The People’s Gathering was an event held in the Merchants Hall, Edinburgh on Saturday 14th July that I attended which brought together people from all over Scotland to discuss a future Scotland.
The morning session asked attendees to consider how a Scottish democracy might look in 2030 and discuss what particular aspects of this utopian ideal they liked the most.
The afternoon session subsequently saw attendees consider the obstacles which would need to be overcome to achieve such ideals.
Different ideas for Scotland’s future ranged from increased engagement in the political process through a better informed electorate, social justice and a better informed policy process, to praise for the principle of subsidiarity, an end to money being able to buy political influence, and an open process to consider the potential of written constitution – as a “living document” for Scotland.
The People’s Gathering is the beginning of a process for the Electoral Reform Society‘s “Democracy Max” programme (which continues later this year with several round table events), the early signs are that it is doing something which the two sides of the referendum campaign would like to do: engage the Scottish electorate in discussions about Scotland’s future.
The attendees came from all over Scotland – as could be seen by the pins on a map showing where they had come from – and were happy to give up their time on a sunny summer Saturday to discuss ways to improve Scotland’s democracy. This suggests there is an appetite within the Scottish electorate for this kind of debate.
And the big lesson for politicians and commentators alike is that I did not hear the phrase “an independent Scotland” or “indpendence” mention once during the day. The Scottish public appear to be happy – eager – to engage in discussions, to consider how we might improve democracy, our political institutions and our society.
Scotland 2030: The People’s Gathering
The People’s Gathering was an event held in the Merchants Hall, Edinburgh on Saturday 14th July that I attended which brought together people from all over Scotland to discuss a future Scotland.
The morning session asked attendees to consider how a Scottish democracy might look in 2030 and discuss what particular aspects of this utopian ideal they liked the most.
The afternoon session subsequently saw attendees consider the obstacles which would need to be overcome to achieve such ideals.
Different ideas for Scotland’s future ranged from increased engagement in the political process through a better informed electorate, social justice and a better informed policy process, to praise for the principle of subsidiarity, an end to money being able to buy political influence, and an open process to consider the potential of written constitution – as a “living document” for Scotland.
The People’s Gathering is the beginning of a process for the Electoral Reform Society‘s “Democracy Max” programme (which continues later this year with several round table events), the early signs are that it is doing something which the two sides of the referendum campaign would like to do: engage the Scottish electorate in discussions about Scotland’s future.
The attendees came from all over Scotland – as could be seen by the pins on a map showing where they had come from – and were happy to give up their time on a sunny summer Saturday to discuss ways to improve Scotland’s democracy. This suggests there is an appetite within the Scottish electorate for this kind of debate.
And the big lesson for politicians and commentators alike is that I did not hear the phrase “an independent Scotland” or “indpendence” mention once during the day. The Scottish public appear to be happy – eager – to engage in discussions, to consider how we might improve democracy, our political institutions and our society.