Local Government Elections (Openness)

– in the Scottish Parliament at on 24 May 2017.

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Photo of Ruth Maguire Ruth Maguire Scottish National Party

6. To ask the Scottish Government what action it took to ensure that the local government elections were open to candidates from all parts of society. (S5O-01024)

Photo of Joe FitzPatrick Joe FitzPatrick Scottish National Party

A wide range of people are eligible to stand for election in the Scottish local government elections. The Scottish Government would like to see that diversity reflected in the profile of those who stand as candidates and are elected to public office. One group who are underrepresented in all elections are disabled people. While the selection of party candidates is a matter for political parties, we have provided support for disabled candidates through the access to elected office fund, which was put in place to meet candidates’ additional disability-related costs. Of the 39 candidates who received support through the fund, 15 were elected to 12 local authorities.

Photo of Ruth Maguire Ruth Maguire Scottish National Party

Given the success of the access to elected office fund at our most recent local government elections, does the minister agree that that financial help has clearly opened up the electoral process to people who previously might not have been able to take part in it? Will he join me in calling on the United Kingdom Government to reopen the equivalent UK fund?

Photo of Joe FitzPatrick Joe FitzPatrick Scottish National Party

Yes. The fund has successfully enabled people who might otherwise have found it difficult to access elected office here in Scotland to do so. I encourage the UK Government to look at how the model has worked in this case, to perhaps get in touch with Inclusion Scotland, which administered the scheme, and, hopefully, to roll it out across the UK.