An Elections Bill is coming – but will it include fair votes?The government is bringing in new laws to improve our elections – and this is our chance to make things better. After years of broken promises and an electoral system that has consistently left millions...Posted 05 Feb 2026
How Sainte-Laguë could improve Scottish Parliamentary electionsScotland’s Parliament has always been better at representing the political makeup of Scotland than Westminster. A parliament where votes mattered more, where power was shared, and where the political map reflected how people actually voted....Posted 28 Jan 2026
First weekend of Dunfermline New City Assembly lays a fantastic foundationDunfermline, Scotland’s ancient capital, feels like the ideal place to explore new ways for communities to influence decisions. This weekend saw the first meeting of the Dunfermline New City Assembly — a project close to...Posted 26 Jan 2026
Is the Scottish Parliament designed to stop a majority?As we approach the next Scottish parliamentary election, there’s a familiar narrative creeping into the conversation: that the system of proportional representation used in Holyrood is somehow ‘designed to stop a majority.’ It’s a catchy...Posted 15 Oct 2025
What Denmark’s Folkemødet can teach us about rebuilding trust in democracyThis summer, I visited Folkemødet, Denmark’s annual democracy festival held in the coastal town of Allinge on the island of Bornholm. It’s a place where citizens, politicians, NGOs, and businesses gather in a relaxed, open-air...Posted 01 Sep 2025
Government minister visits Dunfermline to find out about Citizens’ Assembly projectLast week, Dunfermline took another confident stride toward becoming a beacon of democratic innovation in Scotland. On Tuesday, Public Finance Minister Ivan McKee visited the Abbeyview Community Hub to meet with local councillors, Fife Council...Posted 27 Aug 2025
Another disproportional Westminster election could have profound implications for Scotland and the UKWe are living through an uncertain political era. Many old certainties are shifting geopolitically and the UK has only just emerged from a chaotic Westminster parliament that saw three Prime Ministers in a year. Yet...Posted 26 Feb 2025
European local government: New ideas of decentralisation in a changing worldI was delighted to be asked to moderate the main Plenary Session of the 9th Annual Congress on European Local Government in Poland last week to discuss ‘New Ideas of Decentralisation in a Changing World’....Posted 12 Mar 2024
The UK’s shortest serving PM hands out peerages to friends and supportersIn the days between Christmas and New Year, the government tried to quietly slip out some bad news – it hoped many people would be too distracted by remnant cheeseboards and left-over Turkey to notice...Posted 02 Jan 2024
Voter ID makes its unwelcome Scottish debut in Rutherglen and Hamilton WestIf you live in Rutherglen and Hamilton West and are registered to vote, tomorrow is the day you can go vote in the long-awaited by-election. That is if you have, and remember to take, photo...Posted 04 Oct 2023