|
About the Programme
With the support of the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust, the Renewing Democracy Policy Programme was established in 2006 to examine the five key questions of democratic renewal:
· Structural change - would Elected Mayors (Provosts) work for Scotland's cities?
· Systemic change - will the introduction of the STV form of PR save Scottish Local Government?
· Public engagement - is direct democracy really workable as a partner to representative democracy?
· Decentralisation - can local, regional and national government work better together to deliver the democratic will of the people?
· Taxation - what way forward is best for local and regional government?
Steering Group
[2006 - 2007]
Sarah Boyack MSP, Scottish Labour MSP for Edinburgh Central
John Curtice, University of Strathclyde
Cara Gillespie, The Scottish Green Party
Professor Richard Kerley, Queen Margaret University
Mark Lazarowicz MP, Labour MP for Edinburgh North & Leith
Ross Martin, Policy Director, Centre for Scottish Public Policy
Sir Neil McIntosh CBE, The Electoral Commission
Kenneth Munro, Chair, Centre for Scottish Public Policy
Ken Ritchie, Electoral Reform Society, Scotland
Amy Rodger, Electoral Reform Society, Scotland
Michael Russell MSP, SNP MSP for South of Scotland
Martin Sime, Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations
Paolo Vestri, Scottish Local Government Information Unit
Melanie Ward, NUS Scotland President 2004 – 06
Papers
A CSPP report, 'Renewing Our Democracy' (published May 2007), details the systems and structures that will be required to renew our democracy, citing examples of best practice, promoting new ideas for and redesigning existing aspects of our mainly outdated methods of public engagement. It describes how Scottish Parliament and its partner Councils can begin to restore public faith in the framework of representative democracy and how actual public engagement can reshape it. Click here to access the report on the Papers web page.
Events
CSPP organised a range of different opportunities for people involved in, and those who feel themselves on the fringes of the political process, to meet with politicians, policy advisers and others at the decision-making end of our democracy. These events were all designed to maximise public engagement in this project, opening out the opportunity to discuss these issues directly with the people who run our democratic institutions. Key policy drivers, highlighted in our Public Service Reform Policy Programme, ran through discussions, helping to focus minds on how the use of power brings with it a responsibility to exercise it in a manner that can build confidence, strengthen accountability and renew trust in the political process. Events held throughout 2006 - 07 included:
City Mayors for Scotland - a Force for Action or a Political Gimmick?
STV in Action
Devolution Doesn't Equal Decentralisation
Local Government Finance in Scotland - Where Now?
Reconnecting People with Politics
We have recently secured funding for the 2008 - 09 programme from the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust. Further news of the programme will be published shortly.
|
