9th September 2020

With the very fundamentals of democracy around the world coming under threat as never before, it’s self-evident that nothing should be taken for granted. What would have been inconceivable behaviour for a mature western democracy just a few short years ago has become the new norm. And once the fundamentals of strong, healthy democratic behaviour  are lost, it becomes much harder to rediscover them. Which is why Andy Wightman’s Bill to incorporate the European Charter of Local Self-Government into domestic law is so important. If nothing else as a backstop against the over-centralisation of power. Consultation ends next week.

There’s much talk at the moment of how anchor institutions – hospitals, universities, local authorities and so on – should be redirecting their considerable spending power towards the local economy. Community wealth building is the new zeitgeist. These aforementioned anchor institutions, and in particular universities, also have significant amounts of intellectual and social capital that could (should) be refocused to ensure greater community benefit. For some years, Glasgow Uni has been developing stronger links with the City’s Third Sector and is about to embark on the Third Sector Knowledge Exchange Collaborative in partnership with GCVS. Universities elsewhere, take note.

At first glance, if it’s not a subject that you’ve previously explored, land reform might seem to be simply about addressing the well documented and highly distorted pattern of land ownership that continues to set Scotland apart from most other countries. But once you dig into it, it becomes increasingly clear that the issue of land ownership and how land use decisions are made has far reaching implications for the country, and especially so in the post-pandemic phase of recovery and renewal. Land Commissioner Megan MacInnes shares some thoughts through the lens of human rights.

An open letter published this week by community leaders describes the housing market on Scotland’s islands as driving a form of ‘economic clearances’ with house prices being pushed ever further out of the reach of young people. With the second home market booming – 40% of houses on Tiree being second homes – and with a post-pandemic boost to the market exacerbating the problem, some kind of direct government intervention other than cash is called for. A FOI request has revealed that only 68 houses have been built as a result of government initiatives that promised 500.