Democracy in Scotland National Qualifications

Lesson Starter Explain in your own words the difference between the Scottish Parliament and the Scottish Government.

Today we will… Outline founding principles of the Scottish Parliament

Success Criteria Identify the different founding principles of the Scottish Parliament by working as a group to explain each founding principle.

Principles of the Scottish Parliament The UK Parliament has evolved over centuries. By contrast, in 1999, Scotland had the chance to start a new Parliament, looking all over the world at the most democratic ways of running a country. There are four principles which guide the work of the Scottish Parliament. Accountability, Sharing Power, Participation and Access, Equal Representation

1. Accountability The Scottish Parliament is answerable to the people of Scotland. MSPs are accountable – MSPs must follow a set of rules called a code of conduct and the Standards Committee can consider complaints against MSPs. The Scottish Government is accountable – it must answer questions from MSPs and the Parliament uses committee meetings to scrutinise Scottish Government policies and question Ministers. E.g. August 2009 – SNP Kenny MacAskill being questioned in the SP about the release of Lockerbie bomber, Abdelbaset Ali al Megrahi This means that the Scottish Parliament should have procedures in place to make sure that there are checks on the work of MSPs and Ministers. Ministers and the First Minister are held to account during Question Time when they must answer questions from MSPs.

2. Sharing Power Power is shared between the Scottish Government, the Scottish Parliament and the people of Scotland. The Government, MSPs and members of the public can propose bills All MSPs and parties have a chance to be heard in the debating chamber The electoral system of the Scottish Parliament (AMS) should share power between the different political parties that people have voted for rather than there being one dominant party. Smaller parties such as Green Party often gain a seat in Parliament after election.

3.Participation and Access The Scottish Parliament should be accessible and involve the people of Scotland as much as possible. The Scottish Parliament makes sure it is open by having… Parliament meetings open to the public. A public information service to answer questions about the Parliament, in the Visitor Centre, via , telephone or letter. They can also be viewed on the Scottish Parliament website. People can also go online to submit an e-petition for consideration by Parliament.

4. Equal Representation The Scottish Parliament aims to have equal opportunities and promote fairness in all aspects of work. There is a much higher percentage of females in the Scottish Parliament than in Westminster. The Scottish Parliament elected its first ethnic minority MSP in 2007, Bashir Ahmad. An Equal Opportunities Committee ensures that the interests of all the people of Scotland are represented fairly, regardless of sex, age, ethnic background, religious beliefs or lifestyle. The working hours of the Scottish Parliament are designed to let parents spend time with their families.

Each group will be given a founding principle. Take notes on the main points: The Principle What it means You will then change groups and you must explain the principle to the rest of your group. Task 1: Expert Groups

Was I successful? Identify the different founding principles of the Scottish Parliament by working as a group to explain each founding principle.