A presentation by Craig Dalzell for Common Weal.Scotland's energy sector is almost entirely owned by multinational private companies and foreign public energy companies - resulting in your energy bills funding shareholder profits and foreign public services.This is how Scotland could bring our energy sector back...

A recording of a presentation given to the SNP Climate and Environment Group on the 7th of August 2023.

Scotland is in the process of launching two "Green Freeports", one near Edinburgh and another in Cromarty Firth.

Proponents argue that they will boost jobs and economic growth.
Detractors argue that they will suck...

Recorded 11th May 2023I spoke at a meeting hosted by Global Justice Now about Scotland's new "Green Freeports" supported by both the Scottish and UK Government. What and where they are, how they'll operate and why they present a threat to Scotland's economy.Support Common Weal's policy, campaigns and outreach at:...

11th May 2023 - First Minister's Questions

After comments in the press calling into question his commitment to Universalism, FM Humza Yousaf claims that the "SNP are the party of Universalism" before stating that he supports targeted support and means-testing.

Note: While he claims the Baby Box as an example of a...

“Albert grunted. “Do you know what happens to lads who ask too many questions?” Mort thought for a moment. “No,” he said eventually, “what?” There was silence. Then Albert straightened up and said, “Damned if I know. Probably they get answers, and serve ’em right.” ― Terry Pratchett, Mort This is a companion piece to … Continue reading...

“I’m a true centrist: my beliefs put me in the middle… You know what happens to people who drive in the middle of the road? They get run over.” – Rob Lowe (This blog post previously appeared in Common Weal’s weekly newsletter. Sign up for the newsletter here.) You’ve probably heard the line at some point from someone in … Continue reading Appealing To...

Lucretius Corvo: What will happen when [the power gauges] reach the maximum? Corellus: As my tutors on Mars would say, Captain, the Omnissiah acts mysteriously. The ways of the Motive Force may be understood, from positive to negative and on through the circuit. That which guides it may not. Lucretius Corvo: You do not know. … Continue reading Getting Energy Right

“Nationalism can be a destructive force when it promotes intolerance and division. But it can also be a force for good, when it seeks to defend local autonomy against the homogenizing forces of larger entities.” – Maxime Bernier (This blog post previously appeared in Common Weal’s weekly newsletter. Sign up for the newsletter here.) At the last UK General … Continue...

“Oil creates the illusion of a completely changed life, life without work, life for free. Oil is a resource that anaesthetises thought, blurs vision, corrupts.” – Ryszard Kapuściński (This blog post previously appeared in Common Weal’s weekly newsletter. Sign up for the newsletter here.) Who won the energy crisis? The obvious answer is “not us”. The bank accounts of the...

“So much for Objective Journalism. Don’t bother to look for it here–not under any byline of mine; or anyone else I can think of. With the possible exception of things like box scores, race results, and stock market tabulations, there is no such thing as Objective Journalism. The phrase itself is a pompous contradiction in … Continue reading The News Where You Are Not

FMQs in the Scottish Parliament - 09/02/2023

Jackie Baillie asks if the FM will accede to the demands by STUC, Common Weal and co-signatories to Pause the National Care Service Bill until an NCS can be properly co-designed.

The FM says that a decision on timeline for progression will be made after all committees...

Glasgow is home to buildings that last centuries. Why is it not continuing that legacy in its current buildings - instead tearing down one that is younger than some political careers.

“Predicting rain doesn’t count. Building arks does.” –  Warren Buffett (This blog post previously appeared in Common Weal’s weekly newsletter. Sign up for the newsletter here.) I have a small confession to make. I may have inadvertently misled readers into presuming a level of resilience from an organisation that I clearly overestimated. Last year, I wrote about...

In December 2022, I took part in two separate interviews on BBC Radio Scotland. Both ended up covering similar issues around devolved taxation.

The first, on Monday 12th December, was a one-to-one interview about the then upcoming Scottish budget and what I wanted to see in it in terms of land and wealth taxes and...

COP27 debate in the Scottish Parliament - 06/12/2022

Monica Lennon asks Lorna Slater if the Scottish Government will follow the example of Wales and recommence work to set up a public energy company.

Slater dismisses Welsh efforts as too small to make a difference.

Common Weal's blueprint for a National Energy...

“A society sufficiently sophisticated to produce the internal combustion engine has not had the sophistication to develop cheap and efficient public transport?’ ‘Yes, boss… it’s true. There’s hardly any buses, the trains are hopelessly underfunded, and hence the entire population is stuck in traffic” –  Ben Elton, Gridlock (This blog post previously appeared in...

“It’s easy to think that as a result of the extinction of the dodo, we are now sadder and wiser, but there’s a lot of evidence to suggest that we are merely sadder and better informed.” – Douglas Adams (This blog post previously appeared in Common Weal’s weekly newsletter. Sign up for the newsletter here.) This week has seen … Continue reading Too Low. Too Slow....

Dr Craig Dalzell introduces Sorted: a handbook for a better Scotland

The distillation of ten years of policy and campaign work from Common Weal and a vision of the first ten years of an independent Scotland.

Out December 2022

Donate to the crowdfunder and/or pre-order your copy here:...

What my trial with a broken oil boiler tells us about challenges ahead of Scottish climate targets in housing.

The UK's failure to control its borders post-Brexit is putting our health and safety at risk.