Is there a comparison to be drawn between the struggles of Scotland's once promising wave energy industry and the failure to build a world leading wind industry in the 1980's? Ben Wray investigates.

A recent Joan McAlpine column prompted strong debate about the future of local councils, but are the terms of debate missing the real possibility for change to Scotland's local democracy?

Labour's leader in Scotland Jim Murphy MP selected his Holyrood team in his first meeting at the Scottish parliament on Tuesday.

Fourteen members were selected, the majority of whom served in former leader Johann Lamont's shadow cabinet. Kezia Dugdale MSP will lead the party in the Scottish parliament while Murphy attempts to move from Westminster.

The shadow cabinet also includes defeated leadership candidates Neil Findlay MSP and Sarah Boyack MSP. The former will take on fair work, skills and training, which is suited to Findlay's trade union-based campaigning.

SNP MSP Rob Gibson has called for a 'basic social wage' whereby all citizens regardless of employment would receive a regular income.

Gibson, MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, made the case during the Welfare Fund Bill debate at the Scottish parliament on Monday, and afterwards told CommonSpace that he believes support for the idea is growing in the SNP.

How does the Scottish parliament make decisions about Scotland? One of its most important roles is passing laws. Let us break that process down for you.

On 25 November, Nicola Sturgeon unveiled the Scottish government's plans for 2014-15. Among them were 12 new laws for Scotland including proposals on land reform and higher education.

Each law will be written following debates and discussion. The bill is a written document made up of legal statements. Once the bill is passed it becomes an 'Act of the Scottish parliament'.

Minister promises government is 'open' to strengthening Bill at later stage but campaigners 'disappointed'

A CAMPAIGN to beef up the Lobbying Bill saw MSPs receive thousands of emails from constituents but failed to get stronger measures inserted into the legislation when MSPs voted on the bill on Thursday.

MSPs voted to pass the Scottish Government's Lobbying Bill at its first stage without amendments, despite over 3,000 emails being sent to MSPs as part of a campaign to strengthen the Bill.

Think tank publishes open letter urging stronger lobbying reforms ahead of debate

IN an open letter to MSPs, published this evening on Commonspace, think-and-do-tank Common Weal has called for the Lobbying Bill to cover electronic communications and those involving senior government decision-makers.

Spokespeople for Campaign Against the Arms Trade (CAAT) Andrew Smith and Mark Bitel say the Scottish Parliament can lead by example in rejecting arms trade investment

WAR AND CONFLICT on the other side of the world can often seem distant and remote. Foreign affairs is a 'reserved issue' with Westminster calling the shots and shaping the direction, but there are decisions our parliament can take tomorrow that would have an immediate impact and send a message about the kind of country we want Scotland to be on the world stage.