Less Male, Pale and Stale? Women and the 2012 Scottish Local Government Elections

Abstract

Whilst devolution heralded a 'new dawn' in women's representation - with Nordic levels of women MSPs elected to the first Scottish Parliament (Brown 1999) - the story has remained very different at local government level. The percentage of women councillors has flat-lined, hovering at around 22 per cent overall, since the creation of unitary authorities in 1995. The 2012 local elections saw a modest improvement: women are now just over 24 per cent of Scottish councillors, up from 21.8 per cent in 2007. These numbers represent a new high in women's representation in local government - but we ask whether it adds up to a breakthrough and a sea change in attitudes of the political parties? Drawing on an analysis of candidate figures and electoral results, we evaluate the lessons learned, future prospects, and