📰| 5. Participation Opportunities

Question 1

Participation Opportunities

Answer 1

• Voting
• Standing as Candidate
• Protesting

Question 2

Participation Opportunities:

Voting

Answer 2

• One political participation opportunity in Scotland is voting.
• People in Scotland who are eligible to vote have the right to do so in elections and referendums, which gives them the opportunity to express their views and wants for Scotland.
• For example, the most recent political voting opportunity in a Scottish Parliament election was the 2021 Holyrood election.

Question 3

Participation Opportunities:

Standing as a Candidate

Answer 3

• One political participation opportunity in Scotland is standing as a candidate.
• People in Scotland have the opportunity to become local councillors, MSPs or MPs so long as they are over the age of 18 and either a British/Irish citizen, eligible Commonwealth citizen or qualifying foreign national.
• For example, there are currently 129 MSPs in the Scottish Parliament who are exercising this right.

Question 4

Participation Opportunities:

Protesting

Answer 4

• One political participation opportunity in Scotland is protesting.
• People in Scotland can gather in groups to chant, sing or use signs to spread a message so long as they obey the law and inform the police of the protest beforehand.
• For example, climate activists marched through the streets of Edinburgh in September 2023 to protest against the use of fossil fuels.