Citizens' Assembly of Scotland - Doing Politics Differently report: Scottish Government response

Conclusion

This response has set out three main legacies from the report of the first Citizens' Assembly of Scotland:

• demonstrating the potential of the Citizens' Assembly model to consider complex issues and make recommendations built on deliberation and finding areas of broad agreement
• specific themes and recommendations for action in the areas the Assembly identified as its priorities
• its overall vision and ambition for Scotland, including the full involvement of citizens in the democratic process, with transparent, accessible information and institutions

The Scottish Government has already used the assembly model for Scotland's Climate Assembly and has set out its intentions for further participative democracy, including plans for Citizens' Assemblies.

This response sets out current plans for the themes and specific recommendations. The government can be held accountable, by the Parliament, public and former members of the Assembly for its progress both in delivering this programme and in acting on the Assembly's proposals, now and going forward.

Realising the vision and empowering citizens goes beyond immediate plans and the government alone. The next steps will include working with the Scottish Parliament and others, including the public, to address these central recommendations in the Assembly's report. The aim of this work must be to ensure that democratic institutions are properly connected and engaged with the people of Scotland, and to secure a lasting legacy of the Citizens' Assembly of Scotland: to do politics differently.