Scottish Councils Research Articles

Micro-level Initiatives to Facilitate the Integration of Resettled Refugees

Integration, a two-way process involving refugees and the host population, is a politically contentious issue. Successful integration of newcomers in a receiving community is required to create a cohesive society. Yet, there is still little understanding of how integration strategies are employed at a community level. This paper explores how micro-level activities such as education in local schools, lifelong learning and community activities delivered within the council area influence integration of refugees. It is based on a case study of one of the Scottish councils which decided to welcome Syrian refugees in 2015 and had no prior experience of refugees’ relocation. The findings showed the role of micro-level initiatives in the successful integration and proved that even a council with no prior experience of relocating refugees could build a cohesive community upon their arrival.

Illicit tobacco trade is ‘booming’: UK newspaper coverage of data funded by transnational tobacco companies

BackgroundTransnational tobacco companies (TTCs) have heavily publicised their argument that standardised tobacco packaging will increase the illicit tobacco trade. Leaked Philip Morris International (PMI) documents suggest that the company may...

Talking to imagined citizens? Information sharing practices and proxies for e-participation in hyperlocal democratic settings

Introduction. Previous research in information science often uses constructs from social exchange theory to explain online information sharing. Exchange theories have a strong focus on reciprocity, yet in some communities, such as elected democratic representatives at hyperlocal level, it is observed that information is shared online for little visible return. This raises questions as to the extent to which existing models of online information sharing based on the tenets of exchange are applicable across a full range of contexts. In the case of hyperlocal representatives, this also prompts consideration of their motivations for online information sharing, and their response to apparent non-participation or lurking in this process on the part of citizens. In this paper an information sharing, practice-based approach is deployed to explore the means by which hyperlocal representatives in Scotland handle their information sharing role and address their relationship with their online lurker audiences. Method. Hour long interviews were conducted in November and December 2016 with nineteen representatives who serve on Scottish community councils. Analysis. Qualitative analysis of the interview data generated the results of the study. Results. Information sharing is regarded as an important duty of community councillors. It is largely practised as transmission or broadcast (rather than exchange) using a variety of channels, both online and face-to-face. Such efforts are, however, limited. This is due to restricted resources, a lack of familiarity with the information users (and non-users) that community councillors serve, and poor knowledge of tools for analysing online audiences. Attitudes towards online communities that largely comprise lurker audiences vary from frustration to resignation. Conclusions. While some of the findings articulate with extant knowledge and extend it further, others contradict the results of prior research, for example on online platforms as deliberative spaces. The practice-based approach as deployed in the study surfaces new contributions on proxies in information sharing. Amongst these, it adds to prior work on information seeking by proxy, and introduces the concept of information sharing by proxy.

Universal Basic Income in British Politics, 1918–2018: From a ‘Vagabond's Wage’ to a Global Debate

AbstractThe idea of a Universal Basic Income (UBI) has moved rapidly up the British political agenda in recent years, with support from the Green Party, the Royal Society of Arts, and left-wing writers such as Paul Mason. Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell has set up a working group to examine its implications, and four Scottish councils are hoping to launch pilot schemes. Contemporary British interest in UBI forms part of a lively global debate about automation, inequality and precarious labour, but it also draws on a long history of proposals for tax-benefit reform within UK social policy. This article identifies five waves of enthusiasm for basic income in Britain over the past century and highlights patterns of continuity and change. It shows that interest in the proposal has been greatest at times of pessimism about the future of the labour market, though concerns about the ethics and affordability of unconditional payments have always been difficult to shake. Advocates of UBI have also struggled to reconcile the technocratic approach of its Conservative and Liberal supporters with the transformative ambitions of the radical left. It remains to be seen whether the recent growth of left-wing support for UBI will improve its prospects of implementation.

The 1970 British Commonwealth Games: Scottish Reactions to Apartheid and Sporting Boycotts

Abstract The 1970 British Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh is widely thought to have been a barnstorming success and an excellent advertisement for Scotland. Recent research by the authors, however, shows that the event was a deeply politicized one: reflective of Scotland’s status as a “stateless nation,” of Westminster politics during the era more generally, and of the politics surrounding apartheid South Africa’s sporting contacts with the outside world. The games managed to avert a mass boycott organized by the South African Non-Racial Olympic Committee (SANROC), in retaliation for the Marylebone Cricket Club’s recent invitation of the South African national cricket team. This article will explore Scotland’s place as a nonstate actor within the 1970 crisis. Attention will be given to the domestic political response from Scottish members of Parliament, members of local Scottish councils (particularly within Edinburgh itself), and Scottish National Party (SNP) activists, angered that Scotland should pay for the crimes perceived to be made by an English sporting body. However, our piece goes beyond these discourses, to examine the broader sporting relationship that Scots had with South Africa and Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), governed by white supremacist regimes during the period. Policy documents, housed in the National Records of Scotland, express UK Cabinet-level concerns about the actions of individual sporting clubs’ tours of the countries. This article will also look at how cabinet ministers, most notably Labour’s Minister for Sport Denis Howell, intervened to shape Scotland’s devolved sporting councils’ policies on contacts with South Africa and Rhodesia.

Nations of Peace: Nuclear Disarmament and the Making of National Identity in Scotland and Wales

This article uses the Scottish and Welsh Councils for Nuclear Disarmament as windows into the relationship between peace and nationalism in Scotland and Wales in the late 1950s and early 1960s. From one perspective, it challenges histories of peace movements in Britain, which have laboured under approaches and assumptions centred on London. From another, it demonstrates the role of movements for nuclear disarmament in the emergence of a 'left of centre' nationalism in Scotland and Wales. Although these movements were constituents of the British Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, their nationalism evolved as the threat from nuclear weapons to Scotland and Wales came to be seen as distinctive and was interpreted through lenses of local culture and tradition. The movements contributed to 'the making of national identity' by providing a channel through which activists could 'nationalize' and galvanize Scottish and Welsh Christianity, folk and socialism in particular. It was through the movements that activists articulated and promoted Scotland and Wales as sovereign nations of peace, with an international outlook separate from that of Britain. © The Author [2015]. Published by Oxford University Press.

Effectiveness of property asset management in Scottish councils

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to assess the effectiveness of operational property asset management in Scottish Councils and the extent to which this achieves best value. Appropriate criteria for evaluating asset management effectiveness include the effective use of capital resources, efficient and effective use of property assets, and improved service delivery.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is based on a survey investigating 32 Scottish councils. A questionnaire survey and interview of a select number of key stakeholders were carried out.FindingsThe research findings suggest that councils have been less successful in efficiently and effectively using property assets to reduce operating and maintenance costs. They have equally been unsuccessful in bringing about increased staff efficiency. Furthermore, there is a problem of improving service delivery, as councils have been less successful in introducing cross‐service working and co‐location as well as ensuring that properties are easily accessible users. However, councils have been very successful in making effective use of capital receipts to support capital projects.Research limitations/implicationsUnlike other parts of the UK, asset management in Scottish councils has only recently been introduced. This might account for the dearth of similar research on asset management in Scottish councils, making it difficult to compare findings.Originality/valueAs no similar study has been carried out on asset management in Scottish councils, the findings of this research contribute to literature on asset management and best value, thus highlighting the Scottish perspective.

Disciplinary ordinances for English and Franco-Scottish armies in 1385: An international code?

The earliest known complete set of disciplinary ordinances for an English army dates to the reign of Richard II. They were drawn up at Durham on 17 July 1385 as the king’s large army assembled for an invasion of Scotland. They are known through their inclusion in London, British Library, MS Cotton Nero D. VI, a manuscript connected to Thomas Mowbray, earl of Nottingham, who had been appointed marshal a few weeks earlier. In the same month ordinances were also drawn up in Edinburgh for a joint Franco-Scottish army which was planning to invade England. These are found in the ‘Blak Buik’ (Edinburgh, National Archives of Scotland, PA5/4, Liber Niger) which contains acts of Scottish parliaments and councils. Each text needs to be set into its own context, but it is also possible to point to similarities between the ordinances and to discuss the extent to which they suggest the existence of an international code of military discipline at this point in the Hundred Years War.

"Matriarchal" or "Patriarchal"? Dundee, Women and Municipal Party Politics in Scotland c.1918-c.1939

Dundee has long enjoyed a reputation as a ‘women’s town’. While not every historian has wholeheartedly agreed with this idea, it is true that in women have played a very prominent part in many aspects of the city’s history, especially in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. It therefore might be expected that women would play a significant role in the governance of their city in the years after 1918 when women started to gain election to Scottish city councils. However, only a few women sought election to Dundee council before 1939, and Dundee compares poorly with other parts of Scotland in respect to the number of female councillors and council candidates it had during the interwar period. Indeed it can be argued that there was a wider trend of women making less of an impact in party politics in Dundee than they did elsewhere in Scotland after 1918. Several factors influenced this pattern including the fact Dundee had an unusually high number of women in paid employment. However there is also evidence that women in Dundee faced opposition and apathy to the idea of them pursing active political roles. Given the idea that the city was a ‘women’s town’ this may seem odd. Yet, ironically, it can be proposed that the fact women played an atypically high-profile role in other areas of what is often termed the ‘public sphere’ may have actually hindered Dundonian women’s involvement in municipal party politics.

Assessing open space provision using network analysis

Local authorities are gathering increasing amounts of information relating to open space within the urban environment. Information on extent, type, distribution and quality of spaces has led to more understanding about the spaces themselves. However, this information alone is not enough to ensure that open spaces meet the needs of the communities that they serve. The spatial relationship between an open space and the people it serves must be understood to ensure it meets the needs of the community. There are two main methodologies that can be employed when analysing access to open space – Euclidean (as the crow flies) distances or network analysis, which involves modelling real-world networks and the movement of people through them. Although network analysis is far more accurate, it has been rarely used for open space management because it takes more time to implement. Recent work carried out for two Scottish councils employed network analysis when carrying out quantitative analyses of access to open space. When combined with other data relating to type, quality and population, a clear picture emerges of the state of open space provision within each community.

Voter Reactions to a Preferential Ballot: The 2007 Scottish Local Elections

The Single Transferable Vote (STV) has featured prominently in debates on electoral reform in Britain but until now there has been little hard evidence on how British voters might react to this electoral system. This has changed with the introduction of STV for the 2007 Scottish local government elections, which represented the first use of the system in a public election in mainland Britain in living memory. Election data collected from Scottish councils are used to examine how voters responded. After providing an overview of the elections, four issues are considered – rejected ballots, preference usage, the patterns of transfers and ballot position effects. Two main themes emerge from the analysis: voters had little difficulty in understanding and engaging with STV and in their use of lower preferences party loyalties remained important.

Gender Balance in Scottish Local Authority Councils

Women make up over 40 per cent of community councillors in Scotland, however, evidence suggests that they are less likely to progress to local authority councils. This article investigates the barriers to wider engagement of women in participative democracy, and based on the analysis of empirical data suggests some ways of promoting a more equitable gender representation in Scottish local authority councils. The barriers identified by respondents include male incumbency, traditional perceptions of gender roles and the bad reputation of local politicians. The adversarial nature of politics, `political infighting' and `backstabbing' as well as a considerable level of misogyny were perceived as barriers against women's participation, as well as a lack of confidence and lack of understanding of the role of the local councillor. Greater representation of women in public life is crucial in ensuring that women's interests are represented in decision-making. Despite some views against positive action, the strategies to increase the number of women being selected and standing for local elections are seen as the most effective solution to the problem of under-representation of women on local councils. The presence of women in representative institutions may create role models and this is perceived to potentially lead to an increase of women's participation. Women's networks, within political parties or independent of them, are effective in sharing experience, skills and knowledge, so are mentoring and shadowing as well as other forms of informal learning. A number of practical solutions were identified throughout the project: an increase of the councillors' allowance, availability of childcare facilities in local councils and family-friendly hours of council meetings are seen as potential incentives for women candidates.

Developments in the public‐private partnership funding of Scottish schools

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the development of the public finance initiative (PFI) in a £2 billion investment to build new schools in Scotland in order to understand how the PFI negotiation process is evolving as the public and private sectors' experiences of PFI grows.Design/methodology/approachSemi‐structured interviews were conducted with officials from three different Scottish councils. Further insight was gained from attendance at a Scottish conference where presentations were made on the PFI process in building schools.FindingsCouncil officials' handling of PFI processes has improved over time with more assistance being available to aid project organisers. However, the process continues to be very lengthy with significant sums being spent on professional advice. The balance sheet treatment of PFI transactions remains a crucial consideration.Originality/valueThis paper assesses recent developments in PFI schools' building projects in Scotland and provides some insight into areas where previously reported difficulties have been resolved and where problems continue to exist.

Managing race equality in Scottish local councils in the aftermath of the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000

PurposeMore than six years have elapsed since the much‐heralded Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 (hereafter also referred to as the “Act”) came into force. The Act had been prompted by concern at the lack of progress made in the sphere of racial equality despite the existence of the 1976 Race Relations Act. There were accusations that the 1976 Act was outdated and lacked the political teeth to be effective. The new Act imposed for the first time specific requirements on public sector institutions to be more proactive in promoting race equality. The duties would apply to public bodies that were previously exempt such as the Police and the National Health Service. This paper aims to focus on Scottish local councils and to examine the progress made by these public sector organisations in the field of race equality since the new Act came into force.Design/methodology/approachThe researchers carried out a postal survey of Scotland's 32 local authorities in order to assess the progress made in the area of race equality. Questions focused on examining the scale of progress in relation to both employment and service delivery.FindingsThe results revealed a mixed picture. On the positive side, most councils had initiated race awareness training programmes. The majority had also incorporated aspects of race equality into their equal opportunities policies and most had instituted measures to engage with ethnic minority communities. However, there are still areas where performance is unsatisfactory, including inadequacies in the ethnic monitoring of staff, failure to reflect the size of the ethnic minority community in the workforce, and the absence of a clear and distinctive policy on racial harassment in the workplace.Originality/valueThis research will be of great value to anyone who is interested in assessing whether the legislative duties imposed by the Act have been satisfied by Scotland's local authorities. It is the first study of its kind in Scotland and is likely to appeal to both practitioners in the public sector and to academics.

Audit Committees in Scottish Local Authorities 1998—2005

During the last 15 years corporate governance has become increasingly prominent in the public sector. The Audit Commission's 1993 report on probity in local government recommended the establishment of audit committees. However, progress on this was slow, as demonstrated by a survey of Scottish local authorities by the authors in 1998. Recent major changes in government in Scotland at both a local and national level have prompted councils to improve the accountability, openness and integrity of their operations. One major aspect of this exercise was the formation of scrutiny committees to provide objective scrutiny of the process and audit committees were the most common vehicle for this. This article explores recent developments in Scottish local government and their impact on audit committees. The article also reports the results of a 2005 survey of Scottish local authorities and compares these with the 1998 survey. This indicates a significant growth in the number of audit committees in Scottish councils and although the level of their perceived effectiveness is patchy, they are a more important feature of local government than they were in 1998.

Public Participation in Scottish Local Government: Strategic and Corporate Confusions

Improving the quality of public participation in council decision-making is a key part of local government ‘modernization’ across the UK. This article interrogates the extent to which public participation has developed in Scottish councils. The authors explore the challenges of building both ‘consumer’ and ‘citizenship’ consultation processes and the possible tensions between participative forms of governance and improved strategic and corporate management.

‘The Last Post’ For First-Past-The-Post? The 2003 Scottish Council Elections

The third round of elections for the 32 unitary Scottish local councils established in 1995 took place on May 1st 2003. As in the previous round in 1999, these were held on the same day as the Scottish Parliament elections. Whereas in Wales council elections were postponed in order to avoid a clash with elections for the National Assembly, the Scottish Executive apparently took the view that the inevitable overshadowing of the local elections by the Parliament elections was a price worth paying in order to secure the likely benefit of a higher local turnout than would otherwise be the case.

Reconciling Self-interest and Ethics: The Role of Primary School Pupil Councils

The renewed focus on values in education and the need for the democratization of school systems has been accompanied by a widening of the perception of enterprise in education, with the implication that existing ‘enterprising’ approaches may lend themselves to the expression of citizenship education. But can the possible tensions between these two agendas be reconciled and, if so, how can teachers respond to this in practical terms? This article reports on new research emerging from a small sample of Scottish primary school pupil councils. The way in which teachers and pupils in these schools perceive the aims and purposes of these councils is explored, and the potential for linking aspects of individual enterprise with communitarianism is analysed. The research raises new questions about the potential for apparently opposing educational dichotomies to be harmonised, and a ‘Third Way’ between capital and welfare to be reflected in educational practice.

Participation or practice innovation: tensions in inter‐agency working to address disciplinary exclusion from school

This paper explores dilemmas and tensions between two models of school based inter‐agency meetings to prevent disciplinary exclusion from school. The first model is characterised by innovative practice developed through long established professional relationships and addresses both individual and strategic issues in supporting young people who are at risk of disciplinary exclusion from school. The second model strongly emphasises the right to participation of young people and their families in school based inter‐agency meetings. Research participants in three Scottish councils (parents, pupils, teachers and other professionals1) had identified school based inter‐agency meetings as key to the process of inter‐agency working to prevent school exclusion.

Complaints procedures in local government

Recently, the British Standards Institution (BSI) issued a new standard: BS 8600:1999 Complaints Management Systems – Guide to Design and Implementation. This standard tends to focus on those systems and procedures that organisations put into motion after a complaint has been received. However, for many customers, particularly of large organisations such as local government services, the problems begin with knowing how to gain access to the complaints system. In the public sector this visibility usually takes the form of some kind of information leaflet which should detail certain basic information that will allow customers to access the complaints system. This paper develops a framework for an effective customer complaints information leaflet and then evaluates Scottish councils’ corporate complaints information brochures against this framework to determine whether or not they meet its acceptance criteria for effectiveness. Each leaflet was evaluated against 12 points of good practice developed from both Central Government’s guidelines and the new British Standard guidelines. The results showed that although a majority of them met many of the framework criteria, a significant proportion fell well short of what would be deemed acceptable.