Hi and welcome to RobinMcAlpine.org. This is my attempt to do what I can to contribute more to Scotland by creating a place where you can get solid news and policy analysis, opinions on current affairs, new ideas to think about and resources to help explain important things that are happening. But it really isn't about me. My work in Common Weal means I get great access to a lot of information, knowledge and expertise – but I can't even begin to cover the entire gap in the scrutiny of Scotland's policy and democracy. That's why I want to start by asking for your help. If you have policy expertise or direct experience of public life in Scotland and think that people would benefit from you explaining what you know or revealing what you've seen and are willing to write about it, please get in touch. Or perhaps you're struggling to get a community initiative off the ground in the face of...
RobinMcAlpine.org
Opinion Analysis Ideas
RobinMcAlpine.org
Opinion Analysis Ideas
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Latest
Scotland had one intellectual – and then he died
The death of Tom Nairn casts a pretty harsh light on Scotland’s relationship with big ideas and big thinking. Are we really a nation which has turned its back on intellectualism?
Freeports – everything that is wrong with Scotland
A hard-right policy no-one voted for and which benefits only Scotland’s elites but manages to block the political space for a proper industrial strategy – it is the Scottish Government in a nutshell
The fallacy of 51
The independence movement tends to believe we’ve run an effective messaging campaign in recent years and so gets downhearted about the lack of shift in the polls. Optimism lies in the fact that we really didn’t.
Scotland has no political vehicle for independence
There is no ‘secret brilliant plan’ for independence. At the weekend the truth of the emptiness of the SNP’s promises were laid bare and it should stimulate some serious soul-searching in the independence movement.
The Shape of 23 Part Four: Only Coppers Left
The independence movement has been forced into ever-decreasing circles of process-obsession as a means of delay and control. In 2023 that is likely to run out of steam.
The Shape of 23 Part Three: Scotland’s Democrisis
A disparate range of conditions have merged and they’re undermining Scottish democracy. Unless this can be addressed the most likely outcome is perpetual government failure.
Lead
Welcome – come on in
Hi and welcome to RobinMcAlpine.org. This is my attempt to do what I can to contribute more to Scotland by creating a place where you can get solid news and policy analysis, opinions on current affairs, new ideas to think about and resources to help explain important...
Latest
Scotland had one intellectual – and then he died
The death of Tom Nairn casts a pretty harsh light on Scotland’s relationship with big ideas and big thinking. Are we really a nation which has turned its back on intellectualism?
Freeports – everything that is wrong with Scotland
A hard-right policy no-one voted for and which benefits only Scotland’s elites but manages to block the political space for a proper industrial strategy – it is the Scottish Government in a nutshell
The fallacy of 51
The independence movement tends to believe we’ve run an effective messaging campaign in recent years and so gets downhearted about the lack of shift in the polls. Optimism lies in the fact that we really didn’t.
Scotland has no political vehicle for independence
There is no ‘secret brilliant plan’ for independence. At the weekend the truth of the emptiness of the SNP’s promises were laid bare and it should stimulate some serious soul-searching in the independence movement.
The Shape of 23 Part Four: Only Coppers Left
The independence movement has been forced into ever-decreasing circles of process-obsession as a means of delay and control. In 2023 that is likely to run out of steam.
The Shape of 23 Part Three: Scotland’s Democrisis
A disparate range of conditions have merged and they’re undermining Scottish democracy. Unless this can be addressed the most likely outcome is perpetual government failure.
Opinion
Scotland had one intellectual – and then he died
The death of Tom Nairn casts a pretty harsh light on Scotland’s relationship with big ideas and big thinking. Are we really a nation which has turned its back on intellectualism?
Freeports – everything that is wrong with Scotland
A hard-right policy no-one voted for and which benefits only Scotland’s elites but manages to block the political space for a proper industrial strategy – it is the Scottish Government in a nutshell
The fallacy of 51
The independence movement tends to believe we’ve run an effective messaging campaign in recent years and so gets downhearted about the lack of shift in the polls. Optimism lies in the fact that we really didn’t.
Opinion
Scotland had one intellectual – and then he died
The death of Tom Nairn casts a pretty harsh light on Scotland’s relationship with big ideas and big thinking. Are we really a nation which has turned its back on intellectualism?
Freeports – everything that is wrong with Scotland
A hard-right policy no-one voted for and which benefits only Scotland’s elites but manages to block the political space for a proper industrial strategy – it is the Scottish Government in a nutshell
The fallacy of 51
The independence movement tends to believe we’ve run an effective messaging campaign in recent years and so gets downhearted about the lack of shift in the polls. Optimism lies in the fact that we really didn’t.
Analysis
How Scotland could provide a genuine alternative to the UK financial chicanery
The UK’s debt and speculation model is hitting the buffers – Scotland could offer citizens a completely different approach
Is the SNP’s central bank proposal credible?
The SNP leadership is dropping a new paper on currency on its conference. Its claims to be producing a ‘central bank’ are very hard to stack up in any way at all.
What is economic sovereignty and why is it important?
There is an underlying factor which is causing much of the harm of our recent string of economic crises – a lack of national economic sovereignty.
AudioVisual
Coming soon…
Ideas
Start a National Leasing Service
How to have everything you ever wanted, pay less and save the world…
Create ‘public journalism’
Scotland’s media is under-resourced so can’t scrutinise properly – a publicly owned news agency would set journalism free
Set up Policy Academies
Big, open, transparent, public centres of thinking to develop the best possible public policy in Scotland, Policy Academies could transform government
Elsewhere
Biden’s foreign policy is a complete mess
David Pratt concisely and clearly explains how Joe Biden is making an absolute mess of the US’s foreign policy stance
Why Scotland never creates it’s supply chain
Really clear explanation by Dick Winchester of why Scotland is going to lose out AGAIN from the opportunity to develop a renewable energy supply chain
Scotland’s real government…
An excellent piece from Nick Kempe on the insidious role of KPMG (and the other Big Accountancy firms) in the government of Scotland