Widening democratic aspirations

At present there is much more radical change being delivered in supporting community ownership of land and buildings than there is in relation to other decisions affecting people's lives.

We support DM2’s ambition to improve democracy but believe it should be about much more than community ownership and going it alone with service solutions, laudable though this often is.  To be credible and effective, it must also include clear outcomes that increase influence over public and other services in line with place-based community aspirations and rights. 

This should include innovation in how public services might be co-produced with communities to increase value for money and the inclusion of all people living locally.

Democratic development must maximise consent, build on positive conditions where they exist, and be properly supported in terms of advice, learning and resources for enabling empowerment. This should include a package of local learning for democracy to support the legislation as outlined in the Adult Learning Strategy for Scotland 2022-2027 (Action Seven) to be delivered in local schools, colleges and other adult learning locations.

Contents

• DM2 response home

• Context and ambition

• The existing policy context

• Core principles

• New powers

• Representativeness and accountability

• Support for Communities

• Conclusion & next steps