The Scottish Government and COSLA have published the Democracy Matters: A Routemap to Reform. The document outlines both key proposals for empowering communities as well as a proposed approach for further formulation and implementation moving forwards. Alongside this, the Minister for Public Finance, Ivan McKee MSP and the COSLA presidential team have released a joint statement reaffirming shared commitment to empowering communities, improving participation, and ensuring that local voices have a stronger role in shaping local and national priorities. An update on the development of Single Authority Models in Orkney, Argyll and Bute and the Western Isles has been published in parallel.

As a coalition, the Scottish Community Alliance are committed to work with partners to develop local democracy that places communities are the forefront of decision making. Our next steps will be to work with our members to produce a SCA blueprint.