I can often be found discussing various political ideas at public events or giving in-depth training to political activists, trade union organisations and other groups. If your Common Weal Local, Yes Group, Political Party branch or any other organisation would like to host such an event, please get in touch via my contact page.
Talks about Common Weal’s policy work is included within the scope of my role as Head of Policy & Research and is offered on an expenses covered/donation basis. Rates negotiable for training courses and talks outwith this scope.
Training
In depth training workshops tailored to your group. These can range from a couple of hours in the evening (similar to my public talks) up to whole day or multi-day events in collaboration with partner organisations. Some recent training sessions include:
Delivered with Artivism Scotland. A variable-length workshop on Escalating Pressure Campaigning and Non-violent Direct Action. This session takes participants through the history and effectiveness of NVDA as a campaigning tool and the strategic application of EPC as a mechanism for delivering goals. Material includes taking conventional political activities (such as leafleting, marches, strikes, civil disobedience etc) and places them into the context of a coordinated EPC strategy. Longer form workshops can include immersive role-play sessions designed around the participant’s particular needs. Note: Due to the nature of this training, it is not possible to deliver this course to political party organisations or their branches. Host organisations must be non-party affiliated.
A half-day educational workshop aimed at political students or recent entrants to UK political activism. This training gives an overview of the constitutional and political structures of the UK from a Scottish point of view running from the Head of State down to local Scottish democracy including which powers lie at each level, how candidates for office are selected and how people vote in elections for the various levels of governance. An overview of the UK’s constitution and how it affects legislation is also covered. Examples of specific legislation of interest to the host organisation (examples may include an independence referendum, land reform or a particular new tax proposal) can be discussed within the context of how it would interact with various levels of governance.
Aimed at political students, activists who want to launch a new campaign or anyone who wants to see the inner workings of the role of a policy expert at one of Scotland’s most influential think tanks. This in-depth workshop will take participants through all aspects of policy design from data gathering, research, introductory statistics and interpretation of government press releases, through writing effective policy communications such as policy papers and briefings, responding to government consultations, presenting evidence to Parliament or lobbying politicians, engaging with the public and on organising campaigns around the policy in question. Longer form (potentially multi-day) sessions will culminate in participants selecting a policy area of interest to them, writing a briefing note on the subject and creating a lobbying brief that could be delivered to an appropriate politician.
Talks
Talks can be delivered in person or via video-call. A frequent format is a 30-45 minute presentation followed by audience Q&A however other formats may be discussed. Some of my popular recent talks are offered below as examples but other subjects can be covered by request.
A talk on the state of Scotland’s renewable energy transition and how to bring it into Scottish public ownership alongside the benefits of doing so.
The current state of the “Green” Freeports proposed for Scotland, how and why they have been adopted by both the Scottish and UK Governments and what the Scottish Government is doing to support them via devolved policies.
What a true Circular Economy would look like in Scotland and how Resource Libraries specifically fit into it within the context of dematerialising and deconsumerising our economy while delivering higher quality goods and services to more people for less money than the consumer market currently does.
Aimed at prospective political students, especially STEM students considering unconventional careers post-University, this is an autobiographical journey of how I moved from a PhD in laser physics into the world of commercial laser engineering and then took an unexpected step into the world of politics.
My longest running and most popular public talk, currency options in an independent Scotland with the pros and cons of the various proposals such as an independent Scottish currency, Sterlingisation or joining the Eurozone. Includes material on how to set up a new currency as well as how to set up a Central Bank to manage it.
An overview of my longitudinal study of polling on the Scottish independence question. While the “headline figure” for support for independence has scarcely changed since 2014, this has masked dramatic shifts in support within various sub-groups such as party-affiliations, age, wealth, and country of origin.
A run-through of Common Weal’s book Sorted which is a vision of Scotland ten years after independence assuming it adopted Common Weal’s ideas around economy, society, climate transition and other policies.
The Common Green 