Reinvigorating Devolution: Why Scotland Needs a New Debate on Power and Place

Primary Author or Creator:
Davide Vampa
Additional Author(s) / Creators
Paul Anderson, Arianna Giovannini, Sean Kippin
Publisher:
Centre on Constitutional Change
Alternative Published Date
2025
Category:
Type of Resource:
Blog
Fast Facts

power and prosperity have become ever more concentrated in and around Edinburgh.

More details

Our report proposes eight guiding principles for reform. At their core is a simple idea: power in Scotland should be shared more evenly – not only between Edinburgh and London, but also between Holyrood and local communities.

Such change should promote territorial equity, democratic subsidiarity, and local legitimacy, while recognising Scotland’s institutional distinctiveness and diverse geography. It must also invest in local capacity and public engagement, ensuring that citizens themselves shape the future of their local democracy.

Scotland now faces a critical moment. As the constitutional debate evolves, there is a growing opportunity to reimagine devolution from the ground up – making it not just about where Scotland sits within the UK, but about how power, opportunity, and voice are distributed within Scotland itself.

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