Building sub-national government
Yes or no, the Scottish Independence Referendum has been good for democracy on both sides of the border
Scotland finally goes to the polls today to decide on its status as either a newly independent nation, or a part of the United Kingdom. The result looks set to be close, but whatever happens, argue Sean Kippin and Carl Cullinane, the referendum has been a remarkable boon for democracy and political engagement on both sides […]
The best of Democratic Audit’s coverage of the Scottish independence referendum
Democratic Audit has been at the forefront of providing high quality analysis of the Scottish independence referendum, which takes place this Tuesday. Here, Democratic Audit’s Sean Kippin collates the best of DA’s work in the area. (Click on the headline to read the story). Similar PostsThe ‘radical’ proponents of Scottish independence dramatically overstated its potential […]
Scots living overseas or elsewhere in the UK should have been given the right to vote in the independence referendum
Record numbers of voters have registered to take part in the Scottish independence referendum this month, and a very high turnout is expected. But the franchise for the election does not include Scottish citizens overseas or those living in the rest of the UK. In this post Craig Berry and Richard Berry argue that the exclusion of these voters […]
A guide to making a decision on how to vote in the Scottish Independence referendum
The Scottish independence referendum is drawing very close indeed, with the ‘No’ side holding a narrow advantage heading into the final straight. Here, Paul Cairney attempts to clear up how to make the decision as to how to vote for the minority who have not yet made up their minds. Similar PostsIf Westminster politicians think […]
Parish councils can empower local communities, but we need more of them in cities
Parish councils, the lowest level of local government in the UK, tend to be synonymous with rural communities. But the government has taken steps to make it easier to create new councils, which have been seized upon by campaigners in a number of urban areas. In this post, Richard Berry discusses the trend and considers the […]
The perception that an independent Scotland would be fairer could prove decisive in the independence referendum
ScotCen Social Research has been tracking attitudes towards the governance of Scotland since 1999, with numerous lessons for both the Yes and No campaigns. Rachel Ormston summarises some of the most important findings of that research, and concludes that the perception of whether independence would mean greater or lesser degree of fairness and equality could […]
In the Scottish independence debate, political identity is key
The debate about Scottish independence is fundamentally about political identity, writes David Miller. The political arrangement that best respects the multiple identities that most Scots have is one that gives expression to each fragment, rather than responding just to one. Similar PostsGeneral election 2019: a different contest in ScotlandRisk-takers and referendums: what happens when voters are better-informed?Book […]
Could Scotland buck the trend and vote ‘Yes’?
The polls have been narrowing in Scotland’s independence referendum debate with the vote just over two weeks away. Alan Renwick reflects here on whether the ‘Yes’ campaign really could pull off an unexpected victory. Similar PostsHow to design a constitutional convention for the UKBattle of the mandate: defining the dispute over a new Scottish independence referendumBeyond anecdotes […]
Even if the ‘Yes’ campaign loses the referendum, it may have won the bigger battle over power and money
Is the UK really in danger of dis-uniting? Matthew Flinders argues that the answer is ‘no’. But the more interesting answer is that the independence referendum is, to some extent, a red herring. The nationalists may well ‘lose’ the referendum but they have already ‘won’ the bigger political battle over power and money. All the main political […]
Scotland might vote no, but the key question is ‘what happens next?’
Those in favour of Scottish independence look set to lose September’s referendum, despite the recent tightening in the polls following the second debate between First Minister Alex Salmond and the BetterTogether Chair Alistair Darling. But, argues Adam Tomkins, the more important question is what happens next. Similar PostsWe need a root and branch review of referendums […]
Democratic Audit's core funding is provided by the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust. Additional funding is provided by the London School of Economics.