Self-assessment tool to make politics more representative

Campaign groups have launched an app to increase diversity in politics.

Organisations working for equality for women, disabled people, black, minority ethnic people and the LGBT community in Scotland have launched the online self-assessment tool.

Developed by the Equal Representation Coalition, and funded by the Scottish Government, the app allows members of a political party to measure how well their party is doing in a range of areas, and then will produce an equality improvement plan for the party.

Emma Ritch, executive director of Engender, said: “We know that when there is greater diversity in our democratic spaces, better decisions are made.

“Political parties know they must do more to challenge the over-representation of white, non-disabled men in politics, and this project aims to help them take real action to improve the extent to which political parties and our elected representatives look like the population of Scotland.”

The project aims to build on successful initiatives including the Access to Elected Office Fund which was created last year. It offers financial support for disabled candidates to reduce or eliminate disadvantage during the selection process and election campaign due to impairment-related difficulties or exclusion.

Phyl Meyer, employability and civic participation manager at Inclusion Scotland, said: “The Access Fund has proven a big success, enabling many candidates to compete on a much more level playing field than has ever been possible before.

“We are seeing people who would never have previously considered candidacy before claiming their democratic right to seek elected office.”

The online tool can be accessed at Equalrepresentation.scot and the app downloaded by searching ‘equal representation’ in the app store.