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Angus HardieDirector of Scottish Rural Action

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Commission on Strengthening Local Democracy

Cllr David O’Neill

Strengthening Local Democracy in Scotland

Cllr David O’NeillChair of the Commission on Strengthening Local Democracy

President of COSLA

www.localdemocracy.info@localcommission

commission@localdemocracy.info

It is communities that empower governments, not governments that empower

people

• 50 years of centralisation has not tackled the biggest problems that Scotland faces

• For a country with Scotland’s relative wealth and strength, today’s inequalities are intolerable

• Improving outcomes locally requires a radical new approach to how we do democracy

The Commission on Strengthening Local Democracy

Scotland and Europe…

Voter turnout in local elections

Just for Comparison• Norway: 19 counties and 434 municipalities

(population 4,676,305)

• Finland: 20 regions and 342 municipalities (population 5,255,068)

• Denmark: 98 municipalities and 5 regions (population 5,515,575)

7 Principles for a Stronger Democracy

Sovereignty

Subsidiarity

Transparency

Participation

Spheres not tiers of

governance

Interdependency

Wellbeing

www.localdemocracy.info @localcommission

Read our report and get involved

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Future of the Scottish Rural Parliament

Willy Roe & Vanessa Halhead

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Ideas, to policy, to delivery

Peter Peacock

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Mr Michael Russell

Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning

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John Hutchison

Chair of Scottish Rural Action

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www.scottishruralparliament.org.ukT @ScotRuralParlF Scottish Rural Parliament