A group of academics, trade unionists, former council leaders and journalists have launched a campaign to tackle the creeping centralisation that has left Scotland as one of the least locally governed countries in the world. 
 
Building a Local Scotland believes local democracy is not working, even though decentralisation was promised as part of the Scottish devolution settlement. In fact, the opposite has happened. We must encourage politicians of all parties to honour their pledge before another quarter of a century passes. 
 
Unbeknown to most citizens, Scotland has some of the largest councils in the world with an average population of 170,000, against a European average of just 10,000. Highland Council, for example, covers a third of Scotland’s landmass and 11% of Great Britain. It is physically larger than Wales (with 22 local authorities), North Macedonia (80 municipalities) and Belgium (with 1 federal government, 3 language-based communities, 3 regional governments and 581 local councils). Six other Scottish councils including Aberdeenshire, Argyll and Bute and Dumfries and Galloway are also larger than the country of Luxembourg, (with 12 cantons and 116 communes (councils).

This is not local democracy. 

Scotland also has the smallest councillor cohort in Europe. England has an average of 2,814 people per councillor, Norway 572 and Denmark 2,216; but the average Scottish councillor looks after 4,155 constituents. This means councillors, through no fault of their own, must take decisions about areas they barely know. And now, with the prospect of swingeing cuts in public spending, it’s likely they’ll take
community-altering decisions without any locals in the room.  

 Building a Local Scotland believes this must change and challenges every political party to admit the current system is unfit for purpose and breaches the contract made with the Scottish people 25 years ago.

We are delighted early signatories to our Declaration: Building a New Local Democracy in Scotland include:

  • Joe Cullinane, North Ayrshire Council Labour Group Leader
  • Peter Grant, former leader of Fife Council and former SNP MP
  • Alex Rowley, former leader Fife Council and Labour MSP
  • Aileen McLeod, director of WEAll Scotland, former MEP, MSP and former Scottish Government Minister for the Environment
  • David O’Neill, Former COSLA President & commissioner of Strengthening Local Democracy report
  • Richard Kerley, Honorary professor at QMU and Co-chair of Centre for Scottish Public Policy
  • Eddie Barnes, Director of the John Smith Centre
  • Jean Urquhart, former MSP and former Vice Convener Highland Council
  • Andy Wightman, former Green MSP and land reform campaigner
  • Ian Cooke, former CEO Development Trusts Association Scotland (DTAS)
  • Andy Myles, former CEO Scottish Lib Dems
  • Michael Roy, Professor Social Innovation Stirling Management School
  • Craig Dalzell, Head of Policy and Research at Common Weal Scotland
  • Angus Hardie, former CEO of Scottish Community Alliance
  • Theona Morrison, Chair, Scottish Rural Action
  • Pat Kane: musician, writer and co-initiator of Spring

We invite the wider public to join them. 

Building a Local Scotland has been set up by Scots from both sides of the constitutional divide, ‘an ‘unexpected collection’ according to member Ewan Aitken, former Labour head of Education and
council leader at City of Edinburgh Council. 

Other founding members include

  • Willie Sullivan from the Electoral Reform Society
  • Esther Roberton, former coordinator of the Scottish Constitutional Convention (SCC)
  • Dave Watson, Director, Jimmy Reid Foundation
  • Ann McGuinness, Director, Scottish Rural Action
  • Peter McColl former Rector, Edinburgh University
  • Prof Mike Danson, economist
  • Joyce McMillan, journalist
  • and Lesley Riddoch, writer and Director of Nordic Horizons.

THE DECLARation

Building a New Local Democracy in Scotland

We the undersigned enthusiastically support the purpose and legitimacy of the Scottish Parliament, and commend the many successes of devolved government during its first 25 years. 

We believe that Scotland now needs to fulfil the promise that devolution would also bring a return to genuine local democracy.

We note that the average Scottish ‘local’ council has 170k citizens. The EU average is 10k. Community Councils have £400 pa and no statutory powers. Scotland has no truly local democracy. 

We therefore call for the creation of powerful City, town, island and local councils across Scotland – not further centralisation, nor the top-down imposition of elected mayors.

We call for citizens’ assemblies, to gather local and international evidence about Scotland’s local democratic deficit, and to recommend a process to return Scotland to international democratic norms.

The Writings

To accompany the declaration the members of the steering group have written a series of essays on the topic what “Why Build a Local Scotland?“

These essays will be published on 9th September in conjunction with our launch.

Background

In early 2024 a group of unlikely allies convened with a shared purpose, to bring into sharp focus the democratic deficit that sits at the heart of Scottish Politics, whichever side of the constitutional divide you reside on.

In this, 25th anniversary year of the Scottish Parliament, it was clear to us that the promise of devolution had never been fully realised. We resolved to do something to change that.

Over the next 8 months the team worked together to form a declaration that we could all get behind – a statement of intent that would shape the next steps forward. The intention is to build a movement culminating in holding a citizens assembly which will gather evidence and deliberate on how real power can be devolved to the people living in our communities.

We call on organisations and citizens from across Scotland to join us in the campaign – demand a reversal of centralisation, redress the balance of power and Build a Local Scotland.

Sign the Declaration
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