Our Story

The Centre for Scottish Public Policy (CSPP) is Scotland's only independent, membership based, cross-party think tank. For over a decade we have been influencing public policy in Scotland.

We believe the nature of party politics in Scotland and in the UK is strangling inclusive political discourse and producing an apathetic democratic culture.

We aim to challenge orthodoxies by proposing practical and holistic policy solutions to the challenges facing Scotland in the 21st century.

Rigorous research projects and extensive engagement at Party Conferences, CSPP events, policy dinners and across our active social media base provide practical solutions that already have a cross section of support across the Scottish body politic.

Based virtually and home to Scotland's most successful internship programme for unemployed/underemployed graduates, we are a small but vibrant team arguing for:

• A lean, responsive, diverse and accountable public sector that embraces preventative spending, decentralisation and co-produced solutions.
• A renaissance in Scotland's town centres helping them find their place in a post-industrial, globalised economy.
• Connected cities and strong city regions to stabilise the Scottish economy and build a strong platform for sustainable economic growth

Our policy programmes have undergone significant transformation in recent years. Click here to read papers from our archive.