Policy blog

My role consists of promoting not just one but two multilateral agendas here in Scotland – the Sustainable Development Goals and the Open Government Partnership. It’s some test, but one of the most exciting challenges I’ve faced. In being a member of the Open Government... Read more

Report out today calls for changes to non-domestic rates. Earlier today, the Barclay Review of Business Rates released the report of their findings and recommendations. This concludes the long process of evidence sessions, written submissions and Parliamentary scrutiny as the... Read more

“Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.” – Winston Churchill After 14 months of wearying speculation and intrigue, Brexit is about to get very real. Soon, the phony war will end and we will begin to see a... Read more

Whilst our MSPs have been enjoying their recess, it’s been a typically busy Summer for our sector. Top of the agenda for many will have been the draft Scottish Social Security Bill – and so it should be. This bill covers a wide range of benefits and, with the proposed new agency... Read more

With UK Government or Tory party policy – take your pick, depending on your perspective – disarray on Brexit negotiations on display once again last week, it's almost easy to look upon it as a great political spectator sport. If it only wasn't so serious. Liam Fox, the... Read more

We’re all busy. Busy working on projects, policies and campaigns in the hope that they’ll make a big impact to our organisations. I’m no different, busy promoting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to third sector organisations across Scotland. The question you’re probably... Read more

Reducing inequality, ending poverty and providing good quality education - no one argued that these weren’t the correct goals to aim for, but translating the Sustainable Development Goals (or SDGs) into a Scottish context with clear actions and outcomes which are inclusive and... Read more

A day of solidarity and unity with refugees around the world The charity sector loves awareness days. We attach so much significance to them it’s easy to lose perspective and imagine everyone outside our bubble is as enthusiastic about our work as we are. So I asked some friends... Read more

It’s Carers Week time again, and there have been plenty of events and activities taking place all across Scotland raising awareness of what carers do and how they can be supported. The theme of Carers Week is 'carer-friendly communities' - highlighting that it’s everyone’s... Read more

Like many working in public affairs, I’m guilty of trotting out lots of statistics to support my organisation’s policy objectives and calls to action. There are 759,000 unpaid carers in Scotland, and on top of that there are the hidden carers that we can’t measure through the... Read more

How to solve a problem like social care? You will no doubt have noticed that the ‘social care crisis’ in England and Wales is playing out across our print and TV media. This coverage focuses primarily on declining finances and staff shortages. However, we must remember that it is... Read more

Given the significant rise of working households experiencing poverty, the performance of the labour market can no longer be adequately represented merely by counting the number of people in work. Working with the UWS-Oxfam Partnership and Warwick Institute for Employment... Read more

Social justice. It’s a phrase that has been around since the Scottish Parliament was founded back in 1999. Numerous initiatives, reports and task forces have surfaced over the years to tackle problem. Yet still we find it riding high on the political agenda. When Nicola Sturgeon... Read more

Context Scotland’s First Minister has outlined her ambition for a socially just Scotland. This is to be founded on three key priorities – participation, prosperity and fairness. In practice we understand this to mean ending poverty, tackling inequalities, repositioning our... Read more

I’m sure I’m not alone in looking back and thinking that the skills I’ve learned since leaving school have been as important if not even more so than what I learned before. I have to admit to one exception: learning to touch type has saved me countless hours of pecking at the... Read more