It is nearly time to think about manifestos for the Holyrood election – at a time when the domestic agenda has never been more important. How do we rebuild from the virus, fix our social ills and tackle climate change?

The conversation so far has been dominated by calls to use this moment to shift us into a green economy with better jobs and much more recognition of the real importance of essential workers. In fact hundreds of organisations and thousands upon thousands of people are demanding this.

So the question is how can we do it?

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That is what is in the second part of Common Weal’s Resilient Scotland plan which is being launched in the Sunday National today. We want to show that, far from being a lofty aspiration, this is real and practical opportunity for Scotland.

So how DO we do it?

There are three key parts to the puzzle. The first is to replace many of the low-pay, non-essential jobs which are being lost now with high-pay productive ones, not least to end poverty. The second key thing is that we can only do this if we return to a focus on manufacturing and production. The third thing we need to do is to tackle climate change and reduce our negative impact on the world’s environment.

Fortunately, these three big tasks not only complement each other but actually require each other. Together this is a process of Green Re-industrialisation. The key to this is to make many more of the things that Scotland needs in Scotland and to a higher quality. If we replace poor-quality, disposable and environmentally harmful products with high-quality, ethical and environmentally friendly Scottish ones, this creates jobs.

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Scotland is supremely well positioned to do this as a result of the poor use we make of our outstanding natural resources (not least our energy resources). The real transformation will come when we begin properly on a Green New Deal and we start to decarbonise housing, heating, electricity and transport. The problem is that we can’t do this (and can’t pay for it) without the powers of independence. This does not mean we can’t get started.

All of these projects have a long lead time. Surveys have to be done, supply chains set up, a workforce needs to be trained – and more. It will take three or four years to get shovel-ready, but that is where we reach the end of the line for devolution.

If we want those jobs, if we want that investment, if we want these transformations, we’ll need to choose to have the powers of an independent nation.