Looking Forward with common Weal
Common Weal’s Convener Malcolm Fraser introduces us to Common Weal’s second decade and explains why he remains as committed ten years on.
Common Weal gives me hope. Civil society seems mesmerised by the march of the extreme right, but forgets that this has been greatly assisted by the surrender, by apparently social democratic parties, to neoliberalism: resigned to the idea that Government can do no more than just deliver more wealth to the wealthy (maybe with crumbs from the table for the rest of us), and that equality of opportunity and the greater good – the common weal, in that lovely Scots term – are quaint and old-fashioned concepts.
But we are social animals, and we should know that all of us are happier, healthier and more effective within more equal societies, that this is not just worth striving for but at the very heart of a civilised society; and that universalism – un-means-tested resources provided for us all – is the cheapest and most effective way to allow all of us to access health, social and physical mobility, and the right to a warm home and community. And, also, that lean and targeted regulation keeps us safe, and public investment, in skills and infrastructure, drives us forward.
We know that our Governments are not doing this.
We are, for example, distressed that our Government, in Scotland, does the right thing, in declaring a climate emergency, then waves through huge windfarms that contain not a bolt made in this once-industrious nation; and, even more, that the ownership of this vast, renewable resource we are blessed with, is sold-off for bawbees to the private sector and the profits asset-stripped out of Scotland. Having marched with our “Nationalist” party to object to the profits from oil being abused to close down industrial Britain, while Norway built-up a sovereign wealth fund worth $1.744 trillion, I’m utterly scunnered that our Government refused our plea to set-up a wind wealth one, fushionless in suggesting “we do not have the powers”. 1. Wales has fewer powers and has done this; and 2. should Westminster have tried to deny us such a sensible and progressive piece of national wealth-building it could have outraged the nation – the sort of challenge that would have built-up momentum, calls and polls for independence.
And I, as an architect who has built some happy wee communities, get distressed when our Government does the right thing, in declaring a housing emergency, then diverts all resources into the volume housebuilders – with their corporate, banker leads – delivering the homes we so desperately need, via wealth to their shareholders.
We at Common Weal have built up an enormous body of work that we’re really proud of. We are, from the steamie to the cabinet, hugely respected and influential, even as (and sometimes because) we’re pawky. We’re a pawky, campaigning policy organisation that has had huge success, with policies on free pre-school education, the establishment of a Scottish National Investment Bank and the idea of a National Care Service taken on by the Government – though often poorly developed, in particular in the case of the Care Service, where the value of the benefits of better integration between Health and Care has been subsumed by a Central Government power-grab.
We will continue to build up our policy library and do more Research Work, noting that we’re broad-kirk and ecumenical, not party-political, and are happy to see our work adopted by anyone – we believe our policy work proclaims its own virtue for whoever adopts it. We will keep submitting to government consultations and engaging with political parties to try and shape their agendas.
We want people to understand that there are solutions to the world’s problems. We’re developing our communication with you so that every day we will try to put new content on the website which is short, punchy and shareable, and which will explain how the days’ events could have gone differently – better – if Common Weal approaches had been used. We’ll do more podcasts, more infographics and more short briefings. We want to show you enjoyable, engaging ways to find our work and make sense of it. But given how people are feeling, we really want to make sure that people understand that there are answers to our problems: that failure and decline are not the only options and that the depressing news in the media is often the result of bad choices, and is not inevitable.
And we believe that it’s easier to get there as a wee, independent and vigorous nation of 5 million, Goldilocks-perfect-sized, and blessed, as we are, by bountiful energy resources, famed food and drink, a world that loves to visit us and our landscape, and a land and people of character and resilience.
I’m still not sure how we’ll get there, but I believe we can, and that Common Weal, with your input, help and support, will be in the vanguard.