's @Common_Weal newsletter is directed at the Scottish Government's new and returning Cabinet Secretaries. For each of you, here are the Common Weal policy papers that should be at the top of your In Tray.

https://commonweal.scot/the-in-tray/

thecommongreen, 16 days ago to random

Yesterday I was at the Parliament to give evidence to the Finance Committee on a governing framework for Commissioners - a slightly arcane topic but one pretty fundamental to how our democracy might be changing without us realising it. I warned about the risk of government pushing responsibility away from elected Ministers and onto appointed Commissioners, for example.

An intense session but one that was received well by the Committee.

You can watch the session here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fi5OJXdlLs

thecommongreen, 21 days ago to random

My article in this week's Common Weal Newsletter.

The "economic case" for the 'Green Freeports' is that if we cut corporate taxes, they create jobs and income taxes offset the tax cut.

However, ScotGov hasn't done the modelling to see if this would be the case.

https://commonweal.scot/a-deal-with-the-devolved-part-three/

thecommongreen, 23 days ago to random

The Vote of No Confidence in the Scottish Government
Yes - 58
No - 70
No Abstentions

The vote fails. Parliament retains confidence in the Government. The SNP shall continue a minority administration.

SNP and Greens voted against.
Labour, Conservatives, Lib Dems and Alba voted for. There were no rebels.

thecommongreen, 27 days ago to random

Given this week it takes some doing to wrestle a newspaper front page away from the party leadership stramash but...it looks like I've done it!

New Policy Paper released tomorrow (and it's not about the kelpies)

thecommongreen, 1 month ago to random

This would mean the UK spending £5 on the military for every £1 it spends on foreign aid.

Tell you what. Flip that ratio, then we can discuss how much "defence" we'd need.

"Boosting" nuclear arms is also discouraged by NPT and outright banned by TPNW.

https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/starmer-labour-will-increase-defence-spending-to-2-5-and-boost-nuclear-deterrent-3002947

thecommongreen, 1 month ago to random

Of the three former (and soon to be former) Prime Ministers quoted in this article, the one with the most morally defensible position (as weak as it is) is the one who himself ordered extrajudicial drone strikes on British citizens.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-68751550

thecommongreen, 1 month ago to random

New Policy Paper!

We've developed a Scottish Land Tax that could raise £450 million a year and close the projected budget gaps of many of our Local Authorities.

https://commonweal.scot/policies/taxing-land-in-scotland/

thecommongreen, 2 months ago to random

I've written up some thoughts on the Land Reform Bill for Bella Caledonia

Some potential for some steps forward...but I worry, once again, about the amount of power ScotGov is claiming instead of building better local democracy.

https://bellacaledonia.org.uk/2024/03/18/land-reform-or-another-power-grab/

thecommongreen, 2 months ago to random

The Homework Machine
Shel Silverstein - 1981

Not a bad prediction of ChatGPT there...

thecommongreen, 2 months ago to random

Today marks five years of the Common Weal Policy Podcast and this week saw us hit Episode #200!

Thank you to everyone who has listened to and supported the show, especially if you've been with us from the start.

Listen to this week's show at: https://commonweal.scot/podcast/the-common-weal-policy-podcast-episode-200/

thecommongreen, 2 months ago to Europe

My article in this week's @common_weal newsletter.

If, according to a new research paper, the cost of a Universal Basic Income could be less than the cost of the poverty it eliminates, then bringing in that UBI becomes a moral imperative.

#Poverty #UBI #Europe

https://commonweal.scot/ubi-now/

thecommongreen, 3 months ago to random

I've sent a letter as a constituent to my MP asking them to support the SNP motion for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

https://www.writetothem.com

thecommongreen, 3 months ago to random

My article in @TheNational today. If the Scottish Government gives in to lobbying and replaces the percentage-based Visitor Levy with Council Tax style bands, it will amount to a massive tax cut for the very rich.

https://www.thenational.scot/politics/24075867.tourist-tax-scotland-changes-policy-will-benefit-rich/

thecommongreen, 4 months ago to random

New Policy Podcast!

We're back! This week, I talk to @LesleyRiddoch about her new film, Denmark: The State of Happiness.

https://commonweal.scot/podcast/the-common-weal-policy-podcast-episode-195/

thecommongreen, 4 months ago to random

In times of peace, they mock the pacifist. "What good are you", they say, "when there is no war to stop?"

In times of war, they mock the pacifist. "What good are you", they say, "when we should fight this war?"

thecommongreen, 4 months ago to random

My article in this week's In Common newsletter for @common_weal and @TheNational

Why is it so hard to find data in Scotland and what could ScotGov do about it?

https://www.thenational.scot/politics/24044046.common-hard-find-data-scotland/

thecommongreen, 5 months ago to random

Glad to see that my commitment to transparency in Government is rubbing off on others.

Well written FOI btw. Concise, specific and time-limited. I'll be adding this as an example to my activists' FOI training course.

https://www.gov.scot/publications/correspondence-between-scottish-government-and-craig-dalzell-head-of-policy-and-research-at-common-weal-scotland-foi-release/

thecommongreen, 5 months ago to random

I have friends who have already been impacted by this. Absolutely unacceptable that any government policy should be announced without due research and evidence. This should be withdrawn until fully assessed.

thecommongreen, 5 months ago to random

For failing to back the UN ceasefire motion, the UK and US are now complicit in every single war crime and crime against humanity committed as a result of the Gaza conflict.

thecommongreen, 5 months ago to random

Seeing this image doing the rounds, particularly being linked to complaints about the amount of FOIs being submitted by some individuals.

FOI Requests are a vital part of our democracy. By design, they cannot uncover information that you, as a citizen, do not have a right to see.

The solution is not to limit FOI requests, but to instead take a "Glass Wall" approach and force government to proactively publish all information that, right now, could be uncovered by a properly worded FOI.

thecommongreen, 6 months ago to random

New Policy Podcast!

This week I talk to Anthony Salamone from European Merchants about the Scottish Government's latest independence White Paper on an independent Scotland's entry into the EU.

https://commonweal.scot/podcast/the-common-weal-policy-podcast-episode-193/