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
Lead
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Latest
Off on my holidays
That’s me away for two weeks – see you when I get back
How to win at shadow boxing
If there was to be a referendum next year, how could the independence movement make it work? It is much harder than you might think – but it can be done.
Are we in a Cohen Brothers movie?
The evidence suggests that the Scottish Government’s hyper-confidence that it can definitely hold an independence referendum isn’t sound. Are we reaching the bottom of a spiral?
For me, today is a day of sadness
This ought to be a day of excitement and anticipation. It isn’t, at least not for me. Today is a day of sadness and regret.
Who signed up to the squeeze?
The recent brutal Scottish Government budget is a direct result of a trap set by Westminster six years ago – a trap the Scottish Government walked into very willingly
Electricity – what will Scotland do with it all?
Decarbonising Scotland’s electricity is easy. The big question is, since we’ve got so much more of it that we actually need, what are we going to do with it all?
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
Off on my holidays
That’s me away for two weeks – see you when I get back
How to win at shadow boxing
If there was to be a referendum next year, how could the independence movement make it work? It is much harder than you might think – but it can be done.
Are we in a Cohen Brothers movie?
The evidence suggests that the Scottish Government’s hyper-confidence that it can definitely hold an independence referendum isn’t sound. Are we reaching the bottom of a spiral?
For me, today is a day of sadness
This ought to be a day of excitement and anticipation. It isn’t, at least not for me. Today is a day of sadness and regret.
Who signed up to the squeeze?
The recent brutal Scottish Government budget is a direct result of a trap set by Westminster six years ago – a trap the Scottish Government walked into very willingly
Electricity – what will Scotland do with it all?
Decarbonising Scotland’s electricity is easy. The big question is, since we’ve got so much more of it that we actually need, what are we going to do with it all?
Opinion
Off on my holidays
That’s me away for two weeks – see you when I get back
How to win at shadow boxing
If there was to be a referendum next year, how could the independence movement make it work? It is much harder than you might think – but it can be done.
Are we in a Cohen Brothers movie?
The evidence suggests that the Scottish Government’s hyper-confidence that it can definitely hold an independence referendum isn’t sound. Are we reaching the bottom of a spiral?
Opinion
Off on my holidays
That’s me away for two weeks – see you when I get back
How to win at shadow boxing
If there was to be a referendum next year, how could the independence movement make it work? It is much harder than you might think – but it can be done.
Are we in a Cohen Brothers movie?
The evidence suggests that the Scottish Government’s hyper-confidence that it can definitely hold an independence referendum isn’t sound. Are we reaching the bottom of a spiral?
Analysis
Who signed up to the squeeze?
The recent brutal Scottish Government budget is a direct result of a trap set by Westminster six years ago – a trap the Scottish Government walked into very willingly
Electricity – what will Scotland do with it all?
Decarbonising Scotland’s electricity is easy. The big question is, since we’ve got so much more of it that we actually need, what are we going to do with it all?
Clean heating ain’t easy – so make it good
One of the hardest issues to solve in decarbonising Scotland is heating. So what are the issues – and how do we get it right?
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