What issues should candidates be addressing during the general election campaign in the five Edinburgh constituencies?
We want to know what issues are most important to you this general election, to build a citizen’s agenda to make sure politicians are answering to their constituents, instead of setting their own agenda.
As an independent news outlet, we believe in doing journalism differently.
We believe that locals should always be at the centre of our reporting. That’s why we’re asking our readers to set the Citizens’ Agenda for our political coverage of the general election campaign.
Rather than let the candidates and party machines determine the topics that get coverage, this approach is designed to put power back in the hands of the people that politicians are meant to be serving.
So we want to hear from you. What do you want the candidates standing in your constituency to be talking about as they compete for votes? Tell us your thoughts here.
Based on the responses we receive, we will work to develop a constituency-specific set of questions that we will put to each of the candidates standing in the local area. And we will publish their answers to produce voter guides that are based on the issues you have highlighted as being important.
We’re doing this as part of the award-winning The Scottish Beacon local news collaborative, which aims to amplify the stories coming from Scotland’s communities.Â
Why do we need a Citizens’ Agenda?
When it comes to elections, too much traditional media coverage focuses on horse-race poll numbers and candidate scandals, which have limited use to citizens when it comes to participating in democracy.
We want to change the power dynamic so that candidates answer to citizens on the subjects that really matter to them, as opposed to the agenda the politicians themselves set out. We want to change that and set an example to other media to do the same.
How can you get involved?
With a general election taking place in 2024, political scrutiny feels more important than ever, so if you have something to say about the issues that matter to you or your community the most, share them with us in the survey below.
Once you’ve completed the survey, you can also share this call out with friends, family, neighbours, and community groups so they can add their voice.
Have your say by clicking here.
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
