Creating pro power sharing culture change

The current consultation has not delivered mass participation, but it has generated a lot of enthusiasm for change that would improve influence and innovation in communities. We would suggest that it is not only the mechanics of change that would need to be addressed. Democratic renewal can best be achieved if it is underpinned by other important relationships and dialogues including:

• A common acceptance that how decision-making powers currently work is not able to achieve the aims of the Scottish Approach to service improvement, placemaking and community empowerment.

• Recognition that this will involve building new parity of esteem and power sharing between elected members, community representatives, existing citizens, and New Scots.

• A willingness to produce a tangible action plan that will lead to radical change not only in developing new structures, but in how existing structures work.

• Consideration of how we support and enable constructive relationships between citizens, community representatives, elected members, political organisations and wider civil society.

This should all be clearly expressed in a Local Democracy Bill with clear vision, duties, rights, partnership implementation pathways and judicial remedies available to communities if reasonable steps to ensure delivery are not being taken.

Contents

• DM2 response home

• Context and ambition

• The existing policy context

• Core principles

• New powers

• Representativeness and accountability

• Support for Communities

• Conclusion & next steps