Latest Articles & News

Furore deepens over winter fuel cut that shows limits of devolution

The furore over the winter fuel payment is deepening as energy prices rise. Pensioners - many of whom live in fuel poverty - fear that they won’t be able to afford to heat their homes.

Independence lessons for Scotland - Iceland is a renewable energy powerhouse

As an independent country, Iceland has achieved what Scotland can only dream about - It is a world leader in renewable energy, with a completely carbon-free grid. In fact, it is the world’s largest energy producer per capita.

Independence lessons: How Ireland built a strong economy

Ireland is a stable and prosperous independent country. It has used the powers of independence to build a strong and diverse economy.

Why Quebec's independence dream went wrong - lessons for Scotland

Between 1990 and 2005, about 50% of people in Quebec said they wanted independence from Canada. But since then, that has fallen to a third. Here are three reasons why Quebec independence support fell away and why those circumstances differ from the Scottish independence movement.

New Zealand's century-long journey to independence

New Zealand gradually became independent of the UK in a slow and gradual manner - one tiny step after another until one day they basically realised they were an independent nation. So much so that they do not have an independence day, because no one really knows when it was. This century-long journey to independence might seem rather rapid in comparison with Scotland, where even establishing a Parliament took longer. But there are interesting lessons to learn.

Independence lessons for Scotland from Jamaica

Clearly, there are no direct comparisons between the way Jamaica became part of the British Empire and Scotland. Many British businesses and individuals participated in the slave trade and huge profits were brought back. Scotland's participation in that trade has only recently begun to be acknowledged . Nevertheless, Scotland has strong links to Jamaica - both positive and negative. It is important to recognise these.

Why Norway Chose to Become an Independent Country - Lessons for Independent Scotland

Norway, of course, is one of the richest countries on the planet - in part due to its sovereign wealth fund which holds a share of the oil profits from Norwegian waters and stands at $1.3 trillion. It is also one of the most egalitarian, with a strong sense of social cohesion. Norway celebrates its national day on May 17, as a community event, with picnics, sports and festivities.

What an independent Scotland can learn from Denmark

Denmark is about two thirds the size of Scotland with a slightly larger population of 5.8 million. It comes in the top five of the Scotianomics Wellbeing Index. It is also far wealthier – the GDP per head is about twice that of Scotland. So how does independence work for Denmark? Here are five lessons for an independent Scotland.

Too wee, too poor for independence? Malta didn't think so - lessons for Scotland

Today, Malta is a successful small independent country, the smallest in the EU. But when it sought its independence from Britain, it was told it was too wee and too poor to make a go of it. Sound familiar?

Six things Tommy Sheppard gets wrong about the proposed Citizens’ Convention

Article written by Gordon MacIntyre-Kemp

I feel the need to respond to the article in The National by Tommy Sheppard entitled, ‘We must take this step to independence before a citizens' convention’. The article focuses on Tommy’s response to Believe in Scotland’s report, ‘The Scottish Citizens’ Convention’ CREATING A BETTER SCOTLAND’.