Run a Citizens’ Assembly on the role of local government

Our verdict

Status

This pledge is in progress. The 2021-22 Programme for Government, released in September 2021, included detail on plans for a Citizens’ Assembly on local authority funding. The administration committed to establishing a working group on the topic deliberative engagement on the topic, including council tax, indicating that this would culminate in a Citizens’ Assembly to address the subject. In practice, this promise overlaps with the pledge to run a Citizens’ Assembly on council tax, and it is unclear if there are plans to address the wider role of local government. However, consideration of local authority funding is associated with “the role of local government”, meaning this promise is also judged to be in progress.

A Fairer, Greener Scotland: Programme for Government 2021-22 (Scottish Government, 7th September 2021)

Citizens’ Assembly of Scotland – Doing Politics Differently report: Scottish Government Response (Scottish Government , 23rd November 2021)

Other pledges

The SNP also promised to respond to the report of the first Citizens’ Assembly, hold citizens’ assemblies annually, institute one for the under-16s and run them on a variety of other topics, including council tax, assisted dying, drug decriminalisation, and issues surrounding the type of country and independent Scotland would be.