A newly established Citizens’ Panel will meet for the first time this weekend (28th – 30th October) in the Scottish Parliament to help shape how Parliament engages with the people of Scotland.
The Citizens’ Panel, comprised of 22 people broadly reflecting the demographic make-up of Scotland, will come together to deliberate how the Scottish Parliament can best work with communities to ensure their needs are reflected in its work.
The Citizens’ Panel will meet for two full weekends at the Scottish Parliament and three shorter evening sessions online.
Earlier this year, the Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee launched an inquiry into Public Participation, looking at how people’s voices are heard in the work of the Parliament.
The Citizens’ Panel will assist the inquiry by making recommendations on improving how Holyrood’s work involves, reflects, and meets the needs of the full range of communities it represents, focusing on improving engagement for those currently under-represented.
Throughout the sittings, the Citizen’s Panel will have the opportunity to hear from MSPs and leading academics about democracy and public participation to help facilitate discussion and inform their findings.
Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Convener Jackson Carlaw, MSP, said:“Our inquiry into Public Participation is important because we know that the Parliament doesn’t hear enough from some groups and communities.
“We want to make sure that the views and opinions of everyone in Scotland are included in the work of the Parliament, and the Citizens’ Panel will be crucial to helping us understand how we can improve this.
“Ensuring the Scottish Parliament is accessible to a diverse range of people, particularly when developing new laws or policies that affect them, is essential and the Committee will eagerly anticipate the Citizens’ Panel recommendations.”
5th annual Cllr Awards held in Dundee showcases the best of local government
LGIU Scotland and CCLA are proud to unveil the winners of the 2022 Cllr Awards, the only national awards to celebrate the vital work of local councillors across Scotland.
This evening, the Awards ceremony took place at Caird Hall with hosts Dundee City Council along with special guests and speakers, including Ben Macpherson MSP (Minister for Social Security and Local Government) and Cllr Steven Heddle (COSLA Vice President). The ceremony was also streamed live on YouTube.
The top prize of the night for Community Champion went to Cllr David Macdonald of East Renfrewshire Council. Cllr Connor McManus of Midlothian Council walked away as the Young Councillor of the Year (below) and Cllr Maureen Chalmers of South Lanarkshire Council claimed the Resilience and Recovery Award.
Bailie Malcolm Cunning of Glasgow City Council was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award for his service (in memoriam). And, all leaders across Scotland were showcased and recognised for their remarkable contributions to local government over the last two years. The full list of winners is included below.
Running for the 5th year, the Cllr Awards are a hugely important way to champion what councillors do locally as their work can, all too often, go unrecognised.
Competition was particularly tight this year with nearly 100 nominations received. The winners were selected by a group of judges that included senior councillors and leading stakeholders from across the sector. A link to re-watch the Awards is available HERE.
This year’s Awards were made possible thanks to the generous support of founding partnersCCLA.
Jonathan Carr-West, Chief Executive, LGIU Scotland said: “We are incredibly proud to unveil the winners of this year’s Cllr Awards. During some of the most turbulent and challenging years in recent history, these councillors truly showcase the best of local government across Scotland.
And while awards and accolades aren’t the reason councillors put themselves forward and enter local politics, their incredible service is, so often, a thankless task. That is why these Cllr Awards are so important. One day a year to say thank you to our elected members for their remarkable efforts.
“I would like to extend a huge congratulations to all of tonight’s Cllr Awards winners. We thank you for your service and look forward to hearing about your continued accomplishments in the future.”
Heather Lamont, Director of Client Investments at CCLA, said:“For the last five years, CCLA and LGIU Scotland have thoroughly enjoyed raising the profile of the best of local government across Scotland and beyond. Councillors and council leaders have delivered in so many unimaginable ways for communities and we want to shout about it!
“The Cllr Awards are all about councillors. Their achievements are often hidden in plain sight and often go unrecognised. CCLA is honoured to stand alongside these outstanding councillors and thank them for their hard work and dedication to our communities.
“Why? Because at CCLA we believe healthy investment markets depend upon healthy communities – economically, socially and environmentally. In that we all have common purpose.”
On 5th September, the Conservative party elected a new prime minister of the United Kingdom. Scotland has not voted for a conservative government since 1955, and Liz Truss marks the twelfth prime minister in the last hundred years elected without majority support in Scotland (writes Fraser of Allander Institute’s ALLISON CATALANO).
The last time Scotland’s vote mirrored the majority was in 2005 – the last time that a general election resulted in a Labour majority.
The Brexit vote in 2016 is another good example of how far Scotland’s opinion differs from that of the UK majority – less than 40% of Scottish voters approved the referendum to leave the EU, compared to more than 50% from Wales and England.
Scotland’s status as a minority among the UK electorate isn’t so surprising from a population standpoint – Scotland only accounts for about 9% of the total UK electorate. England, by contrast, claims 84% of all voters.
The vast difference between Scotland’s opinion and UK electoral outcomes may result in worsened well-being for the Scottish population. People derive a sense of satisfaction from having the ability to participate in and impact politics and governmental structures. This satisfaction, termed “democratic well-being,” is weakened by perceived or structural inequalities.
Participatory inequality stems from any situation in which a particular group is unlikely to or discouraged from some form of civic participation, which includes behaviours like voting, interacting with political campaigns, activism, or volunteering.
Examining voting in particular, Scottish voters may feel disenfranchised from the political sphere in the UK because of the perceived lack of political power on a national level, and may be less likely to choose to vote or express an interest in politics.
Certain groups in Scotland may also be more or less inclined to participate in national or local elections.
Income levels, health, and educational attainment may all result in different levels of participation both within Scotland and when comparing Scottish participation to the rest of the UK. In this sense, there may be participatory inequalities within the Scottish population and when comparing Scotland to the UK as a whole.
Using Understanding Society: the UK Longitudinal Household Survey, we determined that age, income, health, education, and employment statuses are correlated with an individual’s level of interest in politics, and the likelihood that they voted or volunteered recently. Understanding Society is a yearly panel survey, with yearly data available from 2009 to 2021.
Does participation differ in Scotland compared to the rest of the UK?
Scotland has a high level of average engagement across all survey years relative to Northern Ireland and Wales, but a lower level than England.
Scottish residents are more likelyto have volunteered in the past year than residents of Northern Ireland or Wales, but less likely to have volunteered than English residents.
Scottish voting habits vary. Scotland had the lowest turnout in 2001 and 2005, and the highest turnout in 2015 and 2019. Scotland generally has higher turnout than Northern Ireland but lower turnout than England or Wales (Figure 1).
Scottish residents are more likely to express aninterest in politics than in Wales and Northern Ireland. Scotland’s responses are roughly similar to England. Interest in politics across the UK increased in 2016 following the EU referendum vote, particularly in Northern Ireland, and peaked in Scotland in 2018 (Figure 2).
Figure 1: General election voter participation by constituent country
Figure 2: Interest in politics by constituent country
Despite Scottish residents being relatively politically engaged, Scotland experiences substantial gaps in participation based on health, income, education, and employment.
Scotland has the largest gap in participation between individuals that considered themselves in good health and individuals that considered themselves in poor health in the United Kingdom (Figure 3).
The lowest income quintile in Scotland is more engaged than the lowest income quintile in Wales or Northern Ireland. However, Scotland experiences larger gaps between the highest and lowest income quintile than the national average in political interest. Notably, the bottom income quintile in Scotland was more likely to have voted than in any other part of the UK. Political interest was also higher than the national average for the lowest earners.
Individuals with no qualifications in Scotland are less likely to volunteer than anywhere else in the UK, although they are more likely to have voted in a general election than the UK average. Unqualified individuals in Scotland are less likely to express an interest in politics than in England or Wales.
Scotland experiences a greater gap in participation based on work-related benefits compared to the rest of the UK. Individuals receiving in-work income or unemployment benefits are less likely to have voted, volunteer, or express a political interest in Scotland than anywhere else in Great Britain.
Figure 3: The gap in civic participation between self-reported good health and bad health is wider for each behaviour in Scotland compared to the rest of the UK
How do inequalities impact civic engagement in Scotland?
Health and income inequality are consistent predictors of voter turnout in Scotland. Scotland’s wide range of participatory behaviour based on health is particularly interesting.
Scotland has a unique relationship with health inequalities, and a history of unusually poor health outcomes based on region, education, and income. Although health inequality takes many forms, life expectancies provide a good frame of reference.
In general, higher incomes beget longer lives. Scotland is a complete anomaly in this regard – despite having the highest average income in the United Kingdom, Scottish people have the shortest life expectancy.
Life expectancies also vary widely within Scotland, and even within cities and neighbourhoods. For instance, a male born in Glasgow between 2018-2020 has a life expectancy that is 7.5 years shorter than one born in the Shetland Islands.
Within Glasgow neighbourhoods, the difference in life expectancies is striking – males born in the least deprived areas can expect to live 15 years longer than males born in the most deprived areas.
I examined the health impacts on voting, volunteering, and political interest based on individual’s self-perceived general health, mental health, long-term illness or disability, and receipt of any illness or disability benefits.
Individuals that consider themselves in poor health are less likely to engage in civic behaviour compared to those that considered themselves in generally good health (Figure 4). Overall, self-perceived general health was the most significant health predictor of civic behaviour.
Figure 4: Inequalities in civic participation by self-reported health status
Surprisingly, claiming a long-term illness or disability did not impact an individual’s ability to participate. This is largely because of the broadness of the term “disability” – a person can be disabled in a way that limits their ability to vote, but many disabilities are easier to manage and would have no impact on someone’s ability to understand politics or volunteer. Receiving disability benefits, however, indicates that a person’s circumstance is difficult enough that it interferes with regular work and income.
The Understanding Society Survey has 41 different benefit classifications. Using their descriptions as illness or disability benefits, I looked into people who received at least one of the following benefits: severe disablement allowance, industrial industry disablement allowance, disability living allowance, war disablement pension, incapacity benefit, received working tax credit (including disabled person’s tax credit), and any other disability benefit or payment.
Scottish residents receiving some form of disability benefit were:
10% less likely to have voted in the most recent election than Scottish residents that did not receive disability benefits
19% less likely to report an interest in politics
41% less likely to have volunteered in the past year
Receiving work or income benefits is another way of looking into the degree to which income inequality affects participation. I considered the following benefit classifications to be low income or unemployment benefits: income support, job seeker’s allowance, national insurance credit, housing benefit, rent rebate, universal credit.
Receiving work or income benefits affected participation more substantially than those receiving disability benefits (Table 1).
Table 1: Proportion of each population which participated in the following civic behaviours
Voted in a recent election
Interested in politics
Volunteered in the past year
Receiving unemployment or income benefits
66%
20%
8%
Receiving illness or disability benefits
72%
26%
10%
Total Scottish population
80%
32%
17%
Income inequality is also closely related to civic participation. By dividing household income into five quartiles of the population, we found that the highest-earning 20% of the Scottish population was significantly more likely to participate in civic behaviours (Figure 5). This is a clear example of participatory inequalities based on income.
Figure 5: Civic participation inequalities based on income quintile
Education also has a significant impact on all aspects of civic participation. Volunteering is the most notably impacted behaviour by education; only 4.4% of Scottish residents without educational qualifications reported volunteering in the past year, compared to over 27% of Scots with university degrees.
Table 2: Percentage of each population which participated in the following civic behaviours
Voted in a recent election
Interested in politics
Volunteered in the past year
No educational qualifications
73.5%
21.3%
4.4%
Scottish average
80%
32%
17%
Has a university degree
87.6%
38.4%
27.1%
Scotland suffers from unequal participation across a number of metrics, most notably education, income, health, and benefit receipt status. Poorer, less educated, and less healthy Scottish residents are less likely to have participated in voting and volunteering. The differences in participation are also larger within Scotland than any other constituent country in the United Kingdom.
Civic participation – whether by voting or by selecting causes to volunteer for – ultimately shapes political agendas. Values that are important to low-income, unqualified, or unhealthy members of society may be overlooked on a national scale due to disproportionately low levels of participation among these individuals.
The more equality in participation among all levels of society, the more that any particular group is able to better their circumstances.
Scotland’s Environment Minister Mairi McAllan and Biodiversity Minister Lorna Slater have written to the UK Government urging them to drop the proposals announced in its mini-budget, which they call “an attack on nature…and on the devolution settlement.”
The letter states that these proposals “demonstrate a reckless attitude to legislation that has been developed over many decades and that enshrines vital protections for both nature and people.”
The letter reads:
To:
Ranil Jayawardena MP, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Rt Hon Mark Spencer MP, Minister of State in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
From:
Minister for Environment and Land Reform Màiri McAllan MSP
Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity Lorna Slater MSP
We write with urgency regarding proposals announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer on Friday, about which the Scottish Government had very little prior notification.
These measures, alongside the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill, represent an attack on nature (when we should be demonstrating global leadership in the lead up to the important CoP15 global summit), and on the devolved settlement itself.
We therefore ask that you and your Government drop these damaging proposals, and instead work with us and the other devolved governments, to deliver high environmental standards that rise to the nature emergency and respect devolution.
Your government has given little clarity over how the measures included in the mini-budget will be taken forward, and what the implications of them will be for Scotland. Nor have you engaged with us in advance on these issues.
However, from the information that has been made available, we share the strong concerns highlighted by nature groups such as the RSPB and the Woodland Trust. The proposals demonstrate a reckless attitude to legislation that has been developed over many decades and that enshrines vital protections for both nature and people.
Your proposed measures also threaten to undermine our programme of planning reform that is underway in Scotland. National Planning Framework 4 will signal a turning point for planning in Scotland, and we have been clear that responding to both the global climate emergency and the nature crisis will be central to that.
In addition to the measures set out in the mini-budget, the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill threatens to further undermine standards, as well as the Scottish Government’s powers to protect Scotland’s environment.
As set out in the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture’s recent letter to the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, the Bill puts at risk the high standards people in Scotland have rightly come to expect from EU membership.
Your government appears to want to row back more than 40 years of protections in a rush to impose a deregulated, race to the bottom on our society and economy. It is particularly alarming that our environmentally-principled approach of controls on polluting substances, ensuring standards for water and air quality, and providing protection for our natural habitats and wildlife are at risk from this deregulatory programme.
Retained EU Law provides Scotland with a high standard of regulation. As we have repeatedly said, Scottish Ministers will continue to seek alignment with EU standards where possible and in a manner that contributes to maintaining and improving environmental protections.
As part of this effort, we remain committed to an ambitious programme of enhancing nature protections and delivering nature restoration. This includes delivering on the vision set out in the recent consultation on our new biodiversity strategy, setting ambitious statutory nature recovery targets, delivering on our vision to be a global leader in sustainable and regenerative agriculture, investing in our natural capital such as through our Nature Restoration Fund, and expanding and improving our national park network.
Finally, as mentioned above, we are particularly concerned that this attack on nature has come at a critical moment as we approach the UN CoP15 biodiversity summit at the end of this year. The Scottish Government is committed to supporting an ambitious global framework to halt and reverse biodiversity decline, but this sudden and fundamental change in position means our views are no longer represented, and has undermined the UK’s ability to have a positive influence on the outcome of the talks.
We strongly urge you to reconsider both the anti-nature measures set out in the mini-budget and the proposed Retained EU Law Bill. Should you proceed regardless of our concerns and those of the public and civil society across the UK, then as a minimum we seek a guarantee that none of these measures will apply in Scotland without specific consent from the Scottish Government. We expect this matter to be considered at the next IMG-EFRA on 24 October.
What are the chances of Truss and Kwarteng thinking again? Absolutely NONE …
Meanwhile, the Scottish Government has recruited three eminent economists …
Emergency Budget Review
Leading economists to give expert advice
Members of an expert panel providing advice to the Scottish Government as part of its Emergency Budget Review (EBR) have been confirmed.
Sir Anton Muscatelli, Professor Frances Ruane and Professor Mike Brewer will assess the impact on Scotland of the UK Chancellor’s fiscal approach and held their first meeting with Deputy First Minister John Swinney today.
Their advice will enable timely consideration of the implications of the UK Government’s fiscal event as work continues to prioritise the Scottish Government’s budget towards tackling the cost of living crisis. The Deputy First Minister has announced he will report the results of the EBR in the week beginning 24 October.
Mr Swinney said: “The Scottish Government wants to make sure it gets the very best advice and fresh perspectives as Ministers consider the complex and difficult decisions we face while tackling the challenges ahead.
“The radical shift in UK economic policy announced by the Chancellor has already caused significant economic shock.
“For the benefit of the people and businesses of Scotland, many of whom will find themselves paying higher prices as a result, it is vital that we consider the current situation and potential solutions with care.
“The members of the panel all bring robust economic insight and I am grateful to them for giving their time and expertise as we navigate these uncharted economic waters.”
The expert panel members, whose positions are non-remunerated, are:
Sir Anton Muscatelli
Principal of the University of Glasgow. He was knighted in June 2017 for services to higher education.
Formerly principal of Heriot-Watt University, he has been an adviser to the House of Commons Treasury Select Committee on monetary policy since 2007.
He chairs the Scottish Government’s Standing Council on Europe, a non-political group which provides expert advice to Scottish Ministers on protecting Scotland’s relationship with the EU, and he was a member of the Scottish Government’s Council of Economic Advisers between 2015 and 2021 and a member of the Advisory Council for Economic Transformation.
In addition, she previously served three terms on the Council of Economic Advisers in Scotland. She will provide an external perspective to the panel on issues such as the competitiveness of Scotland’s tax regime.
Professor Mike Brewer –
Chief Economist and the Deputy Chief Executive of the Resolution Foundation, where he oversees all aspects of the Foundation’s research agenda.
He is a visiting Professor at the Department of Social Policy at the London School of Economics and between 2011 and 2020 was a Professor of Economics at the University of Essex.
He has also worked at the Institute for Fiscal Studies and HM Treasury.
LOCAL Government Information Unit Scotland and CCLA are delighted to announce that Cllr Max Mitchell of the City of Edinburgh Council has been shortlisted for the 2022 Cllr Awards for Young Councillor.
Conservative Cllr Mitchell is the only Edinburgh councillor to make the shortlists.
Running for the 5th year, the Cllr Awards are the only national ceremony to celebrate the vital contributions of councillors across Scotland. These Awards are a hugely important way to champion what councillors do locally as their work can, all too often, go unrecognised.
Competition was extremely tight again this year, with nearly 100 nominations received across five categories that celebrate the varied work of councillors. The categories up for grabs this year are: Community Champion, Leader of the Year, Lifetime Achievement, Resilience and Recovery and Young Councillor of the Year awards. The full shortlist is included below.
A panel of judges composed of senior councillors and leading stakeholders from across the sector will select the winners who will be revealed at the Cllr Awards ceremony taking place on Wednesday 12 October (from 7:00pm-9:00pm) at Marryat Hall (Caird Hall) with Dundee City Council as this year’s hosts.
The ceremony will also be broadcast live on YouTube.
This year’s awards are only made possible thanks to the generous support of founding partners CCLA.
Jonathan Carr-West, Chief Executive, LGIU Scotland said: “In a year like no other, councillors up and down the country have once again been working tirelessly to address the needs of their residents and bring much needed leadership to communities that are struggling day in and day out.
“The 2022 Cllr Awards shortlist is a reflection of the dedication and resilience shown by councillors during some of the most turbulent and worrying years in recent history.
“From supporting communities through flooding emergencies and fires to welcoming refugees from Ukraine into our local communities, these councillors are some of the most committed elected representatives across Scotland. We are incredibly proud to showcase their stories in this year’s shortlist.
“Congratulations to all of the shortlisted councillors. We look forward to unveiling the winners of this 5th annual Cllr Awards in Dundee on the 12th of October.”
Lord Provost of Dundee, Bill Campbell,said: “We are delighted to host the Cllr Awards in Dundee, and look forward to celebrating the tremendous contribution that elected members make to communities across Scotland. Congratulations and good luck to all those who have been shortlisted.”
NO LEADER of the YEAR AWARD
In a departure from previous years, there will be NO Leader of the Year Award this time round.
Organisers explained: ‘As we mark the 5th anniversary of Cllr Awards, councils across Scotland have delivered in the face of the most turbulent and worrying years in recent history.
‘Councillors have been responding to the pandemic, helping residents through the cost of living crisis, supporting refugees, delivering aid in response to the war in Ukraine and helping communities to come together to mourn the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
‘In this difficult context, we feel it is essential to take this moment in time to celebrate all local leadership across Scotland. As such, the Cllr Awards will be showcasing and recognising the leadership of each Council Leader in Scotland (those currently in post as well as those serving up to the May 2022 elections) for their remarkable contributions to local government over the last two years.’
A Scottish Parliament inquiry has concluded by calling for urgent, coordinated action across all levels of Government in the UK to tackle health inequalities in Scotland.
A wide-ranging report by the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee calls for urgent action to address health inequalities, and for tackling poverty to be considered a major public health priority at all levels of Government in order to address this.
The Committee heard evidence that the Covid-19 pandemic and the rapidly rising cost of living have further exacerbated Scotland’s health inequalities.
The Committee is calling for action across the UK and the Scottish governments, and by local authorities, which it says is essential if these inequalities are to be tackled effectively. This includes further public service reform and strategic action across multiple policy areas.
Among its recommendations, the Committee is calling for action on education, employment and housing to improve health outcomes and better tackle health inequalities. It says safe, secure and affordable housing must be available for all and highlights the significant impact planning policy can have on health outcomes and, if implemented poorly, in widening inequalities.
In compiling its report, the majority of the Committee agreed with the recommendation by the Glasgow Centre of Population Health that, within budget constraints, the UK Government should take action to align benefits and tax credits with inflation and to reinstate the uplift in Universal Credit introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The report also highlights extensive evidence submitted to the inquiry that informal and unpaid caring has a disproportionate impact on health outcomes and that informal carers face significant health inequalities as a result.
To address this issue, the Committee calls on the Scottish Government and Public Health Scotland to provide more targeted support for carers.
Gillian Martin MSP, Convener of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, said:“The evidence is clear that health inequalities in Scotland continue to grow, while the pandemic and ongoing cost of living crisis will only exacerbate these inequalities further.
“A number of witnesses contributing to the inquiry argued that, over the past decade, UK Government policies on austerity have also had a negative impact on health inequalities in Scotland.
“We are particularly concerned that the rising cost of living will have a greater negative impact on those groups already experiencing health inequalities, including those living in poverty and those with a disability.
“Government action to date to tackle health inequalities has not been enough in the face of decades-long, major impacts on household incomes. We are calling for urgent action across all levels of government to reduce these stark inequalities which have real life and death consequences.
“There is currently no overarching national strategy for tackling health inequalities in Scotland. Meanwhile, evidence submitted to our inquiry has revealed multiple instances where the design and delivery of public services may be exacerbating inequalities rather than reducing them. We need to deliver further public service reform to ensure this doesn’t continue to happen.
“The reasons why we have failed to make progress in tackling health inequalities are many and varied. Reducing these will require bold and strategic action across all levels of government and by a range of government departments. Tackling health inequalities must be a major public health priority because lives literally depend on it.”
Other key findings in the report include:
The Committee express concern that certain vulnerable families report being excluded from free childcare provision, including those who care for disabled children and those who do not have a standard Monday-Friday work pattern.
A majority of the Committee is supportive of the concept of a universal basic income and calls on the Scottish Government to work with the relevant UK agencies to consider whether a pilot of the policy could take place in Scotland in order to begin to address health inequalities. A Committee majority would also like to see the implementation of a minimum income guarantee in Scotland.
City councillors will unite to pay tribute to HM The Queen in a specially convened meeting this Friday (16 September).
The meeting, to be held in the City Chambers and broadcast live on the City of Edinburgh Council’s webcast channel, will take place at 10am.
The sole item for debate on the agenda is a motion put forward by Lord Provost Robert Aldridge, Lord Lieutenant of the City of Edinburgh, which states:
Death of Her Majesty the Queen – Motion by the Lord Provost
“On behalf of the citizens of Edinburgh, this Council offers its deep condolences to the Royal Family on news of the death of Her Majesty the Queen.
Throughout her extraordinary reign she showed great appreciation for her ancient and hereditary Kingdom of Scotland and its capital city Edinburgh.
During her countless visits to Edinburgh, she reached out to charities, veterans, service personnel, hospitals and children and won a very special place in the hearts of the citizens of Edinburgh and Scotland.
Over her seven-decade reign, she showed unwavering and inspirational, dedication to serving the nation and the Commonwealth, offering wise counsel in often turbulent times.
This Council and this City are in mourning. Council gives thanks for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth’s exceptional 70 years’ service and extends its deepest sympathy to the Royal Family at this very difficult time.”
The agenda for this special meeting can be found at:
Tortoise Media is seeking judicial review of the Conservative Party’s refusal to provide information about the running of the election to decide Boris Johnson’s successor as Party leader and Prime Minister.
The Tortoise newsroom asked for information about the demographics of the membership voting to elect the next leader and Prime Minister; they asked for the numbers of members and how they have grown over time; asked what the Party does to ensure members are who they say they are; and asked what the Party does to deal with attempts at infiltration and interference.
The Conservative Party refused to answer any of these questions. Darren Mott, CEO of the Conservatives, said the election was a “private matter” and that the choice of PM is not ultimately made by the members, but the Queen.
Tortoise believe that this is unlawful. On the advice of lawyers, they have written to the Conservative Party to inform them that they are seeking judicial review because they believe that the Party’s refusal to disclose information is in breach of common law and human rights law – i.e. the Conservative Party is in breach of the laws safeguarding open government and guaranteeing our right to know information regarding the operation of our government and democracy.
– undemocratic because the process by which Conservative Party chooses the next PM is unrepresentative (the membership accounts for little over 0.2 per cent of the population and includes non-UK citizens and under-age voters) and because it’s unsafe (the Party has provided no assurance to us as to how or if it checks voters are who they say they are).
– unlawful because we asked the Conservative Party to provide information about the demographics of the electorate, the efforts taken to validate party members and the process of securing the election from interference. They refused. In doing so, we believe they’ve breached the common law principle of open government and human rights enshrined in law guaranteeing information is made available to the public about the operation of our democracy.
– we know more about the membership of the Chinese Communist Party – age, gender, geography, job – than we do about the Conservative Party members choosing our prime minister
– Party insiders estimate the membership has grown by 50-70,000 people in the last three years, but no one can say who they are; no one, in fact, can say how many of the members are on the electoral register
– if Liz Truss moves into No. 10 next week, she’ll have the weakest mandate of any modern prime minister, not being the choice of the majority of Conservative MPs but carried into office by 80,000 or so people who pay £25 a year to be Conservative Party members.
– when we asked a Party official who oversees the Party’s compliance processes to ensure voters are who they say they are, we were told: “Nobody”. The former head of one of the UK’s national security agencies said the Conservative Party is not resourced to run an election of this importance.
James Harding, Editor of Tortoise, said: “After we registered Archie, our pet tortoise, a couple of foreign nationals and the late Lady Thatcher as members of the Conservative Party – and the Party had taken the money, issued them all with new membership numbers and invited them to the leader hustings – we were concerned about how the Conservative Party was running this election.
“We wrote to the Conservative Party to ask who the voters are and what they do to ensure they are who they say they are. They have refused to answer.
“This is no way to choose the person who, from next week, will be Prime Minister of a nuclear-armed G7 nation with a permanent seat on the UN Security Council.
“This election is obviously undemocratic. The Party’s insistence on secrecy is also unlawful. We are a newsroom; our job is to inform; if the Conservative Party refuses to disclose information in the public interest, we can’t just shrug, we need to take it to court.
“The public surely has the right to know who gets to choose who runs the country and what is done to ensure the election is clean and safe. ”
People from across Scotland will be invited to join a Citizens’ Panel which will look to improve how the Parliament works with people across Scotland.
The 24-person panel, to be selected at random, will broadly reflect the demographic make-up of Scotland. The Citizens’ Panel on Participation will give members of the public a direct opportunity to influence change.
They will report to the Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee who recently launched an inquiry into public participation.
The panel is just one of the many ways the Committee is gathering views that will help inform how the Parliament involves, reflects and meets the needs of all the communities it represents, with a focus on improving engagement for those currently under-represented.
Participants do not need any prior knowledge to take part and the panel will receive support throughout the sessions, which will hear from speakers who are passionate about democracy and public participation, to help facilitate discussion and inform findings.
Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Convener, Jackson Carlaw MSP, said:“This is a unique opportunity to help shape the way the Scottish Parliament works with the people of Scotland and I would encourage everyone who receives an invitation over the coming weeks to register and get involved.
“We know that the Parliament doesn’t hear enough from some groups and communities and this Citizens’ Panel will bring together a diverse range of voices to make recommendations over how Holyrood can better connect and reflect the views of the people MSPs are here to represent.
“If selected, your views could help to directly shape the future of the way the Scottish Parliament engages with communities across Scotland and improve public participation in decision making across the board.”
5th ANNUAL COUNCILLOR AWARDS – NOMINATIONS ARE OPEN NOW!
THE only national awards ceremony celebrating the work of councillors across Scotland has officially launched its call for nominations.
Local Government Information Unit (LGIU) Scotland and CCLA are proud to host the 5th annual Cllr Awards honouring the achievements of individual councillors who go above and beyond for their communities.
This year’s categories showcase the vital work of councillors including the coveted Community Champion, Leader of the Year and Young Councillor of the Year awards.
Nominations can be made by anyone (members of the public, councillors and council officers) who would like to recognise a councillor who has made a real difference to their area over the last year.
The deadline for nominations is Wednesday 7 September with the shortlist due to be unveiled at the end of September.
The winners will be decided by a panel of judges made up of senior councillors and officers and leading stakeholders from across the sector. On Wednesday 12 October the winner will be revealed at the annual awards ceremony taking place at Marryat Hall (Caird Hall) with 2022 hosts Dundee City Council
. It will be held as a hybrid event with virtual link ups to the live ceremony.
This year’s Awards are made possible thanks to the generous support of founding partners, CCLA.
Jonathan Carr-West, Chief Executive of LGIU Scotland, said: “From how our towns look to the home care we receive and the funding of much valued community projects, the work of councillors is felt across all of our lives on a daily basis.
“Councillors and councils are key to keeping the machinery of everyday life going, ensuring the most vulnerable in the community are looked after and making sure the places where we live and work are thriving, safe and inclusive.
“Much of the work done by elected members is behind the scenes, which is why we created the Cllr Awards. So that every year we can take time to recognise this work and celebrate their achievements.
“The LGIU is proud to once again open nominations for the annual Cllr Awards to honour the commitment of our locally elected representatives. Our local democracy and our local democratic structures are stronger because of our councillors.
“We look forward to seeing a record number of nominations this year and getting to know the many inspiring stories behind them.”
