Patrick Harvie highlights close links between ministerial aides and parliamentary committees

http://www.heraldscotland.com/comment/columnists/scrutiny-at-holyrood-amounts-to-no-more-than-a-government-marking-its-own-work.122243811 This recent piece on the problems of parliamentary scrutiny in Scotland is by Patrick Harvie MSP,  Leader of the Green Party in Scotland.  Harvie highlights that Parliamentary Liaison Officers (MSPs assigned as ministerial aides in Scotland, known as Parliamentary

Featured / One comment

Patrick Harvie highlights close links between ministerial aides and parliamentary committees

http://www.heraldscotland.com/comment/columnists/scrutiny-at-holyrood-amounts-to-no-more-than-a-government-marking-its-own-work.122243811 This recent piece on the problems of parliamentary scrutiny in Scotland is by Patrick Harvie MSP,  Leader of the Green Party in Scotland.  Harvie highlights that Parliamentary Liaison Officers (MSPs assigned as ministerial aides in Scotland, known as Parliamentary

Featured / One comment

Welcome

Meantime in Scotland … is a site for people who take government in Scotland seriously.  It starts from the assumption that there is a scrutiny deficit in Scotland, of bodies based in Scotland, and aims to bring together material for

Featured

Welcome

Meantime in Scotland … is a site for people who take government in Scotland seriously.  It starts from the assumption that there is a scrutiny deficit in Scotland, of bodies based in Scotland, and aims to bring together material for

Featured

Audit Scotland on the NHS

Click to access nr_141030_nhs_finances.pdf Last October, Audit Scotland published a report on the NHS in Scotland which contained some serious messages.  As the press release summarised it: NHS boards are finding it increasingly difficult to cope with growing pressures, which

Audit Scotland on the NHS

Click to access nr_141030_nhs_finances.pdf Last October, Audit Scotland published a report on the NHS in Scotland which contained some serious messages.  As the press release summarised it: NHS boards are finding it increasingly difficult to cope with growing pressures, which

Peat Worrier on the quality of legislative scrutiny

http://lallandspeatworrier.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/justice-committee-fail.html From January:  Lallands Peat Worrier worries about the quality of the Justice’s Committee’s analysis of the existing law relating to assisted suicide. the Justice Committee’s summary of the Scottish legal position amounts to a big shrug about the complexity

Peat Worrier on the quality of legislative scrutiny

http://lallandspeatworrier.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/justice-committee-fail.html From January:  Lallands Peat Worrier worries about the quality of the Justice’s Committee’s analysis of the existing law relating to assisted suicide. the Justice Committee’s summary of the Scottish legal position amounts to a big shrug about the complexity

/ Law

The Law Society of Scotland on Legal Aid

http://www.lawscot.org.uk/news/2014/11/legal-aid-discussion-paper/ Legal aid is critical in securing access to justice for people without enough money to pay for a lawyer. The rules for legal aid have been tightened in all parts of the UK in recent years.  The Scottish Civil

/ Law

The Law Society of Scotland on Legal Aid

http://www.lawscot.org.uk/news/2014/11/legal-aid-discussion-paper/ Legal aid is critical in securing access to justice for people without enough money to pay for a lawyer. The rules for legal aid have been tightened in all parts of the UK in recent years.  The Scottish Civil

Iain Macwhirter on the risks to civil liberties in Scotland

http://www.heraldscotland.com/comment/columnists/we-must-beware-the-erosion-of-our-civil-liberties.118483329 A relatively recent piece by Iain Macwhirter, worrying about the potential for the erosion of civil liberties in Scotland. “CONSENSUAL” stop and search; gun totin’ polis appearing on Scottish streets; criminalisation of “offensive” songs at football matches, “super” identity

Iain Macwhirter on the risks to civil liberties in Scotland

http://www.heraldscotland.com/comment/columnists/we-must-beware-the-erosion-of-our-civil-liberties.118483329 A relatively recent piece by Iain Macwhirter, worrying about the potential for the erosion of civil liberties in Scotland. “CONSENSUAL” stop and search; gun totin’ polis appearing on Scottish streets; criminalisation of “offensive” songs at football matches, “super” identity

Jackie Kemp on the state of civil liberities in Scotland

http://www.jackiekemp.scot/index.php/blog/482-v3 Here journalist Jackie Kemp gives reasons why, as she argues, “where civil liberties are concerned, Scotland makes England look like a beacon of democracy. Scotland does not have strong independent bodies defending individual freedom” adding “I don’t hear many

Jackie Kemp on the state of civil liberities in Scotland

http://www.jackiekemp.scot/index.php/blog/482-v3 Here journalist Jackie Kemp gives reasons why, as she argues, “where civil liberties are concerned, Scotland makes England look like a beacon of democracy. Scotland does not have strong independent bodies defending individual freedom” adding “I don’t hear many

Scottish Review on gender inequality on public boards

http://www.scottishreview.net/KennethRoy7a.html A very detailed analysis here by Kenneth Roy of the Scottish Review of gender inequality on public boards in Scotland, and how far we have to go before we reach 50.50.  The analysis shows that “the majority [of boards

Scottish Review on gender inequality on public boards

http://www.scottishreview.net/KennethRoy7a.html A very detailed analysis here by Kenneth Roy of the Scottish Review of gender inequality on public boards in Scotland, and how far we have to go before we reach 50.50.  The analysis shows that “the majority [of boards

Love and Garbage on public funding for football club buy-outs

https://loveandgarbage.wordpress.com/2015/03/25/political-consensus-and-public-funding-to-buy-shares-in-scottish-football-clubs/ Love and Garbage appears to be only place reporting a recent development in the Scottish Parliament, in which the SNP, Labour and Conservatives  (Lib Dems not on the relevant committee) supported a Green Party amendment to a bill, which

Love and Garbage on public funding for football club buy-outs

https://loveandgarbage.wordpress.com/2015/03/25/political-consensus-and-public-funding-to-buy-shares-in-scottish-football-clubs/ Love and Garbage appears to be only place reporting a recent development in the Scottish Parliament, in which the SNP, Labour and Conservatives  (Lib Dems not on the relevant committee) supported a Green Party amendment to a bill, which