It is in reflective mood that I pen the final blog post. I’ve used this blog to share my thoughts on The Citizens Assembly of Scotland’s work and learning every step of the way along our journey. As our work draws to a close I have been very encouraged to see the Assembly report, published in January, welcomed so warmly by politicians, journalists and the wider public alike. Read more

I am very much looking forward to the last meeting of the Citizens’ Assembly. Members will be meeting online on Saturday, 5th December, to discuss support for the final recommendations to advance their vision for Scotland. This is the culmination of the remarkable journey we have taken, together, as Scotland’s first Assembly.As usual, we will be livestreaming the plenary sessions on our...

It has been two weeks since the penultimate meeting of the Citizens’ Assembly and we are at a critical point in proceedings. Weekend 7 drew together all the work of the Assembly, since the journey began in October 2019, as members prepared their recommendations in advance of voting to take place during our final weekend. The report published last week summarises the process the members...

We are coming to the final stages of Scotland’s first Citizens’ Assembly. Earlier this month members met to agree their vision for the future of the country. This was an important and momentous milestone in their work. It has been a huge privilege, and an absolute joy, to be on this journey with Assembly members.

The 6th weekend, the 2nd virtual meeting of the Citizens’ Assembly Meeting (3rd- 4th October 2020)Another weekend of remarkable democratic innovation playing out here in Scotland. A passionate but challenging weekend. A unique moment, as we come together again, resolute and resilient members, all for our beloved country! It is the time to refine the different aspects of our vision for,...

It is nearly two weeks since the Citizens’ Assembly reconvened online. We were breaking new ground and I am heartened that almost every member came with us as we did so.

The global decline in human activities as a result of COVID – 19 lockdowns, ranging from politics, industries, travels, hospitality, meetings to the general ways of doing things has had unexpected benefit for our society and the world in general. Here at the Citizens’ Assembly, resolutely dedicated women and men once again, came together making history as the very first Online Assembly meeting...

The global decline in human activities as a result of COVID – 19 lockdowns, ranging from politics, industries, travels, hospitality, meetings to the general ways of doing things has had unexpected benefit for our society and the world in general. Here at the Citizens’ Assembly, resolutely dedicated women and men once again, came together making history as the very first Online Assembly meeting...

It is nearly two weeks since the Citizens’ Assembly reconvened online. We were breaking new ground and I am heartened that almost every member came with us as we did so.

It feels so much longer than a year since Scotland’s first Citizens’ Assembly met in Edinburgh, back in September 2019. The world has certainly changed for us all, in many ways, since then. I think it is important for the Assembly to reflect on these changes and challenges, and through the use of technology finish it’s important work.

A few weeks ago I had pause for thought as I reflected on what should have been the sixth and last weekend of the Citizens’ Assembly of Scotland. I don’t think any of us could have imagined, at the start of the year, the landscape we now find ourselves in.Read more

Welcome to our latest blog post where we can tell you more about what we’ve been doing over the past few weeks. The preparations for the first Assembly meeting are well underway and we wanted to update you with some of the highlights in our progress. We have said all along that the Members are key to the Assembly and we’re excited that they have now been recruited.

Welcome to our second blog post. We have had a busy couple of weeks since our last post and wanted to update you with some of the things that we have been doing and a few of our thoughts on the Assembly as these are being developed.Since our last blog, we held a press conference that was covered in various papers across Scotland and internationally. At the event we spoke with Canada’s CBC, about...

I cannot complain about the lockdown. In fact, quite the opposite - I am well so far, didn't catch the virus, have had enough time to sleep all I want (very good) and to eat all I want (good until the effects show). I do enjoy the extra time, I have even started to learn Gaelic, which never before I had time for, I have been painting much more, and also caught up with lost friend or two...Read...

It feels so much longer than a year since Scotland’s first Citizens’ Assembly met in Edinburgh, back in September 2019. The world has certainly changed for us all, in many ways, since then. I think it is important for the Assembly to reflect on these changes and challenges, and through the use of technology finish it’s important work.

I cannot complain about the lockdown. In fact, quite the opposite - I am well so far, didn't catch the virus, have had enough time to sleep all I want (very good) and to eat all I want (good until the effects show). I do enjoy the extra time, I have even started to learn Gaelic, which never before I had time for, I have been painting much more, and also caught up with lost friend or two...Read...

A few weeks ago I had pause for thought as I reflected on what should have been the sixth and last weekend of the Citizens’ Assembly of Scotland. I don’t think any of us could have imagined, at the start of the year, the landscape we now find ourselves in.Read more

The focus for Weekend 4 was to build on members’ discussions to date and consider in more detail Scotland’s finances and choices about tax in relation to the priority statement previously discussed; “the Scotland we are seeking Read more

Excitement is building for the next meeting of the Citizens’ Assembly this weekend. A lot of work has gone into the design and preparation of evidence from our invited speakers. We will be focussing on Scotland’s finances and choices about taxation, important areas which have come up a lot in members’ discussions to date, and which they have said they want to know more about.

Friday