Scotland’s Citizens Assembly continues to make progress.

Photo Scot Gov

Citizens Assemblies have been used in England and successfully in Ireland where they were able to discuss controversial issues which politicians were failing to reach agreement on.

Scotland’s Citizens Assembly will be independent of Government and is co-chaired by ex Labour MEP David Martin and Kate Wimpress.

David Martin Co-Convener Citizens Assembly

Kate Wimpress Convener Citizens Assembly

Participants will be randomly chosen and reflect the diversity of Scottish society. The first meetings will take place next month.

You can read more about it here: Scotland’s Citizens Assembly Recruits Members

On Wednesday 11th of September, the Scottish Parliament , debated the Citizens Assembly and:

 notes that the Assembly’s report will be laid before the Parliament; commits to the Scottish Government considering the recommendations in that report and to holding a debate to allow the Parliament to respond to those recommendations, and agrees that, within three months of receiving the report, the Scottish Government should publish a plan setting out how those recommendations that have been agreed by the Parliament will be implemented, and should lay that plan before the Parliament.

The Citizens Assembly is welcomed and supported by the SNP, Labour and the Scottish Greens. The Conservatives abstained on the vote in the Scottish Parliament and the Liberal Democrats voted against the Citizens Assembly.

You can watch the whole debate here: 

Reporter: Fiona Grahame