A survey of over 3,000 people indicates opinions that Scotland will have a referendum, that the spring of 2023 is most popular and that the vote will be "yes". Also that the coalition between SNP and Scottish Greens makes the referendum more likely.

we explore the implications of populism for adult education aimed at defending and extending democratic life. We question the conflation of agonistic democracy with left populism on several grounds, and we consider how a focus on education might help to ground their theory and clarify its ambiguities. 

The findings from the People’s Gathering are organised into three broad themes: Sovereignty of the People – How do we return more power to the people? Defending our democracy – How do we stop vested interests having too much influence? How do we write the rules – How do we get the checks and balances our democracy needs?

How should parliament incorporate the public’s voice?

Opinion polls – measuring uncritical, off-the-cuff responses to complicated questions – are shallow at best, misleading at worst, and when amplified by the media and other sources can have a detrimental effect on policy making. Instead of gathering citizens’ opinions, political decisions should be made after garnering citizens’ considered and informed judgement.

This is what a Citizens’ Assembly will do.

This paper proposes six policy ways to renew the Scottish Government’s domestic agenda through fresh and eye-catching policy transformation after 10 years in power at Holyrood.

Examination of the expansion of data collection and its use as a tool for the manipulation of elections.

Several recommendations are made which will help safeguard our democracy against unfair or malicious influence from companies or foreign states.

Common Weal held a series of in-depth discussions with a wide range of individuals and organisations working in local democracy and community development based on an outline plan for a new tier of local democracy in Scotland. The outline plan was then revised and adapted on the basis of the comments received during those conversations. This is the final proposal.

Scotland has the worst degree of local democracy in Europe. To correct this, Scotland should create a new tier of local democracy at the community level. The size and shape of each new democratic area should be defined by communities themselves through a participatory process. Each area should then be represented by a Development Council, elected by every member of the community aged 16 or above.

Resilient Recovery. We must emerge from the Covid pandemic in a way that fixes the problems raised by the crisis, fixes the problems evident before the crisis and makes us resilient; a green new deal; a new democracy; a national care service; Land reform; housing revolution; Controlling our own energy; better banking; and a focus on independence,.to future crisis like the climate emergency.