It’s time to put deliberation at the heart of Scottish politicsLast Saturday the final session of the Citizen’s Assembly of Scotland concluded. The assembly, the largest deliberative event in Scotland’s history brought together ordinary people to deliberate over the issues that will shape Scotland. As...Posted 12 Dec 2020
Why we’re calling for Labour to join others in backing proportional representation"The need for a wholesale renewal of our democracy is now more urgent than ever."Posted 16 Jul 2020
People are rightly losing faith in politics, it’s time for democratic renewalA new report by the recently established Centre for the Future of Democracy at the University of Cambridge has found that dissatisfaction with democracy has reached an all-time global high. Westminster-style democracies (the UK, Australia,...Posted 31 Jan 2020
What happens at the Citizens’ Assembly of Scotland?On Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th October, The Citizens’ Assembly of Scotland kicked off at the Grosvenor Hotel in Edinburgh, with one hundred people from across the country meeting for the first time. The Assembly...Posted 25 Nov 2019
Campaigners are stepping up calls for a ‘Constitutional Convention’ on Britain’s democracyWhichever side of the Brexit debate people are on, one feeling is clear: voters feel disenfranchised and frustrated at Westminster’s chaotic handling of the Brexit process. One result of the suspension of Parliament in September...Posted 09 Oct 2019
The current crisis has been a long time coming – and Westminster’s system is behind itIt’s easy right now to get caught up in the daily drama of politics – to focus on individuals, and the game playing, and to forget that the current political chaos is all part of...Posted 24 Sep 2019
200 years since the Peterloo Massacre, Westminster is still brokenThe events of 2019 have put the problems of Westminster’s system into sharp focus. From discussions about the Prime Minister proroguing parliament, to MPs leaving main parties to form their own (only to splinter within...Posted 16 Aug 2019
Support grows for new way of doing democracy, as hundreds discuss Citizens’ Assembly of Scotland plansIt’s clear that there is a growing appetite for a new kind of democracy, after hundreds gathered on Monday evening to debate plans for a Citizens’ Assembly of Scotland. At a sold-out panel Q&A hosted...Posted 10 Jul 2019
Four pitfalls and opportunities for the Citizens’ Assembly of ScotlandNext Monday, the firing gun will be started on the Scottish Government’s plans for a ‘Citizens’ Assembly of Scotland’. Hundreds will gather to discuss what this might look like, what it might involve, and how...Posted 05 Jul 2019
Citizens’ assemblies can help us move beyond a broken Westminster model of politicsThis piece was originally published by The Scotsman. Talk of citizens’ assemblies is in the air. Former Conservative leadership contender, Rory Stewart has suggested holding one to break through the Brexit impasse. And on Monday,...Posted 20 Jun 2019