MEMBERS of the SNP’s ruling body will vote within weeks on measures to get more disabled and ethnic minority people into Holyrood, The National understands.
All-women shortlists were used in some constituency selection contests this year in an effort to address the parliament’s gender imbalance. Low levels of MSPs with disabilities and from ethnic minority backgrounds also mean Scotland’s national parliament remains unrepresentative of the country’s population.
Humza Yousaf MSP is amongst those advocating for change in the way the SNP works to overcome barriers to elected office.
Plans have been drawn up to introduce “zipping” measures to regional lists to ensure more candidates from black, Asian and ethnic minority (BAME) backgrounds and those with a range of disabilities and impairments. The issue is said to be “high up the agenda” for the newly-elected National Executive Committee.
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On International Day of Disabled People, Jamie Szymkowiak, the SNP’s new disabled members convenor, says it must seize the chance to “address the underrepresentation of disabled people in our parliament”. He told The National: “There’s a huge opportunity here for the party to do something. We have seen how successful lists and mechanisms can be for women, now it’s time to look at what they can do for disabled people and BAME people.”
Szymkowiak aims to set up a mentoring scheme to prepare hopefuls for the next council elections and to ensure all members are “represented in preparations for the independence campaign”.
He said: “There have been concerns about getting local candidates for the regions, but regional seats are huge – the Highlands and Islands region goes from Orkney to Argyll. If we’re saying that we can’t get one disabled person from that region, we are failing as a party.”
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