CommonSpace breaks down a recent survey and asks if the Scottish government really do have the trust of the people?

AFTER the Scottish Social Attitudes Survey was released yesterday [26^th June], the SNP’s Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Constitution, Derek Mackay said the figures “show we are maintaining the trust of the Scottish people.” 

CommonSpace examines the six issues the public were surveyed upon to discover if the SNP are maintaining the trust of the Scottish people, as Mackay claimed.

Local Democracy Bill should give councils more powers and communities more influence, says Matt Baker of the Stove Network

LOCAL GOVERNMENT needs radical reform from the top and bottom to bring power closer to people, ‘Our Democracy’ campaigners have said.

Matt Baker, orchestrator at The Stove Network, a Dumfries-based development trust with over 500 members, and one of the coalition partners in the Our Democracy campaign, told CommonSpace that the organisation feels that it is “working in a vacuum of local democracy”.

The Greens say progress on local tax reform is necessary in order to secure their support for the next Scottish Budget

FOLLOWING their success in securing £170mn extra funding for local council services in a deal to support the latest Scottish Budget, Scottish Green co-convener Patrick Harvie warned that the party will be unable to enter negotiations on next year’s budget if “meaningful progress” isn’t made in the coming months on local tax reform.

A new report from the Scottish Greens argues £200 million could be generated from vacant and derelict land for affordable housing

VACANT AND DERELICT LAND in Scotland could generate £200 million a year to build affordable homes, according to a new report from Scottish Greens Housing and Land Reform spokesperson Andy Wightman.

CommonSpace columnist and Common Weal director Robin McAlpine says a centralised system steamrolling over local empowerment is destined to collapse 

I'M NOT long back from a very pleasant week-long break in the West Highlands and Argyll. Along with the joy of jaw-dropping beauty which seems to be around every corner, it just reminded me again that the form of politics we have just now is not very good at 'place'.

Glasgow could be on track to welcome Scotland's first Low Emission Zone, after voters elected a clear majority of councillors in favour

SCOTLAND’S ENVIRONMENTAL CHARITIES have called on both SNP and Scottish Green councillors elected to Glasgow’s city council to fulfil their manifesto promises for making the city Scotland’s first ‘Low Emission Zone’ (LEZ).