Dunfermline, Scotland’s ancient capital, feels like the ideal place to explore new ways for communities to influence decisions.

This weekend saw the first meeting of the Dunfermline New City Assembly — a project close to my heart as someone born and raised in the city. Working with many local community groups, Fife Council and the Scottish Government to bring it to life has shown how people from different organisations with a shared belief in strong communities can do good things.

It’s a chance for Dunfermline residents to help shape their city’s future and contribute to the wider story of how Fife and Scottish democracy continues to evolve.

The first weekend of three is just the beginning, but it is a fantastic foundation for something really significant.

The Assembly brings together 35 residents selected through a civic lottery, creating a group that reflects the diversity of Dunfermline.

From the first session, it was clear that participants are determined to make a real difference, and make something productive from the Assembly and not become a ‘talking shop’. Too many processes in the past have asked for people’s views without delivering tangible change. Everyone involved in organising this Assembly recognises that it will ultimately be judged on whether it leaves a meaningful legacy. The seriousness and energy that participants brought to the weekend reinforces the responsibility we all share to ensure the process leads to action.

What I witnessed captured the deeper value of deliberative democracy. People were curious, thoughtful and generous with one another, willing to listen deeply and share their lived experiences. These early conversations build the trust and human connection that modern democracy often struggles to create. When people sit together and talk openly about their hopes for their city, barriers soften and understanding grows.

Over the coming sessions, participants will explore the question: “As our city grows and develops, how do we continue to improve our community for today and tomorrow?”. They’ll hear from experts and discuss key issues like community cohesion, but the process itself is as important as the recommendations they will eventually make to the Dunfermline Area Committee. Citizens’ assemblies not only generate well considered proposals – but they also help rebuild trust, strengthen social bonds and create a shared sense of ownership over the future.

I’m quietly optimistic about what lies ahead. The Dunfermline Assembly has brought together a representative group of residents who care deeply about their city and want to contribute to its future. This small sample of residents are experienced, thoughtful and determined then it seems logical to assume so is the whole city. That potential is on its way to being realised, and this assembly will show that there is a whole lot more to be ambitious about.

Find out about the Dunfermline New City Assembly

This summer, I visited Folkemødet, Denmark’s annual democracy festival held in the coastal town of Allinge on the island of Bornholm. It’s a place where citizens, politicians, NGOs, and businesses gather in a relaxed, open-air setting to engage in democratic dialogue and debate.

What struck me most wasn’t just the scale – over 2,500 events and tens of thousands of participants – but the tone. Disagreements were aired, but rarely did they descend into hostility. The environment – sunshine, sea breeze, and informal spaces – seemed to soften the edges of political conflict. It made me wonder: does the setting shape the spirit of our democratic conversations?

In Scotland, our democratic spaces are often formal, adversarial, and disconnected from everyday life. Trust in our institutions – parliament, government, political parties – is in decline. Westminster’s electoral systems distort representation, and many feel unheard. But Folkemødet reminded me that democracy is not just about structures, it’s about relationships, rituals, and place.

Lessons for Scotland

1. Democracy Needs Place
   Folkemødet is rooted in a physical space that invites openness. Could we imagine a Scottish equivalent – perhaps on one of our islands – where citizens and leaders gather annually to talk about the future? A “Scottish Folkemødet” could be a civic ritual to reconnect people with politics.

2. Trust is Built Through Proximity
   When politicians sit beside citizens on hay bales rather than behind podiums, something shifts. We need formats that break down hierarchy and foster genuine dialogue. Scotland’s Citizens’ Assembly, launched in 2019, was a step in this direction, and now we are working with others to see if local assemblies like the one we are piloting in Dunfermline could become part of the everyday fabric of governance.

3. Electoral Reform is Only Part of the Puzzle
   The Electoral Reform Society has long argued for proportional representation, and rightly so. But we also need civic infrastructure, such as festivals, assemblies, and forums, that make democracy feel real and inclusive.

4. Responding to Distrust Means Reimagining Democracy
   A major study from the University of Southampton shows that trust in representative institutions is falling across democracies, including the UK. Yet, support for democratic ideals remains high. This suggests that people aren’t rejecting democracy, they’re rejecting how it’s currently practised.

Looking Back to Move Forward

Scotland has a proud history of civic mobilisation. The Scottish Constitutional Convention, formed in 1989, brought together parties, churches, and civic groups to shape the framework for devolution. It was messy, imperfect, but it worked – because it was rooted in dialogue and shared purpose.

Folkemødet offers a modern echo of that spirit. It’s a reminder that democracy can be joyful, messy, and deeply human. In Scotland, we have the creativity, the community spirit, and the hunger for change. Maybe it’s time we built our own spaces—literal and metaphorical—where democracy can grow and flourish.

Find out more about the Dunfermline New City Assembly

Discover more about the project

Last week, Dunfermline took another confident stride toward becoming a beacon of democratic innovation in Scotland. On Tuesday, Public Finance Minister Ivan McKee visited the Abbeyview Community Hub to meet with local councillors, Fife Council officers, and our team at ERS Scotland to hear firsthand how this is happening. At the heart of this progress is the Dunfermline New City Assembly, a pilot Citizens’ Assembly designed to give residents a real say in shaping the future of their city.

The Minister’s visit was more than symbolic—it was a recognition of the growing momentum behind community-led decision-making. As he put it:

“Empowering local communities to play a greater role in key decisions in their area is vital to increasing democratic engagement.”

We couldn’t agree more.

A new model for local power

Citizens’ Assemblies are not just talking shops. When done right, they offer a structured, inclusive space for people to deliberate on the issues that matter most—housing, transport, climate, local services—and to propose real solutions. The Dunfermline pilot is part of a broader Scottish Government commitment to community empowerment and democratic renewal, and we hope will provide loads of learning on how to upgrade local democracy so that peoples hopes and fears are heard and responded to.  This could be a crucial technique in helping people to run their own place and so rebuild trust in democracy.

At ERS Scotland, we’ve been working closely with Fife Council and local partners to ensure the Assembly reflects the diversity and lived experience of Dunfermline’s residents. That means outreach, listening, and co-designing the process with the community as well as using the tried and tested method of ‘Sortition’ to ensure those on the assembly are a good representative sample of Dunfermline as a whole and includes voices that are too often unheard.

As I said during the Minister’s visit:

“The opportunity to have the people who live here address how the growth and change of their city can best serve them is a nationally important test of how to make democracy work for everyone.”

What Happens Next?

Over the last year we’ve been laying the groundwork – raising awareness that this is happening, beginning to explain to the community how the assembly will work, what might be possible and what might not be, designing the Assembly’s structure, identifying key themes, and ensuring inclusive participation.

In October, a letter will go out to tens of thousands of Dunfermline households asking them if they would like to take part, those that are interested will be put into a structured lottery designed so that we will be able to invite a representative group of residents to take part in the Assembly,  it will convene over three weekends in January and February 2026. These lucky selected citizens will all receive an honorarium payment for their public service.
It will be a chance for a representative group of Dunfermline citizens to deliberate, reflect, and propose recommendations to the City of Dunfermline Area Committee. It’s democracy in action—local, participatory, and rooted in lived experience.

Join the Movement

If you live in Dunfermline or care about the future of local democracy, we invite you to sign the Dunfermline Declaration. It’s a simple but powerful way to show your support for a more participatory and community-led approach to decision-making.

As Cllr James Calder, Chair of Dunfermline Area Committee, put it:

“Dunfermline New City Assembly will give residents a real voice in shaping the future of our city.”

This, it is becoming true and clear to see, is what will give people a renewed confidence and support for democratic local governance. We know how important this is and are determined to make it a success.

Find out more about the Dunfermline New City Assembly

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