Dr Ruth Lightbody lands Scottish Parliament Fellowship

Dr Ruth Lightbody has been awarded a Fellowship by the Scottish Parliament to assess how Holyrood can support increased citizen participation.

Glasgow Caledonian's Senior Lecturer in Politics will be one of two academics tasked with providing evidence to support the Parliament's strategic aim to be "a modern, dynamic democracy".

The six-month Fellowship is in response to 17 recommendations made by a Citizens' Panel on how Holyrood can ensure that diverse voices and communities from all parts of Scotland influence decisions.

Dr Lightbody will interview Scottish politicians and representatives involved in citizen engagement in Brussels, Dublin and Paris, as part of the project.

The Fellowship will seek to establish "the core principles of participative democracy and develop a framework for measuring impact".

Dr Lightbody said: "I am really excited to be working on this project. There is a real energy to make sure that participation is impactful and meaningful, and supports a wider variety of people to influence the work of the Scottish Parliament."