Politics, National & Local Governance

Background / Overview – Scotland

Background / Overview – UK

Strategy Policy, Legislation

Listed Authorities

Race Equality Framework (REF)

Politics, National & Local Governance – Race Equality Framework

Link	Description
REF 03d: Work with the Scottish Council’s Equality Network	Work with the Scottish Councils Equality Network to explore potential ways in which Scottish Local Authorities could contribute towards meeting the goals and visions of the Race Equality Framework
REF 10: Participation and Representation – Participation and Representation in Local & National Governance	Increase participation and representation of minority ethnic individuals in governance and influence in decision making at local and national level
REF 10a: Boardroom Diversity	Through our Public Boards and Corporate Diversity Programme, continue to drive forward activity to improve the diversity of Scotland’s boardrooms, including outreach activity with disabled people and minority ethnic communities
REF 10b: Co-Designed Plan of Action	Co-produce with equality stakeholders and communities a plan of action to increase diversity in elected office
REF 10c: Review of Grant Funding to Increase Board Diversity	Further review the Scottish Government grant funding process to see what more can be done to promote equal opportunities, for example by making action to progress board diversity a requirement of funding
REF 10e: Honours System	Work to ensure that the Honours system recognises the contributions made by people across all of Scottish society, including those from minority ethnic individuals. We will consider the use of targets so that lists are representative of Scotland’s minority ethnic population at large

Immediate Priorities Plan (IPP)

Politics, National & Local Governance – IPP

Link	Description
IPP – SIR 15: Short-Term Actions – Employment	All public bodies should develop action plans with annual progressive targets for public sector employment at all levels of seniority in relation to minority ethnic groups – workplaces must reflect the diversity of the communities they serve and also set a positive leadership example. These targets should support the achievement of the existing commitment to fair representation for minority ethnic people in the Scottish Government and public bodies' workforce. Appropriate levers to encourage similar actions from the private sector should also be explored, including the potential to support community and activist-led programmes, such as "Pull Up or Shut Up,” a campaign that calls on companies to release the total number of Black employees at their companies and to identify their employment levels.

Link

Description

IPP – SIR 15: Short-Term Actions – Employment

All public bodies should develop action plans with annual progressive targets for public sector employment at all levels of seniority in relation to minority ethnic groups – workplaces must reflect the diversity of the communities they serve and also set a positive leadership example. These targets should support the achievement of the existing commitment to fair representation for minority ethnic people in the Scottish Government and public bodies' workforce. Appropriate levers to encourage similar actions from the private sector should also be explored, including the potential to support community and activist-led programmes, such as "Pull Up or Shut Up,” a campaign that calls on companies to release the total number of Black employees at their companies and to identify their employment levels.

Other Accountability Mechanisms

Equity Reports

Mainstreaming Report

Politics, National & Local Governance – Mainstreaming Report – 2023 to 2025

Link	Description
Equality Outcomes 2023 to 2025: Employer Outcomes – Diversity	Positive steps have been taken to improve diversity within the Scottish Government workforce, with a particular focus on increasing representation. Progress has been made, especially in understanding and addressing barriers to getting started in a career in the Scottish Government. Further efforts are needed to improve the experience in relation to disability, ethnicity and race and religion and belief, and to attract more people who are disabled, over 55 and from lower socio-economic backgrounds. Action over the last decade has seen the number of disabled colleagues working in the Scottish Government double and number of minority ethnic colleagues working in the Scottish Government nearly double but they remain underrepresented. Reflecting on this, we recognise the importance of targeted initiatives and data-driven approaches to ensure meaningful change. Our focus will remain on embedding inclusive recruitment and retention practices to create a more representative workforce.
Equality Outcomes 2023 to 2025: Employer Outcomes – Workplace Culture	Significant activity is planned over the next three years to foster an inclusive and supportive workplace culture in government. This ongoing work underscores our commitment to ensuring that all employees feel valued, heard, and empowered to reach their full potential. Resource constraints may present challenges, but careful planning and prioritisation will help maintain momentum. Positivity around inclusion and fair treatment remains high, and we continue to perform well on this as a measure in comparison to the wider Civil Service. However, inclusion and fair treatment experiences do vary across equality groups and further work is required to address this. Our reflection on progress so far has reinforced the need for sustained engagement and clear measurement of cultural change. As we move ahead, we will continue to build an environment where diversity is embraced, and inclusivity is at the heart of our organisational culture.
Equality Outcomes 2023 to 2025: Leadership	We have established a new Equality and Human Rights Senior Leadership Group (EHR-SLG) within the Scottish Government. This group was formed in response to various drivers, including recommendations from the National Advisory Council on Women and Girls (NACWG) to accelerate progress on intersectional gender equality. The EHR-SLG plays a pivotal role in driving system-wide change by fostering collective leadership, influencing policy and practice, and ensuring that equality and human rights considerations are embedded across the Scottish Government and the wider public sector.
Equality Outcomes 2023 to 2025: Spotlight – Diversity and Inclusion Employer Strategy for the Scottish Government	The Diversity and Inclusion Employer Strategy was developed to systematically embed equality and human rights within our workforce. By addressing disparities in employee experience through a data-driven, co-production approach, this strategy moves beyond traditional diversity initiatives to mainstream equality as a core element of organisational design and business planning. It consolidates previous disability, race, and socio-economic diversity action plans into a single, impactful strategy, ensuring a more cohesive and intersectional approach to inclusion. The strategy identified 14 key points in the employee journey where equality groups faced disadvantages, prompting the adoption of a multi-strand and intersectional approach. It introduced gamechanger themes, lead measures, and priority actions to drive meaningful change. Key elements included launching an Employee Experience Insights Series to enhance qualitative data collection, embedding change goals with associated key performance indicators and establishing a robust governance framework.
Equality Outcomes 2023 to 2025: Strategic Decision-Making	We have embedded equality and human rights assurance into key Scottish Government strategic processes, such as the Programme for Government, Budget and Certificates of Assurance. The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and previous Minister for Equalities, Migration and Refugees responded to the Equality and Human Rights Budget Advisory Group (EHRBAG) recommendations in September 2023, committing to the recommendations in principle. An action plan was developed in collaboration with the Group and is now being delivered to ensure we continue progressing our goals in Equality and Human Rights budgeting. The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government and Minister for Equalities attended the EHRBAG meeting in October 2024. The Cabinet Secretary and Minister strongly value the advice and expertise of the EHRBAG, and look forward to continuing to engage with them as we further improve our processes. We worked with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to learn from international best practice on gender budgeting, and to support Scottish Exchequer to conduct two pilots. This included asking the OECD to assess our existing approach to gender budgeting and explore how alternative approaches might be applied in the Scottish Government.

Periodic Report Recommendations

Politics, National & Local Governance – Periodic Report Recommendation

Link	Description
REF 10d: Review Consultation Guidance	Review the existing consultation good practice guidance through an equalities lens. This will include a focus on improving consultation (including digital engagement) with all equality groups, including addressing concerns raised by minority ethnic communities
Reriodic Report Recommendation 11: Participation in political and public life	Participation in political and public life: The Committee recommends that the State party, including the governments of Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, the overseas territories and the Crown dependencies, continue to take effective measures, including special measures, to improve the representation of persons belonging to ethnic minorities, notably women, in political and public affairs at all levels of government, in the institutions responsible for developing policies that affect them and in decision-making positions. It also recommends that the State party give legal effect to section 106 of the Equality Act 2010, which requires political parties to report on the diversity of candidates. It further recommends that the State party take steps to facilitate the exercise of the right to vote and to review measures that have a disproportionate impact on the effective exercise of the right to vote by persons belonging to ethnic minorities.

Link

Description

REF 10d: Review Consultation Guidance

Review the existing consultation good practice guidance through an equalities lens. This will include a focus on improving consultation (including digital engagement) with all equality groups, including addressing concerns raised by minority ethnic communities

Reriodic Report Recommendation 11: Participation in political and public life

Participation in political and public life: The Committee recommends that the State party, including the governments of Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, the overseas territories and the Crown dependencies, continue to take effective measures, including special measures, to improve the representation of persons belonging to ethnic minorities, notably women, in political and public affairs at all levels of government, in the institutions responsible for developing policies that affect them and in decision-making positions. It also recommends that the State party give legal effect to section 106 of the Equality Act 2010, which requires political parties to report on the diversity of candidates. It further recommends that the State party take steps to facilitate the exercise of the right to vote and to review measures that have a disproportionate impact on the effective exercise of the right to vote by persons belonging to ethnic minorities.

Dr Addy's – Scottish Anti-Racism Resource Library (ARRL)