The Common Weal Policy Podcast

Episode 214 of the Common Weal Policy PodcastYou can download the episode directly here.This week, and for the final time for the podcast in this format, Craig talks to Robin McAlpine about the General Election results. How did Labour win such a massive landslide despite losing voterse, what happened to collapse the Conservatives, why didn't smaller parties do better and what is next for the UK, Scotland and the SNP.You can read Robin's blog on how the SNP could revive themselves ahead of the 2026 Holyrood election here: http://robinmcalpine.org/the-snp-one-thing-at-a-time/This is the final episode of the Common Weal Policy Podcast in this format, please listen to the announcement at the end of the show for more information but we'll be back with a revamp and a new format soon. Thank you to all of my listeners over the past six years. We won't be gone from your podcast list for long - CraigCommon Weal's work is only possible thanks to our generous supporters who regularly donate an average of £10 per month. If you would like to help us build our vision of an All of Us First Scotland, you can do so here: https://commonweal.scot/donate/The Policy Podcast would like to discuss all of Common Weal's policy papers in detail as well as other major policy stories in and around Scotland so if there are any topics that you would like to see covered or if you have an interesting policy story to tell and would like to be a guest on the show, please contact Craig at craig@common.scotYou can also find us on iTunes, Spotify, Castbox, Stitcher, Tunein, iHeart Radio and other major podcast aggregators.You can also add the podcast to your RSS feed using this link: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/264906.rssThemeExcerpts from "Hiding Your Reality" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Support the Show.

Episode 213 of the Common Weal Policy PodcastYou can download the episode directly here.This week, Craig talks to Nadia Shaikh from the Right to Roam campaign, who are seeking the same right to access land in England as we in Scotland have enjoyed by statute for over two decades and by custom for many years longer than that. They discuss how 92% of England came to be locked away from the public, some of the parallels and points of divergence between Scotland and England in this regard, the peculiar case of the "access island" where land that is technically open to the public cannot be reached without trespassing and how land access isn't just a rural issue, with cities experiencing limits to land access via parks and other greenspaces being locked behind private gates.You can learn more about the Right to Roam campaign here: https://www.righttoroam.org.uk/More about Access Islands here: https://practical-emu.pikapod.net/access-islands/And more about private parks in London here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHvKvOUSor4Common Weal's work is only possible thanks to our generous supporters who regularly donate an average of £10 per month. If you would like to help us build our vision of an All of Us First Scotland, you can do so here: https://commonweal.scot/donate/The Policy Podcast would like to discuss all of Common Weal's policy papers in detail as well as other major policy stories in and around Scotland so if there are any topics that you would like to see covered or if you have an interesting policy story to tell and would like to be a guest on the show, please contact Craig at craig@common.scotYou can also find us on iTunes, Spotify, Castbox, Stitcher, Tunein, iHeart Radio and other major podcast aggregators.You can also add the podcast to your RSS feed using this link: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/264906.rssThemeExcerpts from "Hiding Your Reality" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Support the Show.

Episode 212 of the Common Weal Policy PodcastYou can download the episode directly here.This week, in lieu of a guest, Craig gives a presentation based on one of his public talks. He details what a Circular Economy actually means in contrast to the much more limited definition being used by the Scottish Government. Rather than merely "increasing recycling", he looks at the "nested loops" that make up a Circular Economy as products are redesigned, reused, repaired, and recycled. In particular, he shows how Tool and Resource Libraries can give us access to better products than we are able to buy in our current linear consumer economy.A video version of this presentation with illustrative slides will be posted to Craig's channel here: https://www.youtube.com/craigdalzellIf you'd like to know more about his presentations and training courses, visit here: https://thecommongreen.scot/talks-and-training/And if you'd like to read Common Weal's Common Home Plan, you can download a copy here: https://commonweal.scot/policies/the-common-home-plan/Common Weal's work is only possible thanks to our generous supporters who regularly donate an average of £10 per month. If you would like to help us build our vision of an All of Us First Scotland, you can do so here: https://commonweal.scot/donate/The Policy Podcast would like to discuss all of Common Weal's policy papers in detail as well as other major policy stories in and around Scotland so if there are any topics that you would like to see covered or if you have an interesting policy story to tell and would like to be a guest on the show, please contact Craig at craig@common.scotYou can also find us on iTunes, Spotify, Castbox, Stitcher, Tunein, iHeart Radio and other major podcast aggregators.You can also add the podcast to your RSS feed using this link: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/264906.rssThemeExcerpts from "Hiding Your Reality" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Support the Show.

Episode 211 of the Common Weal Policy PodcastYou can download the episode directly here.This week, Craig is on holiday, so it's Rory filling in. On today's episode, Rory speaks to Dr Franziska Paul, Lecturer in Political Economy at the University of Glasgow about a project she is currently working on alongside Professor Thomas Marois of McMaster University in Canada looking at public banks and sustainable finance. Rory spoke at a workshop organised by Franziska last week, bringing to life Common Weal's vision for a Scottish National Investment Bank, and how it can be used to fund parts of a Green New Deal.Franziska's broader work looks at de-privatisation, mutating neoliberalisms and the politics of the conjuncture, you can find her publications here: https://www.gla.ac.uk/schools/business/staff/franziskapaul/#publications You can also read about the Public Bank of Los Angeles which Franziska mentions here: https://www.publicbankla.org/Professor Thomas Marois' extensive publications on public banking is also available here: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=3KTEY9UAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=sraAnd you can find out more about Common Weal's vision of banking for the Common Good, including a network of People's Banks and our original vision for the Scottish National Investment Bank here: https://commonweal.scot/big-ideas/lets-get-scotlands-banking-right/Common Weal's work is only possible thanks to our generous supporters who regularly donate an average of £10 per month. If you would like to help us build our vision of an All of Us First Scotland, you can do so here: https://commonweal.scot/donate/The Policy Podcast would like to discuss all of Common Weal's policy papers in detail as well as other major policy stories in and around Scotland so if there are any topics that you would like to see covered or if you have an interesting policy story to tell and would like to be a guest on the show, please contact Craig at craig@common.scotYou can also find us on iTunes, Spotify, Castbox, Stitcher, Tunein, iHeart Radio and other major podcast aggregators.You can also add the podcast to your RSS feed using this link: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/264906.rssThemeExcerpts from "Hiding Your Reality" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Support the Show.

Episode 210 of the Common Weal Policy PodcastYou can download the episode directly here.This week, Craig talks to Frances Guy, Chief Executive of SIDA, Common Weal Board Member and the Former UK Ambassador to Yemen. They discuss SIDA's new report looking at ways that Scotland and the UK can "shift the power" away from the Global North who have caused much injustice and damage through the climate emergency and centuries of colonialisation and imperialism and to help create a much more just and equal world for All of Us.You can read the report From Talk to Transformation here: https://intdevalliance.scot/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/SIDA-report-From-talk-to-transformation-1.pdfYou can find out more about Scotland's International Development Alliance here: https://intdevalliance.scot/Common Weal's work is only possible thanks to our generous supporters who regularly donate an average of £10 per month. If you would like to help us build our vision of an All of Us First Scotland, you can do so here: https://commonweal.scot/donate/The Policy Podcast would like to discuss all of Common Weal's policy papers in detail as well as other major policy stories in and around Scotland so if there are any topics that you would like to see covered or if you have an interesting policy story to tell and would like to be a guest on the show, please contact Craig at craig@common.scotYou can also find us on iTunes, Spotify, Castbox, Stitcher, Tunein, iHeart Radio and other major podcast aggregators.You can also add the podcast to your RSS feed using this link: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/264906.rssThemeExcerpts from "Hiding Your Reality" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Support the Show.

Episode 209 of the Common Weal Policy PodcastYou can download the episode directly here.This week, Craig talks to Rory Hamilton about two major stories in Scottish politics this week. This first is the publication of our policy paper Profit Extraction which looks at the high levels of foreign ownership in the Scottish economy and how that leads to billions of pounds being pulled out of the country every year. The second is the collapse of the SNP-Green cooperation agreement, the resignation of the First Minister and what that might mean for policies currently moving through the Parliament.You can read Profit Extraction here: https://commonweal.scot/policies/profit-extraction/Shortly after the recording of this show, the Vote of No Confidence in the government failed with 58 votes for to 70 against, with the SNP and Greens voting to support the government.Common Weal's work is only possible thanks to our generous supporters who regularly donate an average of £10 per month. If you would like to help us build our vision of an All of Us First Scotland, you can do so here: https://commonweal.scot/donate/The Policy Podcast would like to discuss all of Common Weal's policy papers in detail as well as other major policy stories in and around Scotland so if there are any topics that you would like to see covered or if you have an interesting policy story to tell and would like to be a guest on the show, please contact Craig at craig@common.scotYou can also find us on iTunes, Spotify, Castbox, Stitcher, Tunein, iHeart Radio and other major podcast aggregators.You can also add the podcast to your RSS feed using this link: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/264906.rssThemeExcerpts from "Hiding Your Reality" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Support the Show.

Episode 208 of the Common Weal Policy PodcastYou can download the episode directly here.This week, Craig talks to Igor Zulaika, one of the newly elected parliamentarians in the Basque Country's recent parliamentary elections which saw his party, the left-wing pro-independence EH Bildu, gain its highest ever vote share, just one seat shy of being the largest party in Parliament. They discuss the history of the Basque national movement, the landscape of politics in the Basque Country (including their relations with the other largest party, pro-independence but right-leaning Basque National Party) and on politics between the Basque Country and Spain where pro-independence parties have in the past been dismissed as little more than the political wing of violent groups (even after the disarmament and disbanding of groups like ETA) but who are being increasingly relied upon for support in the Spanish Parliament. Finally, the discuss the prospect of Basque independence in the context of a Spanish constitution that all but prohibits it.If you'd like to keep up with Basque politics from Scotland, Igor recommends the newspaper Gara.Common Weal's work is only possible thanks to our generous supporters who regularly donate an average of £10 per month. If you would like to help us build our vision of an All of Us First Scotland, you can do so here: https://commonweal.scot/donate/The Policy Podcast would like to discuss all of Common Weal's policy papers in detail as well as other major policy stories in and around Scotland so if there are any topics that you would like to see covered or if you have an interesting policy story to tell and would like to be a guest on the show, please contact Craig at craig@common.scotYou can also find us on iTunes, Spotify, Castbox, Stitcher, Tunein, iHeart Radio and other major podcast aggregators.You can also add the podcast to your RSS feed using this link: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/264906.rssThemeExcerpts from "Hiding Your Reality" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Support the Show.

Episode 207 of the Common Weal Policy PodcastYou can download the episode directly here.This week, Craig talks to Eilidh Keay from Living Rent about the state of the private rented sector in Scotland, what this means for tenants - especially when their rent is too high and/or their home is poorly maintained by their landlord and what the Scottish Government is about to do to bring in effective rent controls, improve tenants rights and conditions in rented homes.You can read Living Rent/Common Weal's proposal for a quality-based rent control system here: https://commonweal.scot/policies/the-rent-controls-scotland-needs/You can read Craig's paper on building more social rented homes here: https://commonweal.scot/policies/good-houses-for-all/You can join or find out more about Living Rent here: https://www.livingrent.org/Common Weal's work is only possible thanks to our generous supporters who regularly donate an average of £10 per month. If you would like to help us build our vision of an All of Us First Scotland, you can do so here: https://commonweal.scot/donate/The Policy Podcast would like to discuss all of Common Weal's policy papers in detail as well as other major policy stories in and around Scotland so if there are any topics that you would like to see covered or if you have an interesting policy story to tell and would like to be a guest on the show, please contact Craig at craig@common.scotYou can also find us on iTunes, Spotify, Castbox, Stitcher, Tunein, iHeart Radio and other major podcast aggregators.You can also add the podcast to your RSS feed using this link: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/264906.rssThemeExcerpts from "Hiding Your Reality" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Support the show

Episode 206 of the Common Weal Policy PodcastYou can download the episode directly here.This week, Craig is in the hotseat for a change as Rory Hamilton interviews him about his latest policy paper for Common Weal Taxing Land in Scotland. They discuss how to reform Council Tax into a Property Tax that matches the actual value of homes and then how to extend that tax to land, bringing in around £450 million a year in additional revenue for Scottish Local Authorities.You can read the paper here: https://commonweal.scot/policies/taxing-land-in-scotland/And you can read coverage of the paper in The National here: https://www.thenational.scot/news/24234627.scottish-land-tax-raise-450m-annually-new-paper-argues/Common Weal's work is only possible thanks to our generous supporters who regularly donate an average of £10 per month. If you would like to help us build our vision of an All of Us First Scotland, you can do so here: https://commonweal.scot/donate/The Policy Podcast would like to discuss all of Common Weal's policy papers in detail as well as other major policy stories in and around Scotland so if there are any topics that you would like to see covered or if you have an interesting policy story to tell and would like to be a guest on the show, please contact Craig at craig@common.scotYou can also find us on iTunes, Spotify, Castbox, Stitcher, Tunein, iHeart Radio and other major podcast aggregators.You can also add the podcast to your RSS feed using this link: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/264906.rssThemeExcerpts from "Hiding Your Reality" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Support the show

Episode 205 of the Common Weal Policy PodcastYou can download the episode directly here.This week, Craig talks to Prof Richard Murphy about his new report Taxing Wealth 2024. The report examines the causes of the UK's wealth inequality and looks at the policies that could be implemented to mitigate against it, including reforms to National Insurance, Capital Gains Tax and tax reliefs on savings such as ISAs and pension funds.You can read the Taxing Wealth report here: https://taxingwealth.ukCommon Weal's work is only possible thanks to our generous supporters who regularly donate an average of £10 per month. If you would like to help us build our vision of an All of Us First Scotland, you can do so here: https://commonweal.scot/donate/The Policy Podcast would like to discuss all of Common Weal's policy papers in detail as well as other major policy stories in and around Scotland so if there are any topics that you would like to see covered or if you have an interesting policy story to tell and would like to be a guest on the show, please contact Craig at craig@common.scotYou can also find us on iTunes, Spotify, Castbox, Stitcher, Tunein, iHeart Radio and other major podcast aggregators.You can also add the podcast to your RSS feed using this link: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/264906.rssThemeExcerpts from "Hiding Your Reality" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Support the show

Episode 204 of the Common Weal Policy PodcastYou can download the episode directly here.This week, Craig talks to Andy Wightman, possibly Scotland's foremost expert on land reform, about the Scottish Government's new Land Reform Bill and his updated analysis of his Who Owns Scotland? report which shows that in the past decade or so, Scotland's already very concentrated patterns of land ownership have got even more so with just 433 people now owning 50% of Scotland's rural land.Andy's report can be read here.And his blog, including a detailed analysis of the Government's Bill, can be read here.Common Weal's work is only possible thanks to our generous supporters who regularly donate an average of £10 per month. If you would like to help us build our vision of an All of Us First Scotland, you can do so here: https://commonweal.scot/donate/The Policy Podcast would like to discuss all of Common Weal's policy papers in detail as well as other major policy stories in and around Scotland so if there are any topics that you would like to see covered or if you have an interesting policy story to tell and would like to be a guest on the show, please contact Craig at craig@common.scotYou can also find us on iTunes, Spotify, Castbox, Stitcher, Tunein, iHeart Radio and other major podcast aggregators.You can also add the podcast to your RSS feed using this link: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/264906.rssImage Credit: NASA WorldviewThemeExcerpts from "Hiding Your Reality" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Support the show

Episode 203 of the Common Weal Policy PodcastYou can download the episode directly here.This week, Craig talks to Kristopher Leask from Community Energy Scotland and Josh Doble from Community Land Scotland about their new call to action paper A Fair Energy Deal for Communities. They discuss the state of community owned energy in Scotland, what the benefits are compared to the privatised model we more used to in Scotland. They also discuss some of the barriers facing communities who want to start their own community owned energy groups.You can read the call to action paper here: https://staging2.communityenergyscotland.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/A-Fair-Energy-Deal-Executive-Summary.pdfCommon Weal's work is only possible thanks to our generous supporters who regularly donate an average of £10 per month. If you would like to help us build our vision of an All of Us First Scotland, you can do so here: https://commonweal.scot/donate/The Policy Podcast would like to discuss all of Common Weal's policy papers in detail as well as other major policy stories in and around Scotland so if there are any topics that you would like to see covered or if you have an interesting policy story to tell and would like to be a guest on the show, please contact Craig at craig@common.scotYou can also find us on iTunes, Spotify, Castbox, Stitcher, Tunein, iHeart Radio and other major podcast aggregators.You can also add the podcast to your RSS feed using this link: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/264906.rssThemeExcerpts from "Hiding Your Reality" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Support the show

Episode 202 of the Common Weal Policy PodcastYou can download the episode directly here.This week, Craig talks to Ben Wray from the Gig Economy Project who report on issues affecting gig workers and platform work around Europe and internationally. They discuss the new Platform Work Directive which will regulate and improve workers' rights within the gig economy in Europe. They also talk about the implications of Brexit both in terms of how it affected the politics of the legislation within the EU and how gig workers in Britain may be missing out on these new protections.You can read more about the Gig Economy Project here: https://braveneweurope.com/the-gig-economy-projectCommon Weal's work is only possible thanks to our generous supporters who regularly donate an average of £10 per month. If you would like to help us build our vision of an All of Us First Scotland, you can do so here: https://commonweal.scot/donate/The Policy Podcast would like to discuss all of Common Weal's policy papers in detail as well as other major policy stories in and around Scotland so if there are any topics that you would like to see covered or if you have an interesting policy story to tell and would like to be a guest on the show, please contact Craig at craig@common.scotYou can also find us on iTunes, Spotify, Castbox, Stitcher, Tunein, iHeart Radio and other major podcast aggregators.You can also add the podcast to your RSS feed using this link: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/264906.rssThemeExcerpts from "Hiding Your Reality" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Support the show

Episode 201 of the Common Weal Policy Podcast You can download the episode directly here.This week, Craig talks to Simon Jones, a long time Common Weal supporter and activist, about a newly proposed £20 million regeneration scheme in his home town of Dumfries. They discuss the importance of Scotland's towns to our communities, the importance of long term planning in those proposals, Scotland's problem with "Central Belt" thinking vs "Remote", and why the UK Government - funders of this plan - have entirely the wrong idea about approaches to "tackle anti-social behaviour". You can read Common Weal's vision for our towns here: https://commonweal.scot/policies/town-centre-action-plan-review-common-weal-response/and here: https://commonweal.scot/policies/housekeeping-scotland-discussion-paper-outlining-a-new-agenda-for-housing/Common Weal's work is only possible thanks to our generous supporters who regularly donate an average of £10 per month. If you would like to help us build our vision of an All of Us First Scotland, you can do so here: https://commonweal.scot/donate/The Policy Podcast would like to discuss all of Common Weal's policy papers in detail as well as other major policy stories in and around Scotland so if there are any topics that you would like to see covered or if you have an interesting policy story to tell and would like to be a guest on the show, please contact Craig at craig@common.scotYou can also find us on iTunes, Spotify, Castbox, Stitcher, Tunein, iHeart Radio and other major podcast aggregators.You can also add the podcast to your RSS feed using this link: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/264906.rssThemeExcerpts from "Hiding Your Reality" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Support the show

Episode 200 of the Common Weal Policy PodcastYou can download the episode directly here.This week, Craig talks to William Thomson from Scotonomics about their upcoming event The Festival of Economics which seeks to debunk and demystify economics and to explore innovations and new theories in economics as well as to explore the topics and policies affecting Scotland right now.You can buy tickets for the conference here: https://scotonomics.scot/festival-of-economics/William's recent article in The National can be read here: https://www.thenational.scot/politics/24148528.scotonomics-expose-major-myth-worlds-economies/Common Weal's work is only possible thanks to our generous supporters who regularly donate an average of £10 per month. If you would like to help us build our vision of an All of Us First Scotland, you can do so here: https://commonweal.scot/donate/The Policy Podcast would like to discuss all of Common Weal's policy papers in detail as well as other major policy stories in and around Scotland so if there are any topics that you would like to see covered or if you have an interesting policy story to tell and would like to be a guest on the show, please contact Craig at craig@common.scotYou can also find us on iTunes, Spotify, Castbox, Stitcher, Tunein, iHeart Radio and other major podcast aggregators.You can also add the podcast to your RSS feed using this link: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/264906.rssThemeExcerpts from "Hiding Your Reality" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Support the show

Episode 199 of the Common Weal Policy PodcastYou can download the episode directly here.This week, Craig talks to Nick Kempe, Convenor of the Common Weal Care Reform Group, about the return of the National Care Service Bill to the Scottish Parliament within the next couple of weeks. They discuss why Common Weal campaigned for a pause to the Bill process, how we've engaged with the co-design process in the time since and what we expect from the Bill when it returns. They also discuss the Care Group's briefing on the Bill that was published this week.You can read the briefing here: https://commonweal.scot/policies/ncs-bill-stage-1/You can read more about our care campaign here: https://commonweal.scot/care-campaign/Common Weal's work is only possible thanks to our generous supporters who regularly donate an average of £10 per month. If you would like to help us build our vision of an All of Us First Scotland, you can do so here: https://commonweal.scot/donate/The Policy Podcast would like to discuss all of Common Weal's policy papers in detail as well as other major policy stories in and around Scotland so if there are any topics that you would like to see covered or if you have an interesting policy story to tell and would like to be a guest on the show, please contact Craig at craig@common.scotYou can also find us on iTunes, Spotify, Castbox, Stitcher, Tunein, iHeart Radio and other major podcast aggregators.You can also add the podcast to your RSS feed using this link: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/264906.rssThemeExcerpts from "Hiding Your Reality" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Support the show

Episode 198 of the Common Weal Policy PodcastYou can download the episode directly here.This week Craig talks to Heather from the direct action group This Is Rigged about their upcoming March for Scran - a protest on February 18th 2024 starting at 11am from Garnethill Park in Glasgow. They discuss the reasons for food insecurity in Scotland, the rise of foodbank demand coinciding with a drop in donations and funding to meet that demand and what the Scottish Government could do to alleviate the problem including ideas such as community-owned food hubs.If you'd like to learn more about the upcoming action, see: https://www.instagram.com/thisis.rigged/p/C2UzKdtNQm3/Craig mentioned a previous episode about our support for tool libraries, which can be listened to here: https://commonweal.scot/podcast/the-common-weal-policy-podcast-episode-93/Common Weal's work is only possible thanks to our generous supporters who regularly donate an average of £10 per month. If you would like to help us build our vision of an All of Us First Scotland, you can do so here: https://commonweal.scot/donate/The Policy Podcast would like to discuss all of Common Weal's policy papers in detail as well as other major policy stories in and around Scotland so if there are any topics that you would like to see covered or if you have an interesting policy story to tell and would like to be a guest on the show, please contact Craig at craig@common.scotYou can also find us on iTunes, Spotify, Castbox, Stitcher, Tunein, iHeart Radio and other major podcast aggregators.You can also add the podcast to your RSS feed using this link: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/264906.rssThemeExcerpts from "Hiding Your Reality" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Support the show

Episode 197 of the Common Weal Policy PodcastYou can download the episode directly here.This week, Craig talks to Common Weal's own Nicola Biggerstaff about the various public consultations that we're currently taking part in such as the proposal for an Ecocide Bill, the UK Parliament's consultation on the sustainability of the UK's debt, work on the Scottish Circular Economy Bill, proposals for better local democracy and more. Craig also shares some hints and tips for folk who wish to respond to consultations themselves.If you want to take a look at the Scottish Government's current consultations, you can do so here: https://consult.gov.scotCommon Weal's work is only possible thanks to our generous supporters who regularly donate an average of £10 per month. If you would like to help us build our vision of an All of Us First Scotland, you can do so here: https://commonweal.scot/donate/The Policy Podcast would like to discuss all of Common Weal's policy papers in detail as well as other major policy stories in and around Scotland so if there are any topics that you would like to see covered or if you have an interesting policy story to tell and would like to be a guest on the show, please contact Craig at craig@common.scotYou can also find us on iTunes, Spotify, Castbox, Stitcher, Tunein, iHeart Radio and other major podcast aggregators.You can also add the podcast to your RSS feed using this link: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/264906.rssThemeExcerpts from "Hiding Your Reality" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Support the show

Episode 196 of the Common Weal Policy Podcast You can download the episode directly here.This week, Craig talks to Prof Alison Phipps, Professor of Languages and Intercultural Studies at the University of Glasgow and UNESCO Chair in Refugee Integration through Languages and the Arts, about the devastation of Gaza, the recent ruling by the ICJ that there was a plausible risk of genocide as a result of Israel's actions and on the defunding of UNRWA by many states in the immediate aftermath of that ruling.If, after listening to this podcast, you wish to donate to aid organisations working in Gaza then please consider UNRWA, MSF, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society or another aid organisation of your choosing.Common Weal's work is only possible thanks to our generous supporters who regularly donate an average of £10 per month. If you would like to help us build our vision of an All of Us First Scotland, you can do so here: https://commonweal.scot/donate/The Policy Podcast would like to discuss all of Common Weal's policy papers in detail as well as other major policy stories in and around Scotland so if there are any topics that you would like to see covered or if you have an interesting policy story to tell and would like to be a guest on the show, please contact Craig at craig@common.scotYou can also find us on iTunes, Spotify, Castbox, Stitcher, Tunein, iHeart Radio and other major podcast aggregators.You can also add the podcast to your RSS feed using this link: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/264906.rssThemeExcerpts from "Hiding Your Reality" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Support the show

Episode 195 of the Common Weal Policy PodcastYou can download the episode directly here.Welcome to Season 6 of the Common Weal Policy Podcast. This year's theme is "Activate" so if you have a story to tell about an interesting thing happening in your community or if you're involved in a campaign to change things for the better, then please get in touch and we'll get you on the show to talk about it.This week, Craig talks to Lesley Riddoch about her new film Denmark: The State of Happiness. Denmark is a nation in many ways similar to Scotland but one that has made many different choices. They discuss the similarities and differences between our two nations and what Scotland could do to move towards or at least learn lessons from a nation that is both one of the richest in Europe and regularly tops wellbeing league tables.Lesley is currently touring with her film and you can book tickets at: https://lesleyriddoch.com/eventsCommon Weal's work is only possible thanks to our generous supporters who regularly donate an average of £10 per month. If you would like to help us build our vision of an All of Us First Scotland, you can do so here: https://commonweal.scot/donate/The Policy Podcast would like to discuss all of Common Weal's policy papers in detail as well as other major policy stories in and around Scotland so if there are any topics that you would like to see covered or if you have an interesting policy story to tell and would like to be a guest on the show, please contact Craig at craig@common.scotYou can also find us on iTunes, Spotify, Castbox, Stitcher, Tunein, iHeart Radio and other major podcast aggregators.You can also add the podcast to your RSS feed using this link: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/264906.rssThemeExcerpts from "Hiding Your Reality" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Support the show

Episode 194 of the Common Weal Policy Podcast You can download the episode directly here.This week Craig talks to Common Weal Director Amanda Burgauer in the final Policy Podcast of the year. They take you through some of the highlights from Common Weal in 2023 such as our policy work in ScotWind, the National Care Service and in independence strategy. They discuss some of our public events and conference appearances. And they talk about the importance of public engagement with policy development through consultations and other lobbying. They also share a few hints about Common Weal's plans for 2024.Thank you to everyone who has listened to the show over the past year. The theme for next year will be "Activate" and will talk about the campaigns going on in communities around Scotland where folk are trying and succeeding to make Scotland better for All of Us. If you are involved with such a campaign, please get in touch and we'll get you on to the show to talk about it.Have a very good winter break and Craig will speak to you again in 2024.Common Weal's work is only possible thanks to our generous supporters who regularly donate an average of £10 per month. If you would like to help us build our vision of an All of Us First Scotland, you can do so here: https://commonweal.scot/donate/The Policy Podcast would like to discuss all of Common Weal's policy papers in detail as well as other major policy stories in and around Scotland so if there are any topics that you would like to see covered or if you have an interesting policy story to tell and would like to be a guest on the show, please contact Craig at craig@common.scotYou can also find us on iTunes, Spotify, Castbox, Stitcher, Tunein, iHeart Radio and other major podcast aggregators.You can also add the podcast to your RSS feed using this link: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/264906.rssThemeExcerpts from "Hiding Your Reality" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Support the show

Episode 193 of the Common Weal Policy PodcastYou can download the episode directly here.This week, Craig talks to Anthony Salamone from European Merchants who is here to discuss the Scottish Government's latest independence White Paper on Scotland's accession to the European Union. They discuss where the Scottish Government has started to demonstrate deeper understanding of EU processes and structures but also where the paper continues to gloss over or ignore critical barriers such as currency, compliance with EU standards and the democratic process of demonstrating a mandate to join the Union after independence.You can read the Scottish Government's White Paper here: https://www.gov.scot/publications/building-new-scotland-independent-scotland-eu/You can read Anthony's paper on the questions they need to answer here: https://www.merchants.scot/insight/scotland-eu-debateAnd you can find out more about European Merchants at: https://www.merchants.scotCommon Weal's work is only possible thanks to our generous supporters who regularly donate an average of £10 per month. If you would like to help us build our vision of an All of Us First Scotland, you can do so here: https://commonweal.scot/donate/The Policy Podcast would like to discuss all of Common Weal's policy papers in detail as well as other major policy stories in and around Scotland so if there are any topics that you would like to see covered or if you have an interesting policy story to tell and would like to be a guest on the show, please contact Craig at craig@common.scotYou can also find us on iTunes, Spotify, Castbox, Stitcher, Tunein, iHeart Radio and other major podcast aggregators.You can also add the podcast to your RSS feed using this link: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/264906.rssThemeExcerpts from "Hiding Your Reality" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Support the show

Episode 192 of the Common Weal Policy PodcastYou can download the episode directly here.This week, Craig talks to Sophia Georgescu, a PhD candidate currently researching how actively involving children in democratic participation can both educate and embed participation later but can also have a meaningful impact on our democracy itself. Decisions affecting everyone should not be solely left to the "adults in the room". They also discuss the progress Scotland is making in embedding children's rights into democratic structures and into policy-making.Common Weal's work is only possible thanks to our generous supporters who regularly donate an average of £10 per month. If you would like to help us build our vision of an All of Us First Scotland, you can do so here: https://commonweal.scot/donate/The Policy Podcast would like to discuss all of Common Weal's policy papers in detail as well as other major policy stories in and around Scotland so if there are any topics that you would like to see covered or if you have an interesting policy story to tell and would like to be a guest on the show, please contact Craig at craig@common.scotYou can also find us on iTunes, Spotify, Castbox, Stitcher, Tunein, iHeart Radio and other major podcast aggregators.You can also add the podcast to your RSS feed using this link: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/264906.rssThemeExcerpts from "Hiding Your Reality" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Support the show

Episode 191 of the Common Weal Policy PodcastYou can download the episode directly here.This week, Craig talks to Stuart Donald, an electoral reform campaigner who particularly focuses on the systematic inequalities caused by the UK's First Past The Post electoral system. They discuss how this system disenfranchises voters, leads to them being less well represented in Parliament and leads to parties pulling in majority power rather than governing by consensus. They then discuss the solution and the prospect of proportionally representative electoral reform in the UK.You can learn more about Stuart's campaign at his website here: www.sdonald4pr.comYou can read his article for Common Weal's newsletter here: https://commonweal.scot/labours-pr-dilemma/Common Weal's work is only possible thanks to our generous supporters who regularly donate an average of £10 per month. If you would like to help us build our vision of an All of Us First Scotland, you can do so here: https://commonweal.scot/donate/The Policy Podcast would like to discuss all of Common Weal's policy papers in detail as well as other major policy stories in and around Scotland so if there are any topics that you would like to see covered or if you have an interesting policy story to tell and would like to be a guest on the show, please contact Craig at craig@common.scotYou can also find us on iTunes, Spotify, Castbox, Stitcher, Tunein, iHeart Radio and other major podcast aggregators.You can also add the podcast to your RSS feed using this link: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/264906.rssThemeExcerpts from "Hiding Your Reality" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Support the show

Episode 190 of the Common Weal Policy PodcastYou can download the episode directly here.This week, Craig talks to Nick Kempe who many of you will know from his work with Common Weal on care reform. His life outwith care though is spent exploring the hills and mountains of Scotland and Europe. In this podcast, he talks about the problem Scotland faces with frequent landslips and how they have been exacerbated by Government policy and by the lack of land reform in the country.You can read Nick's blog on land issues here: https://parkswatchscotland.co.ukCommon Weal's work is only possible thanks to our generous supporters who regularly donate an average of £10 per month. If you would like to help us build our vision of an All of Us First Scotland, you can do so here: https://commonweal.scot/donate/The Policy Podcast would like to discuss all of Common Weal's policy papers in detail as well as other major policy stories in and around Scotland so if there are any topics that you would like to see covered or if you have an interesting policy story to tell and would like to be a guest on the show, please contact Craig at craig@common.scotYou can also find us on iTunes, Spotify, Castbox, Stitcher, Tunein, iHeart Radio and other major podcast aggregators.You can also add the podcast to your RSS feed using this link: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/264906.rssThemeExcerpts from "Hiding Your Reality" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Support the show

Episode 189 of the Common Weal Policy PodcastYou can download the episode directly here.This week Craig presents another in his series of public talks. He updates his long running study of the Demographics of Independence, looking beneath the headlines in the regular independence polls to see how the landscape of the independence campaign has changed even despite an apparently lack of change in the headline polling numbers.You can read his 2021 Demographics of Independence paper here: https://commonweal.scot/policies/the-demographics-of-independence-2021-edition/You can buy his book All of Our Futures here: https://commonweal.scot/shop/publications/all-of-our-futures-scotlands-ageing-population-and-what-to-do-about-it-in-2021-2045/Common Weal's work is only possible thanks to our generous supporters who regularly donate an average of £10 per month. If you would like to help us build our vision of an All of Us First Scotland, you can do so here: https://commonweal.scot/donate/The Policy Podcast would like to discuss all of Common Weal's policy papers in detail as well as other major policy stories in and around Scotland so if there are any topics that you would like to see covered or if you have an interesting policy story to tell and would like to be a guest on the show, please contact Craig at craig@common.scotYou can also find us on iTunes, Spotify, Castbox, Stitcher, Tunein, iHeart Radio and other major podcast aggregators.You can also add the podcast to your RSS feed using this link: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/264906.rssThemeExcerpts from "Hiding Your Reality" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Support the show

Episode 188 of the Common Weal Policy PodcastYou can download the episode directly here.This week Craig talks to Iain Black, Prof of Sustainable Consumption at Strathclyde University and Common Weal Board Member, about his latest paper on the misuse of the term Wellbeing Economics. He discusses what the wellbeing economy actually means and how moving towards one means doing more than than minor changes at the edges of the economy or continuing to push GDP Growth but trying to make it nicer or greener.You can read Iain's previous policy paper on consumption here: https://commonweal.scot/policies/from-i-to-we-changing-the-narrative-in-scotlands-relationship-with-consumption/You can read Kate Forbes's paper on Wellbeing here: https://commonweal.scot/policies/giving-substance-to-the-wellbeing-economy/And you can read Iain's new paper on Wellbeing here: https://commonweal.scot/policies/wellwashing/Common Weal's work is only possible thanks to our generous supporters who regularly donate an average of £10 per month. If you would like to help us build our vision of an All of Us First Scotland, you can do so here: https://commonweal.scot/donate/The Policy Podcast would like to discuss all of Common Weal's policy papers in detail as well as other major policy stories in and around Scotland so if there are any topics that you would like to see covered or if you have an interesting policy story to tell and would like to be a guest on the show, please contact Craig at craig@common.scotYou can also find us on iTunes, Spotify, Castbox, Stitcher, Tunein, iHeart Radio and other major podcast aggregators.You can also add the podcast to your RSS feed using this link: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/264906.rssThemeExcerpts from "Hiding Your Reality" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Support the show

Episode 187 of the Common Weal Policy PodcastYou can download the episode directly here.This week Craig brings you a slightly different podcast. Rather than interview a guest, he debuts an "extended edition" of a presentation he gave to XR Inverness on Scottish public owned energy in which he describes various ways to create a "Public Energy Company" in Scotland as well as several ways of bringing existing energy generation into public ownership.You can read Common Weal's paper on public energy here: https://commonweal.scot/policies/powering-our-ambitions/And you can learn more about XR Inverness here: https://rebellion.global/groups/gb-inverness/Common Weal's work is only possible thanks to our generous supporters who regularly donate an average of £10 per month. If you would like to help us build our vision of an All of Us First Scotland, you can do so here: https://commonweal.scot/donate/The Policy Podcast would like to discuss all of Common Weal's policy papers in detail as well as other major policy stories in and around Scotland so if there are any topics that you would like to see covered or if you have an interesting policy story to tell and would like to be a guest on the show, please contact Craig at craig@common.scotYou can also find us on iTunes, Spotify, Castbox, Stitcher, Tunein, iHeart Radio and other major podcast aggregators.You can also add the podcast to your RSS feed using this link: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/264906.rssThemeExcerpts from "Hiding Your Reality" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Support the show

Episode 186 of the Common Weal Policy PodcastYou can download the episode directly here.This week Craig talks to Common Weal's Robin McAlpine about his new policy paper on a strategic approach to gaining Scottish independence. They discuss why the focus on process (that is, the debate between which kind of referendum vs which kind of plebiscite) has not just kept the indy campaign static but actively led it down a blind alley that needs to be backed out of. He claims instead that the end goal of the campaign was never "a referendum" but to bring the UK Government to the negotiation table and to recognise Scotland's independence. They discuss the latest and best methods of identifying and targeting our "next most likely" voter in each key demographic and they also discuss what will happen once the "Settled Will" of the Scottish people is for independence.You can read Robin's paper Direction here.You can read his previous strategy paper Within Our Grasp here.And you can read Craig's work on the Demographics of Independence here.Common Weal's work is only possible thanks to our generous supporters who regularly donate an average of £10 per month. If you would like to help us build our vision of an All of Us First Scotland, you can do so here: https://commonweal.scot/donate/The Policy Podcast would like to discuss all of Common Weal's policy papers in detail as well as other major policy stories in and around Scotland so if there are any topics that you would like to see covered or if you have an interesting policy story to tell and would like to be a guest on the show, please contact Craig at craig@common.scotYou can also find us on iTunes, Spotify, Castbox, Stitcher, Tunein, iHeart Radio and other major podcast aggregators.You can also add the podcast to your RSS feed using this link: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/264906.rssThemeExcerpts from "Hiding Your Reality" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Support the show

Episode 185 of the Common Weal Policy PodcastYou can download the episode directly here.This week, Craig talks to Max Wiszniewski, reflecting on four years of the Revive Coalition, its campaign to regulate grouse moors in Scotland, their thoughts on recent developments in land reform and their upcoming conference to "Change the face of Scotland".You can learn more about Revive and book tickets for the conference at their website here: https://revive.scotYou can read Common Weal's joint paper with Revive on land reform here: https://commonweal.scot/policies/our-land/Common Weal's work is only possible thanks to our generous supporters who regularly donate an average of £10 per month. If you would like to help us build our vision of an All of Us First Scotland, you can do so here: https://commonweal.scot/donate/The Policy Podcast would like to discuss all of Common Weal's policy papers in detail as well as other major policy stories in and around Scotland so if there are any topics that you would like to see covered or if you have an interesting policy story to tell and would like to be a guest on the show, please contact Craig at craig@common.scotYou can also find us on iTunes, Spotify, Castbox, Stitcher, Tunein, iHeart Radio and other major podcast aggregators.You can also add the podcast to your RSS feed using this link: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/264906.rssThemeExcerpts from "Hiding Your Reality" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Support the show

Episode 184 of the Common Weal Policy Podcast You can download the episode directly here.This week, Craig talks to Laura Young about her campaign to ban disposable vapes in Scotland and in the UK. They discuss why these devices exist, how they are marketed and what impact their improper disposal is having. They also discuss the possible role of the Circular Economy Bill in not just ensuring devices like these are recycled effectively but possibly how to avoid them reaching the market in the first place.The website for the campaign to ban disposable vapes is here: https://www.lesswastelaura.comCraig's article on "single-use policies" is here: https://commonweal.scot/single-use-policy/Common Weal's work is only possible thanks to our generous supporters who regularly donate an average of £10 per month. If you would like to help us build our vision of an All of Us First Scotland, you can do so here: https://commonweal.scot/donate/The Policy Podcast would like to discuss all of Common Weal's policy papers in detail as well as other major policy stories in and around Scotland so if there are any topics that you would like to see covered or if you have an interesting policy story to tell and would like to be a guest on the show, please contact Craig at craig@common.scotYou can also find us on iTunes, Spotify, Castbox, Stitcher, Tunein, iHeart Radio and other major podcast aggregators.You can also add the podcast to your RSS feed using this link: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/264906.rssThemeExcerpts from "Hiding Your Reality" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Support the show

Episode 183 of the Common Weal Policy Podcast You can download the episode directly here.This week, Craig plays with the format of the podcast slightly. Instead of just one guest, he's spoken to several members of the Common Weal team about last week's Programme for Government and what they would have added to it if they had written it themselves.You can read Craig's detailed analysis of the PfG here: https://commonweal.scot/programme-for-government-2023-24/Common Weal's work is only possible thanks to our generous supporters who regularly donate an average of £10 per month. If you would like to help us build our vision of an All of Us First Scotland, you can do so here: https://commonweal.scot/donate/The Policy Podcast would like to discuss all of Common Weal's policy papers in detail as well as other major policy stories in and around Scotland so if there are any topics that you would like to see covered or if you have an interesting policy story to tell and would like to be a guest on the show, please contact Craig at craig@common.scotYou can also find us on iTunes, Spotify, Castbox, Stitcher, Tunein, iHeart Radio and other major podcast aggregators.You can also add the podcast to your RSS feed using this link: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/264906.rssThemeExcerpts from "Hiding Your Reality" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Support the show

Episode 182 of the Common Weal Policy PodcastYou can download the episode directly here.This week, Craig talks to Mercedes Villalba MSP about her Members' Bill to apply a public interest test to anyone who owns or seeks to own more than 500 hectares of land in Scotland. They discuss the problems with Scotland's concentrated land ownership, how the public interest test would work and why it is important to address existing owners as well as whenever land is transfered between owners.You can read and respond to the Consultation here: https://www.parliament.scot/bills-and-laws/proposals-for-bills/proposed-land-ownership-and-public-interest-scotland-billYou can read Common Weal's response to the Scottish Government's land reform bill here: https://commonweal.scot/policies/land-reform-in-a-net-zero-nation/You can write to your MSP to ask them to support the Members Bill or tell them you want to see more action on land reform using Write To Them: https://www.writetothem.com/Common Weal's work is only possible thanks to our generous supporters who regularly donate an average of £10 per month. If you would like to help us build our vision of an All of Us First Scotland, you can do so here: https://commonweal.scot/donate/The Policy Podcast would like to discuss all of Common Weal's policy papers in detail as well as other major policy stories in and around Scotland so if there are any topics that you would like to see covered or if you have an interesting policy story to tell and would like to be a guest on the show, please contact Craig at craig@common.scotYou can also find us on iTunes, Spotify, Castbox, Stitcher, Tunein, iHeart Radio and other major podcast aggregators.You can also add the podcast to your RSS feed using this link: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/264906.rssThemeExcerpts from "Hiding Your Reality" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Support the show

Episode 181 of the Common Weal Policy Podcast You can download the episode directly here.This week, Craig talks to Barry Fisher from Keep Scotland Beautiful about their campaign to end litter in Scotland with a major part of that campaign now looking at Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) or the concept that the producers of devices and packaging that create waste should be responsible for that waste and that products should be designed to minimise or eliminate that waste so that litter is not produced in the first place.Visit Keep Scotland Beautiful at: https://www.keepscotlandbeautiful.orgYou can read their recent article on Scotland's litter emergency in The Herald here: https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/23748724.scotland-litter-volunteer-armies-litter-pickers-demand/You can listen to our podcast about an app to record and track litter in your area here: https://commonweal.scot/podcast/the-common-weal-policy-podcast-episode-128/You can read our Common Home Plan and its chapter on EPR as part of the Circular Economy here: https://commonweal.scot/shop/downloads/e-book-the-common-home-plan/Common Weal's work is only possible thanks to our generous supporters who regularly donate an average of £10 per month. If you would like to help us build our vision of an All of Us First Scotland, you can do so here: https://commonweal.scot/donate/The Policy Podcast would like to discuss all of Common Weal's policy papers in detail as well as other major policy stories in and around Scotland so if there are any topics that you would like to see covered or if you have an interesting policy story to tell and would like to be a guest on the show, please contact Craig at craig@common.scotYou can also find us on iTunes, Spotify, Castbox, Stitcher, Tunein, iHeart Radio and other major podcast aggregators.You can also add the podcast to your RSS feed using this link: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/264906.rssThemeExcerpts from "Hiding Your Reality" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Support the show

Episode 180 of the Common Weal Policy PodcastYou can download the episode directly here.This week, Craig talks to Colin Turbett, former social worker and member of Common Weal's Care Reform Group, about the history of social work in Scotland and what lessons we can learn from the fragmentation and privatisation of social work as we consider the upcoming National Care Service.You can read Colin's paper here: https://commonweal.scot/policies/from-welfare-to-charity/You can read his article in Third Force News here: https://tfn.scot/magazine/july-2023/readAnd the recent reply to his article here: https://tfn.scot/magazine/august-2023/readCommon Weal's work is only possible thanks to our generous supporters who regularly donate an average of £10 per month. If you would like to help us build our vision of an All of Us First Scotland, you can do so here: https://commonweal.scot/donate/The Policy Podcast would like to discuss all of Common Weal's policy papers in detail as well as other major policy stories in and around Scotland so if there are any topics that you would like to see covered or if you have an interesting policy story to tell and would like to be a guest on the show, please contact Craig at craig@common.scotYou can also find us on iTunes, Spotify, Castbox, Stitcher, Tunein, iHeart Radio and other major podcast aggregators.You can also add the podcast to your RSS feed using this link: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/264906.rssThemeExcerpts from "Hiding Your Reality" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Support the show

Episode 179 of the Common Weal Policy PodcastYou can download the episode directly here.This week, Craig talks to Ben Wray from the Gig Economy Project, a pan-European project to map and track insecure labour, about a recent article he wrote about Karl Marx and his views towards the gig economy - known in his time as "piece wages". They discuss the rise and resurgence of this form of insecure labour, how it undermines salaried work and how it negatively impacts and disempowers workers. They also discuss the UK's inflation crisis and how Spain has managed to avoid it and, finally, a brief discussion on Scotland's latest GERS statistics.You can read Ben's article on Marx and the Gig Economy here: https://twitter.com/project_gig/status/1690638011724132353And you can sign up to the Gig Economy Project newsletter here: https://braveneweurope.com/gig-economy-projectThe article Ben mentions about inflation in the USA can be read here: https://braveneweurope.com/james-k-galbraith-why-the-economic-doomsayers-were-wrongCommon Weal's work is only possible thanks to our generous supporters who regularly donate an average of £10 per month. If you would like to help us build our vision of an All of Us First Scotland, you can do so here: https://commonweal.scot/donate/The Policy Podcast would like to discuss all of Common Weal's policy papers in detail as well as other major policy stories in and around Scotland so if there are any topics that you would like to see covered or if you have an interesting policy story to tell and would like to be a guest on the show, please contact Craig at craig@common.scotYou can also find us on iTunes, Spotify, Castbox, Stitcher, Tunein, iHeart Radio and other major podcast aggregators.You can also add the podcast to your RSS feed using this link: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/264906.rssThemeExcerpts from "Hiding Your Reality" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Support the show

Episode 178 of the Common Weal Policy PodcastYou can download the episode directly here.This week, Craig talks to Common Weal's own Rory Hamilton about his research into land reform and community buyouts in the South of Scotland. His collating of oral history of land reform in several village communities shows the difference in attitudes towards land and ownership and how they differ from areas such as the Highlands. They also discuss how current and proposed legislation could have impacted land reform attempts in the Borders and the South and what else the Scottish Government could do to accelerate the pace of change.Rory's article on community and Common Ridings can be read here: https://commonweal.scot/its-ay-bin/Our policy paper on Development Councils and local democracy can be read here: https://commonweal.scot/policies/development-councils-a-proposal-for-a-new-system-of-local-democracy-in-scotland/Common Weal's work is only possible thanks to our generous supporters who regularly donate an average of £10 per month. If you would like to help us build our vision of an All of Us First Scotland, you can do so here: https://commonweal.scot/donate/The Policy Podcast would like to discuss all of Common Weal's policy papers in detail as well as other major policy stories in and around Scotland so if there are any topics that you would like to see covered or if you have an interesting policy story to tell and would like to be a guest on the show, please contact Craig at craig@common.scotYou can also find us on iTunes, Spotify, Castbox, Stitcher, Tunein, iHeart Radio and other major podcast aggregators.You can also add the podcast to your RSS feed using this link: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/264906.rssImage CreditVictuallers - Wikimedia CommonsLicensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 InternationalThemeExcerpts from "Hiding Your Reality" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Support the show

Episode 177 of the Common Weal Policy Podcast You can download the episode directly here.This week, Craig talks to Ellen Joëlle Dalzell, activist and director of community design & campaign agency Artivism Scotland, about the Scottish Government's Independence White Paper on citizenship. They discuss the positives around Scotland's inclusive approach to migration and the fact that non-citizen residents enjoy many more of the same rights and responsibilities as citizens do compared to other countries but also the negatives such as the proposal to maintain the EU Settled Status scheme post-independence despite the Scottish Government objections to it at the time of launch.For more on Ellen's work on migrant and EU citizen rights, listen to her discussing the implications of Settled Status on the Policy Podcast here: https://commonweal.scot/podcast/the-common-weal-policy-podcast-episode-27/More information on the EU digital ID scheme can be read here: https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/priorities-2019-2024/europe-fit-digital-age/european-digital-identity_enAnd the Scottish digital citizenship scheme can be found here: https://blogs.gov.scot/digital/2023/06/23/scotaccount-pilot-with-disclosure-scotland/Common Weal's work is only possible thanks to our generous supporters who regularly donate an average of £10 per month. If you would like to help us build our vision of an All of Us First Scotland, you can do so here: https://commonweal.scot/donate/The Policy Podcast would like to discuss all of Common Weal's policy papers in detail as well as other major policy stories in and around Scotland so if there are any topics that you would like to see covered or if you have an interesting policy story to tell and would like to be a guest on the show, please contact Craig at craig@common.scotYou can also find us on iTunes, Spotify, Castbox, Stitcher, Tunein, iHeart Radio and other major podcast aggregators.You can also add the podcast to your RSS feed using this link: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/264906.rssThemeExcerpts from "Hiding Your Reality" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Support the show

Episode 176 of the Common Weal Policy PodcastYou can download the episode directly here.This week, Craig talks to Calum Hodgson from Green New Deal Rising about the current state of the climate emergency, what are the barriers to the solutions are are available but not being implemented fast enough and what should the Scottish and UK Governments do to get back on track towards meeting their climate targets.You can learn more about GND Rising at their website here: https://www.gndrising.orgCommon Weal's policy paper on building GND-grade social housing is here: https://commonweal.scot/policies/good-houses-for-all/And Common Weal's GND blueprint, our Common Home Plan can be read here and purchased here: https://commonweal.scot/shop/publications/the-common-home-plan/Common Weal's work is only possible thanks to our generous supporters who regularly donate an average of £10 per month. If you would like to help us build our vision of an All of Us First Scotland, you can do so here: https://commonweal.scot/donate/The Policy Podcast would like to discuss all of Common Weal's policy papers in detail as well as other major policy stories in and around Scotland so if there are any topics that you would like to see covered or if you have an interesting policy story to tell and would like to be a guest on the show, please contact Craig at craig@common.scotYou can also find us on iTunes, Spotify, Castbox, Stitcher, Tunein, iHeart Radio and other major podcast aggregators.You can also add the podcast to your RSS feed using this link: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/264906.rssThemeExcerpts from "Hiding Your Reality" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Support the show

Episode 175 of the Common Weal Policy PodcastYou can download the episode directly here.This week, Craig talks to Graham Smith, CEO of pro-democracy campaign group Republic about their campaign to end the British monarchy and replace the head of state with an elected President. They discuss the reasons why we need an elected head of state, how Republic have been campaigning for this via their high profile protests around events such as the coronation and their reaction to the British state's attempts to shut down their protests via arrests and draconian legislation.You can learn more about Republic at their website here: https://www.republic.org.ukCommon Weal's work is only possible thanks to our generous supporters who regularly donate an average of £10 per month. If you would like to help us build our vision of an All of Us First Scotland, you can do so here: https://commonweal.scot/donate/The Policy Podcast would like to discuss all of Common Weal's policy papers in detail as well as other major policy stories in and around Scotland so if there are any topics that you would like to see covered or if you have an interesting policy story to tell and would like to be a guest on the show, please contact Craig at craig@common.scotYou can also find us on iTunes, Spotify, Castbox, Stitcher, Tunein, iHeart Radio and other major podcast aggregators.You can also add the podcast to your RSS feed using this link: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/264906.rssThemeExcerpts from "Hiding Your Reality" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Support the show

Episode 174 of the Common Weal Policy PodcastYou can download the episode directly here.This week, Craig talks to Prof. Richard Murphy of Funding the Future about the UK's inflation crisis, how the Bank of England has misdiagnosed the problem, how the IMF has correctly identified the cause but thinks we should keep doing the wrong thing anyway and what the UK could be doing to bring down inflation, raise wages and reduce profiteering in our economy.You can read the IMF's report here: https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WP/Issues/2023/06/23/Euro-Area-Inflation-after-the-Pandemic-and-Energy-Shock-Import-Prices-Profits-and-Wages-534837?cid=bl-com-WPIEA2023131And Craig's article on Technocracy vs Democracy can be read here: https://commonweal.scot/technocracy-vs-democracy/Common Weal's work is only possible thanks to our generous supporters who regularly donate an average of £10 per month. If you would like to help us build our vision of an All of Us First Scotland, you can do so here: https://commonweal.scot/donate/The Policy Podcast would like to discuss all of Common Weal's policy papers in detail as well as other major policy stories in and around Scotland so if there are any topics that you would like to see covered or if you have an interesting policy story to tell and would like to be a guest on the show, please contact Craig at craig@common.scotYou can also find us on iTunes, Spotify, Castbox, Stitcher, Tunein, iHeart Radio and other major podcast aggregators.You can also add the podcast to your RSS feed using this link: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/264906.rssThemeExcerpts from "Hiding Your Reality" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Support the show

Episode 173 of the Common Weal Policy PodcastYou can download the episode directly here.This week, Craig talks to Alastair McIntosh, ecologist, activist, and author of a new paper on community rights in the face of carbon capture and capital, The Cheviot, The Stag and the Black, Black Carbon. They discuss the rise of the Green Lairds, the lack of community agency embedded in current land reform strategy and how there are some early signs of better approaches towards land reform starting to emerge.Alastair's paper can be read here: https://www.communitylandscotland.org.uk/the-cheviot-the-stag-and-the-black-black-carbon/The Common Weal Common Home Plan can be found here: https://commonweal.scot/shop/downloads/e-book-the-common-home-plan/And the Scottish Land Commission's paper on natural capital can be found here: https://www.landcommission.gov.scot/our-work/ownership/natural-capitalCommon Weal's work is only possible thanks to our generous supporters who regularly donate an average of £10 per month. If you would like to help us build our vision of an All of Us First Scotland, you can do so here: https://commonweal.scot/donate/The Policy Podcast would like to discuss all of Common Weal's policy papers in detail as well as other major policy stories in and around Scotland so if there are any topics that you would like to see covered or if you have an interesting policy story to tell and would like to be a guest on the show, please contact Craig at craig@common.scotYou can also find us on iTunes, Spotify, Castbox, Stitcher, Tunein, iHeart Radio and other major podcast aggregators. You can also add the podcast to your RSS feed using this link: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/264906.rssThemeExcerpts from "Hiding Your Reality" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Support the show

Episode 172 of the Common Weal Policy Podcast You can download the episode directly here.This week, Craig talks to Kaitlin Dryburgh, Common Weal's Policy Communications Officer, about her new project for Common Weal. Common Weal Recreates is a monthly newsletter looking at sport, art and culture in Scotland with a specific focus on helping you find interesting things to do around Scotland. They also discuss our book Sorted and what it says about reshaping Scotland to give us more time to do the things that make life worth living. You can sign up to the Recreates newsletter here. You can sign up to the weekly newsletter here: https://commonweal.scot/get-involved/cw-mailing-list/And you can buy a copy of Sorted here: https://commonweal.scot/shop/publications/sorted-a-handbook-for-a-better-scotland/Common Weal's work is only possible thanks to our generous supporters who regularly donate an average of £10 per month. If you would like to help us build our vision of an All of Us First Scotland, you can do so here: https://commonweal.scot/donate/The Policy Podcast would like to discuss all of Common Weal's policy papers in detail as well as other major policy stories in and around Scotland so if there are any topics that you would like to see covered or if you have an interesting policy story to tell and would like to be a guest on the show, please contact Craig at craig@common.scotYou can also find us on iTunes, Spotify, Castbox, Stitcher, Tunein, iHeart Radio and other major podcast aggregators.You can also add the podcast to your RSS feed using this link: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/264906.rssThemeExcerpts from "Hiding Your Reality" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Support the show

Episode 171 of the Common Weal Policy Podcast You can download the episode directly here.This week, Craig talks to Tom Nockolds, member of Common Weal's Energy Working Group and co-founder of Loco Home, a community-led, not-for-profit, retrofitting strategy company who work with communities and suppliers to help advise and design home retrofit plans. They discuss the scale of the retrofitting challenge and why community-level actions will deliver better and faster results than simply mandating that individuals must retrofit their homes on their own.More details about Loco Homes can be found on their website here: https://locohome.coopAnd their Twitter page can be found here: https://twitter.com/loco_retrofitCommon Weal's work is only possible thanks to our generous supporters who regularly donate an average of £10 per month. If you would like to help us build our vision of an All of Us First Scotland, you can do so here: https://commonweal.scot/donate/The Policy Podcast would like to discuss all of Common Weal's policy papers in detail as well as other major policy stories in and around Scotland so if there are any topics that you would like to see covered or if you have an interesting policy story to tell and would like to be a guest on the show, please contact Craig at craig@common.scotYou can also find us on iTunes, Spotify, Castbox, Stitcher, Tunein, iHeart Radio and other major podcast aggregators.You can also add the podcast to your RSS feed using this link: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/264906.rssThemeExcerpts from "Hiding Your Reality" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Support the show

Episode 170 of the Common Weal Policy PodcastYou can download the episode directly here.This week, Craig talks to Prof. Aileen McHarg about the increasing complexities forming at the edges of devolution in the UK, the tensions that are forming as the Scottish and UK Governments cross the lines of their remits and whether or not both governments are treating these limits as a battleground for constitutional skirmishes.Prof McHarg's paper can be read here: https://www.bennettinstitute.cam.ac.uk/publications/contested-boundaries-of-devolved-legislative-competence/Common Weal's work is only possible thanks to our generous supporters who regularly donate an average of £10 per month. If you would like to help us build our vision of an All of Us First Scotland, you can do so here: https://commonweal.scot/donate/The Policy Podcast would like to discuss all of Common Weal's policy papers in detail as well as other major policy stories in and around Scotland so if there are any topics that you would like to see covered or if you have an interesting policy story to tell and would like to be a guest on the show, please contact Craig at craig@common.scotYou can also find us on iTunes, Spotify, Castbox, Stitcher, Tunein, iHeart Radio and other major podcast aggregators.You can also add the podcast to your RSS feed using this link: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/264906.rssThemeExcerpts from "Hiding Your Reality" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Support the show

Episode 169 of the Common Weal Policy Podcast You can download the episode directly here.This week, Craig presents another collection of recent public talks from Common Weal and at some of our events. First up, Colin Turbett talks about the history and principles of care in Scotland and how this should inform the development of the National Care Service.Next, Peter Krykant recently spoke at our monthly activists' meeting where he and others discussed the policy landscape around drugs and the criminal justice system in Scotland.And finally, Craig spoke to Global Justice Now about the plan in Scotland to create two Freeports, how they will operate, what impact they'll have on the Scottish economy and why the Scottish Government is supporting them.Colin's paper on the history of social work can be read here: https://commonweal.scot/policies/from-welfare-to-charity/You can watch the other talks at our event about drugs policy on our Youtube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@Common_WealCommon Weal's work is only possible thanks to our generous supporters who regularly donate an average of £10 per month. If you would like to help us build our vision of an All of Us First Scotland, you can do so here: https://commonweal.scot/donate/The Policy Podcast would like to discuss all of Common Weal's policy papers in detail as well as other major policy stories in and around Scotland so if there are any topics that you would like to see covered or if you have an interesting policy story to tell and would like to be a guest on the show, please contact Craig at craig@common.scotYou can also find us on iTunes, Spotify, Castbox, Stitcher, Tunein, iHeart Radio and other major podcast aggregators.You can also add the podcast to your RSS feed using this link: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/264906.rssThemeExcerpts from "Hiding Your Reality" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Support the show

Episode 168 of the Common Weal Policy PodcastYou can download the episode directly here.This week, Craig talks to Keith Baker, Abi Truebig and Alison Anderson from green skills and retraining consultancy Pattiesmuir, they discuss how the coming Green transition presents opportunities for Scotland to create green jobs but that there's still a gap in Scottish politics on how to train and retrain people to fill those jobs. They also discuss their plans to host a conference later this year called Engineering Change to develop their ideas with the sectors most closely linked to the Just Transition.You can read Common Weal's Green New Deal plan here: https://commonweal.scot/shop/downloads/e-book-the-common-home-plan/And you can read Craig's analysis of Scotland's Just Transition plans here: https://commonweal.scot/without-workers-the-transition-wont-be-just/Common Weal's work is only possible thanks to our generous supporters who regularly donate an average of £10 per month. If you would like to help us build our vision of an All of Us First Scotland, you can do so here: https://commonweal.scot/donate/The Policy Podcast would like to discuss all of Common Weal's policy papers in detail as well as other major policy stories in and around Scotland so if there are any topics that you would like to see covered or if you have an interesting policy story to tell and would like to be a guest on the show, please contact Craig at craig@common.scotYou can also find us on iTunes, Spotify, Castbox, Stitcher, Tunein, iHeart Radio and other major podcast aggregators.You can also add the podcast to your RSS feed using this link: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/264906.rssThemeExcerpts from "Hiding Your Reality" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Support the show

Episode 167 of the Common Weal Policy PodcastYou can download the episode directly here.This week Craig talks to Alastair Tibbit from Open Democracy about their latest report into the funding of think tanks across the UK and in the devolved nations. They discuss why it is important that think tanks declare the sources of their funding and why the public should be wary of those who do not. Common Weal is also proud to announce that we were awarded an A rating in their report, the highest possible rating.You can see Common Weal's governance structure and our financial report here - https://commonweal.scot/governance/You can read the Who Funds You report here - https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/who-funds-you/Common Weal's work is only possible thanks to our generous supporters who regularly donate an average of £10 per month. If you would like to help us build our vision of an All of Us First Scotland, you can do so here: https://commonweal.scot/donate/The Policy Podcast would like to discuss all of Common Weal's policy papers in detail as well as other major policy stories in and around Scotland so if there are any topics that you would like to see covered or if you have an interesting policy story to tell and would like to be a guest on the show, please contact Craig at craig@common.scotYou can also find us on iTunes, Spotify, Castbox, Stitcher, Tunein, iHeart Radio and other major podcast aggregators.You can also add the podcast to your RSS feed using this link: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/264906.rssThemeExcerpts from "Hiding Your Reality" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Support the show

Episode 166 of the Common Weal Policy PodcastYou can download the episode directly here.This week, Craig talks to Rowan Lear, curator at Glasgow Seed Library. They discuss what a seed library is, how they help preserve not just the seeds that form our collective heritage but also the skills and culture required to grow them. They also talk about some of the different plants that the library has in its collection and how you can help their mission by borrowing seeds, growing them and returning seeds to the library after you've harvested them.You can find out more about Glasgow Seed Library at the CCA and on their website here: https://www.cca-glasgow.com/whats-on/collection/glasgow-seed-libraryOne of the inspirational stories of seed preservation by the Svalbard Seed Vault was turned into a documentary called Wild Relatives which you can find out more about here: https://www.jumanamanna.com/Wild-RelativesCommon Weal's work is only possible thanks to our generous supporters who regularly donate an average of £10 per month. If you would like to help us build our vision of an All of Us First Scotland, you can do so here: https://commonweal.scot/donate/The Policy Podcast would like to discuss all of Common Weal's policy papers in detail as well as other major policy stories in and around Scotland so if there are any topics that you would like to see covered or if you have an interesting policy story to tell and would like to be a guest on the show, please contact Craig at craig@common.scotYou can also find us on iTunes, Spotify, Castbox, Stitcher, Tunein, iHeart Radio and other major podcast aggregators.You can also add the podcast to your RSS feed using this link: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/264906.rssImage Credit: Craig Dalzell, created using Stable DiffusionThemeExcerpts from "Hiding Your Reality" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Support the show

You can download the episode directly here.This week Rory is filling in for Craig, who is in Dundee for the Scottish Trades Union Congress Annual Conference. Rory is joined by Savan Qadir, from Refugees for Justice and the University of Glasgow, to talk about the current UK immigration system, the impact it has on refugees and asylum seekers, as well as the host communities they integrate with, and how Scotland could lead the way with a more caring and compassionate approach to immigration.The podcast previewing STUC Conference (and Craig's absence) can be listened to here: https://commonweal.scot/podcast/the-common-weal-policy-podcast-episode-164You can follow the Refugees for Justice on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/refugee4justiceAnd find out more about their work here: https://www.refugeesforjustice.com/Common Weal's work is only possible thanks to our generous supporters who regularly donate an average of £10 per month. If you would like to help us build our vision of an All of Us First Scotland, you can do so here: https://commonweal.scot/donate/The Policy Podcast would like to discuss all of Common Weal's policy papers in detail as well as other major policy stories in and around Scotland so if there are any topics that you would like to see covered or if you have an interesting policy story to tell and would like to be a guest on the show, please contact Craig at craig@common.scotYou can also find us on iTunes, Spotify, Castbox, Stitcher, Tunein, iHeart Radio and other major podcast aggregators.You can also add the podcast to your RSS feed using this link: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/264906.rssThemeExcerpts from “Hiding Your Reality” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Support the show

Episode 164 of the Common Weal Policy PodcastYou can download the episode directly here.This week Craig talks to Simon Barrow from the SNP's Trade Union Group about the rise of trade union activities in Scotland and in the UK recently, how trade union groups within political parties work and how they advance policies, how the SNP TUG influenced the recently SNP leadership debate and what both the SNP TUG and Common Weal will be doing at the STUC conference next week.The podcast featuring the STUC's Roz Foyer can be listened to here: https://commonweal.scot/podcast/the-common-weal-policy-podcast-episode-115You can follow the SNP TUG on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/TUG_SNPAnd you can find out more about the STUC conference here: https://stuc.org.uk/stuc-congressCommon Weal's work is only possible thanks to our generous supporters who regularly donate an average of £10 per month. If you would like to help us build our vision of an All of Us First Scotland, you can do so here: https://commonweal.scot/donate/The Policy Podcast would like to discuss all of Common Weal's policy papers in detail as well as other major policy stories in and around Scotland so if there are any topics that you would like to see covered or if you have an interesting policy story to tell and would like to be a guest on the show, please contact Craig at craig@common.scotYou can also find us on iTunes, Spotify, Castbox, Stitcher, Tunein, iHeart Radio and other major podcast aggregators.You can also add the podcast to your RSS feed using this link: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/264906.rssImage Credit: Craig Dalzell; Stable DiffusionThemeExcerpts from "Hiding Your Reality" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Support the show