Progressive Change: The People’s Mandate

A New Deal for Local Democracy and National Accountability

What We Stand For And Why It Matters

Why We Exist

Scotland is stuck between a failing status quo and a broken system. From council chambers to Holyrood, decisions are made by party machines, not by the people they affect. Communities are sidelined by distant leaderships, unelected officials, and centralised control.

Progressive Change exists to break that cycle.

We believe decisions should be made by the people they affect, not by bureaucrats or political elites.

What Makes Us Different

While other parties protect the system, we’re redesigning it from the ground up.

We don’t delegate democracy
MSPs and Councillors are elected to act, speak, and vote, not to pass decisions to unelected officers. We reject the culture of hidden decisions and power without accountability.

We prioritise community control
Through our Local First Fund, we’ll put millions of pounds over 5 years into the hands of the public by directly funding local Community Structures.

We deliver transparency and trust
We publish what others hide: delegated decisions, spending, and responsibility. You’ll always know who’s behind the choices that affect your life.

Our Values

• Localism – Power starts from the ground up
• Accountability – Being elected means being answerable
• Practical reform – No ideology, just what works
• People-first – Public services belong to the public
• Courage – We’ll challenge any party, any system, if it’s failing you

Our Priorities

Local Priorities

• Fix broken engagement: we reject the party whip. Our representatives are free to speak for their communities, not party HQ.
• End delegated rule by unelected officers
• Fund communities directly with 1% of council tax
• Restore and expand public investment in community cleaning, from grass cutting to pest control
• Create a dedicated, locally accountable planning enforcement team with real powers to act

National Goals

• Deliver Devo Max – It was promised. It's time.
• Replace Council Tax – A fairer, modern system that reflects income and local need.
• Address Scotland’s housing crisis – Buy back ex-council homes and return them to public housing stock.
• Respect democratic rights – Let the Scottish people decide if and when they want another independence referendum.
• Introduce zonal pricing – Campaign for energy market reform so areas closer to production, like Scotland, don’t pay the highest prices.
• Give councils power to establish Community Energy Companies – Allow local authorities to generate and supply energy, lowering bills and reinvesting profits back into communities.
• Ensure energy stability through North Sea policy – Review current oil and gas production to ensure Scotland’s energy needs are secure during the transition to renewables.
• Decentralise Holyrood powers – Return key decision-making powers from Holyrood back to local authorities and communities.
• Reform the current 32 Local Authorities.
• Reform the NHS – Review NHS Scotland’s structure to reduce over-management and bureaucracy, ensuring frontline staff and clinicians get the resources they need.

From Council to Country
Our work begins in your street but reaches all the way to Holyrood. Progressive Change builds power from the bottom up, linking local delivery with national accountability.

This Isn’t a Manifesto. It’s a Contract.

We don’t ask for blind support. We make clear commitments and if we don’t deliver, we won’t stand again.

Within 100 Days (Local Government)

• Publish all decisions and powers delegated to officers
• Launch the Local First Fund pilot, giving 1% of council tax income directly to existing community boards and local committees
• Create a public dashboard for transparency and spending

Within 1 Year

• Establish a dedicated Planning Enforcement Unit
• Begin annual community budget votes
• Deliver reform papers on housing, education, and public services

By End of Term

• Campaign for Devo Max and full fiscal powers for Scotland
• Support local renewable energy initiatives through a Community Energy Company
• Expand community systems with real funding and veto power over local developments
• Replace Council Tax with a modern, progressive alternative
• Increase publicly owned housing by buying back Right to Buy properties

What We’re Fighting Against

• A Labour Party that hides behind delegation and avoids scrutiny
• An SNP Government that centralises power but fails to deliver
• A Conservative Party that blocks Scottish democratic self-determination at every turn

A Final Word

If you’re tired of broken promises, invisible councillors, and invisible MSPs, it’s time to rebuild trust from the bottom up.

We don’t want your loyalty. We want your voice.

Let’s rebuild Scottish democracy, from our streets, our councils, and our communities.

Progressive Change. For the people, not the machine.