A Constitution for the Common Good: Strengthening Scottish Democracy After the Independence Referendum

by W. Elliot Bulmer

Overview

Nearly every democracy in the world is built upon a written constitution, and constitutions have been at the core of citizens’ demands for better governance in places as disparate as Kenya, Tunisia and Ukraine. In light of developments following the independence referendum and the 2015 general election, constitutional change looks certain to remain central to the political agenda in Scotland for some time to come, and has entered the debate UK wide through calls for a federal system and David Cameron’s promise of English Votes for English Laws.

 But what is a constitution for? Is it a defensive charter to protect the basic structures of democratic government, or is it a transformative covenant for a better society? How can the constitution sustain democracy and promote ethical politics while at the same time recognizing and accommodating differences in society? What difference would a good constitution make to the poor?

 In addressing these questions, this book sets out a vision for how Scotland could reconstitute itself. It emphasises the connection between the constitution, democracy and the common good, arguing that democratic self-government is the true prize, regardless of the relationship of Scotland to the rest of the UK.

This book not only makes a vital contribution to Scotland’s current and on-going constitutional debate, a debate that still rages despite the referendum result, but also engages with fundamental questions of constitutionalism and democracy that are of enduring relevance to both citizens and scholars around the world. 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781910021743
Publisher:	Luath Press Limited
Publication date:	04/30/2017
Edition description:	2nd Revised ed.
Pages:	336
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x (d)

About the Author

Elliot Bulmer graduated with an MA(Hons) in Arabic and Politics from the University of Edinburgh in 2000, and then joined the Royal Navy as a Logistics Officer. He saw service at sea in ships and submarines and spent six months leading a special operations (PSYOPS) team in Iraq. On leaving the Navy in 2006 he embarked on postgraduate studies at the University of Glasgow, focusing on constitutional design, while teaching undergraduate courses in comparative politics, history of political thought and nationalism. In addition to his research, teaching and writing, he has since 2008 been involved in the Constitutional Commission, of which he is currently Research Director and Vice-President. He is married and lives in Dunblane, where he enjoys communing with nature, reading, real ale and learning the banjo.