How will Scotland be governed?
What is a Section 35, and how does it affect Scotland’s gender recognition law
Author / Creator: The Ferret
Media type: report
Date published: 2022
An explanation of Section 35 and its implications for devolution.
The Crown remains of worth to Scotland despite republican sentiments
Author / Creator: Scott Crichton Styles
Media type: Newspaper article
Date published:
The death of Queen Elizabeth II, and the accession of King Charles III, has provoked discussion about whether an independent Scotland should be a Monarchy or a Republic.
How Covid changed Scotland: Our local government must be reimagined
Author / Creator: Ben Wray
Media type: Article
Date published:
Ben Wray explains why local government has to be reimagined
We have devolution from Westminster but not from Holyrood: Scotland as a centralised state
Author / Creator: James Mitchell
Media type: Article
Date published:
James Mitchell decries the lack of local power in local government and advocates radical reform.
The Queen’s Jubilee Is The Time To Have A Debate About Britain’s Atrophied Democracy
Author / Creator: Gerry Hassan
Media type: Blog
Date published:
The monarch comes from the core of what the Empire State..., and as long as it survives in its present form it validates and reinforces the continuation of the Empire State at home – entrenching the rotten, unreformed political system and culture which continues to fail us.
Worth the wait? Reforming Intergovernmental Relations
Author / Creator: Nicola McEwen
Media type: Article
Date published:
Intergovernmental relations (IGR) have long been the weak link in the UK’s system of devolution. Overall, the reforms carry the potential for significant improvements to the system.
Scotland the Brave? Twenty Years of Change and the Future of the Nation
Author / Creator: Gerry Hassan
Media type: eBook
Date published: 2019
Politics took a decisive turn twenty years ago with the birth of the modern Scottish Parliament. People in Scotland want to ‘make a difference’ and build a better future. Scotland the Brave? offers both an acute assessment of where we are today and a route map to the future.
Scotland at Westminster
Author / Creator: Adam Evans
Media type: Book
Date published: 2020
The influence of Scotland in the Westminster parliament through its institutions and mechanisms.
Intergovernmental Relations: Two Decades of Co-operation, Competition, and Constitutional Change
Author / Creator: Jim Gallagher
Media type: Book
Date published: 2020
Constitutional change has been a defining feature of Scottish and UK relations over the last ten years
The ‘Scottish Approach’ to Policymaking
Author / Creator: Paul Cairney
Media type: Book
Date published: 2020
The Scottish government approach to policymaking is distinctive in the way it uses evidence to inform policy and policymaking.
The Leadership and Management of Public Services Reform in Scotland
Author / Creator: John Connolly
Media type: Book
Date published: 2020
Reform of public services in Scotland have been undermined by a focus on constitutional matters and an empowerment agenda.
The Civil Service and Government Structures
Author / Creator: Richard Parry
Media type: Book
Date published: 2020
The civil service in Scotland is part of the UK civil service and acts with those norms in mind.
Scotland the Brief
Author / Creator: Gordon MacIntyre-Kemp
Media type: book
Date published: 2020
All you need to know about Scotland's economy, its finances, independence and Brexit.
The Limits of Rights
Author / Creator: Craig Dalzel
Media type: News Media
Date published:
The limits of devolution should be pushed, but with a strategy of expanding powers, rather than oppportunistically.
A Holyrood you trust or Westminster you do not? Open Minds on Independence #23
Author / Creator: Believe in Scotland
Media type: News Media
Date published:
How does the Scottish Government score in the Worldwide Governance Indicators?
1: Voice and Accountability - good
2: Political Stability - good. Better than England
3:Government Effectiveness - good and more trusted than England
4: Regulatory Quality - good although an independent Scotland would need some new regulatory bodies
5: Rule of Law - good. It has a well-regarded legal sysem
Foundations for Freedom: Discussion Paper on the Process for Establishing an Independent Scotland's Constitution
Author / Creator: W. Elliott Bulmer
Media type: Discussion Paper
Date published: May 2018
A written Constitution is central to making the case for Independence and is the international norm. Proposals for developing one provisionally via a Constitutional Conference before next referendum are given.
The White Paper Project: Version 1.0
Author / Creator: Common Weal
Media type: Policy Paper
Date published: 2018
The White Paper Project is an attempt by Common Weal to explore the methodology, content and structure of a revised White Paper for Scottish independence.
Preparing Scotland digitally for independence
Author / Creator: Gordon Morgan
Media type: Policy Paper
Date published: November 2017
Most tax collection, borders and customs, and foreign affairs, which are mostly reserved areas, would need to new IT systems established upon independence. The methods and costs are examined.
Foundations for Freedom: A discussion paper on the process for establishing an independent Scotland’s Constitution
Author / Creator: W. Elliot Bulmer
Media type: Discussion Paper
Date published: May 2018
A provisional constitution should be worked out by a Constitutional Convention before the next Referendum
A Citizens’ Assembly for the Scottish Parliament
Author / Creator: Common Weal
Media type: Policy Paper
Date published: 2020?
A Citizens’ Assembly will gather citizens’ opinions, enabling political decisions to be made after getting citizens’ considered and informed judgement. The overarching benefit of a Citizens’ Assembly in the Scottish Parliament would be a profound increase in the legitimacy of Scottish laws .