What will democracy and representation be in an independent Scotland?

Foundations for Freedom: Discussion Paper on the Process for Establishing an Independent Scotland's Constitution

Vicky Fairley — Thu, 30 Sep 2021 11:46:09 +0000

Foundations for Freedom: Discussion Paper on the Process for Establishing an Independent Scotland's Constitution

Primary Author or Creator

Bulmer, Dr. W. Elliott

Vicky Fairley Thu, 09/30/2021 - 12:46

Additional Author(s) / Creators

Commonweal

Alternative Published Date

May 2018

Category

Constitution

Type of Resource

Discussion Paper

Length (Pages, words, minutes etc...)

39 pages

Fast Facts

Suggests a written Constitution is central not peripheral to making the case for Independence and is the international norm. Proposes developing one provisionally via a Constitutional Conference before next referendum.

More details

The case for Scottish independence depends upon an independent Scotland being a healthy, robust democracy. A strong, inclusive and reassuring constitutional foundation is necessary to ensure that. A written Constitution is the international norm. It is expected and demanded. No matter, therefore, how far-fetched the idea of adopting a written Constitution might be in the UK as a whole, in the context of an independent Scotland it has become a basic necessity. The best course of action is to develop a fully worked provisional Constitution by means of a Constitutional Conference which should be as open, inclusive and representative as possible. However, it need not be a final settlement. There would be scope for a subsequent period of post-independence constitution-making, by means of an inclusive and participatory process, in which the issues that are avoided by the Conference in the name of stability and expediency – like, for example, the question of a republic or the expansion of socio-economic rights – could be addressed, should there be sufficient public demand.

Resource Address (URL)

https://commonweal.scot/policies/foundations-for-freedom-a-discussion-paper-on-…

Keywords

written constitution.

Language English

Populism, democracy and a pedagogy of renewal

Stephen Richard — Fri, 24 Sep 2021 18:53:39 +0000

Populism, democracy and a pedagogy of renewal

Primary Author or Creator

Margaret Petrie

Stephen Richard Fri, 09/24/2021 - 19:53

Additional Author(s) / Creators

Callum McGregor, Jim Crowther

Date Published

Thu, 05/23/2019 - 12:00

Category

Education

Democracy

Type of Resource

Academic Paper

Length (Pages, words, minutes etc...)

1mB

Fast Facts

we explore the implications of populism for adult education aimed at defending and extending democratic life. We question the conflation of agonistic democracy with left populism on several grounds, and we consider how a focus on education might help to ground their theory and clarify its ambiguities.

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Laclau and Mouffe have long argued the democratic possibilities of ‘left populism’ underpinned by their agonistic critique of liberal democracy. We are currently witnessing the attempted application of their theories by European political parties. However, there remains very little international scholarship taking up the challenge of situating these arguments in the broader literature on the relationship between democracy and education. We argue that this is an urgent task, particularly in the context of populist trends which appear inimical to educational practice. Thus, we explore the implications of populism for adult education aimed at defending and extending democratic life. We question the conflation of agonistic democracy with left populism on several grounds, and we consider how a focus on education might help to ground their theory and clarify its ambiguities. We argue that adult educators can surface aspects of the context which representations of populism on the one hand, and populist representations on the other, often hide. Our argument is illustrated through two vignettes of populist events and the educational problems and opportunities they posed.

International Journal of Lifelong Education, Volume 38, 2019 - Issue 5 Full article behind a paywall

Resource Address (URL)

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02601370.2019.1617798

Keywords

Populism

Democracy

Adult education

Language English

DEMOCRACY MAX A vision for a good Scottish democracy

Stephen Richard — Mon, 13 Sep 2021 10:27:06 +0000

DEMOCRACY MAX A vision for a good Scottish democracy

Primary Author or Creator

Electoral Reform Society

Stephen Richard Mon, 09/13/2021 - 11:27

Alternative Published Date

2013

Category

Democracy

Type of Resource

Policy Paper

Fast Facts

The findings from the People’s Gathering are organised into three broad themes: Sovereignty of the People – How do we return more power to the people? Defending our democracy – How do we stop vested interests having too much influence? How do we write the rules – How do we get the checks and balances our democracy needs?

More details

It is popular to believe in the apathy of the voting public when it comes to politics. It is popular to believe that the man or woman in the street has no interest in deliberative democratic techniques and the case for a written constitution. And a vox pop conducted on those two issues, described in those terms, would almost certainly bear those theories out.

But people are interested in power. They know when they are denied it. They know when decisions are taken not in their interests, but in the interests of powerful lobby groups, or political parties themselves. They know when politicians act in bad faith. The clichés of, “They’re all as bad each other”, or “They’re all in it for themselves”, may do our parliamentarians a disservice, but those sentiments exist because of a real and deep dissatisfaction with modern politics. It cannot be wished away as ignorance, or railing against authority for its own sake.

Traditional representative democracy is faced with failing confidence, and without the people’s confidence it cannot function. That is why it is important to take the opportunity of the independence referendum to talk about a vision for Scotland’s democracy. To argue not just over whether power should lie in Westminster or Holyrood, but how Scotland can strike out and create new ways of exercising power, in partnership with its people. This third phase of the Democracy Max roundtables has been less concerned with long-term structural change than the previous two. Instead it attempts to identify ways of reaching out and widening the scope of, and audience for, this debate. Change will not happen of its own accord. It is hoped that this inquiry will be an important early step in challenging the political system to deliver on the high hopes that voters still hold for democracy in Scotland.

Resource Address (URL)

https://www.electoral-reform.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Democracy-Max-A-…

Keywords

Democracy

Political lobbying

Political participation

Sovereignty of the people

Language English

Development councils a proposal for a new system of local democracy in Scotland

Stephen Richard — Sun, 15 Aug 2021 16:43:49 +0000

Development councils a proposal for a new system of local democracy in Scotland

Primary Author or Creator

Common Weal

Stephen Richard Sun, 08/15/2021 - 17:43

Additional Author(s) / Creators

Robin McAlpine, Linda Pearson, Craig Dalzell

Date Published

Wed, 10/31/2018 - 12:00

Category

Democracy

Type of Resource

Policy Paper

Fast Facts

Scotland has the worst degree of local democracy in Europe. To correct this, Scotland should create a new tier of local democracy at the community level. The size and shape of each new democratic area should be defined by communities themselves through a participatory process. Each area should then be represented by a Development Council, elected by every member of the community aged 16 or above.

More details

Scotland is almost unique in Europe for not having a truly local level of government. What we currently call our Local Authorities are equivalent to a European Regional Government. The Community Councils we have instead of local government are essentially powerless and in many places are dysfunctional or non-existent (though excellent examples of Community Councils do exist).

We propose a system of local government that draws from the best examples of Community Councils and Development Trusts to create what we are calling “Development Councils”. Wholesale reform of local government is possible with the powers of devolution but disentangling governance systems – especially IT and data systems – would be costly and complex. A compromise solution is to create a system of municipal governments at a local level but enable them to “pull down” powers from the renamed Regional Authorities upon request. Civil servants responsible for administering those powers would then speak to the Development Council. The size and boundaries of the Development Councils would be determined by local residents taking into account of population size and historic community. The Councils would be elected on fixed terms and would be governed and directed by an annual Citizens’ Assembly of residents of their constituency. Development Councils should be fully funded and given local tax raising powers.

Resource Address (URL)

https://commonweal.scot/policies/development-councils-a-proposal-for-a-new-syst…

Keywords

Language English