SO here we are post-election and in a position to decide the next steps. How many senior managers do you know of, with a large staff, who would be left in charge after admitting they can only handle one major issue at a time? Or is this just a clever tactical ploy?

Yet the entire case for the opposition parties is that we should put independence on the back burner until Covid becomes just another forgotten crisis. Nor did the SNP take long to agree – and that’s really worrying. It would be reassuring to know progress is being made. We need to see a unifying vision that the Yes Movement can get behind, given the potential “love-bombing” and federal models that seem to be emerging.

Now the election is over, the debate seems already to have moved on. Even Unionists and those who are uncertain are asking for clarity on how an independent country could be run. Independence seekers need that certainly, too, and getting involved on Constitution for Scotland’s interactive website is how we can move the debate on together.

So, let’s start with the basics. Who do you consider politicians should be primarily accountable to? Political party leaders or Constituency Assemblies?

What would you like to see in Scotland’s written constitution about holding politicians and government officials accountable to their employers, your and me?

Do you consider that there should be clear, precise rules to provide advisory balance, with severe violation penalties, to protect politicians from the corrupting pressures of big money lobbyists?

READ MORE: David Cameron admits 'big investment' in Greensill but says no link to lobbying

Recently, the media have been exposing the corruption, underhand lobbying and cronyism of the Westminster Parliament. While our lobbying rules are clearer, should we not also be seeking to revisit practices at Holyrood?

For example, how about the multitude (36% of all appeal cases between 2015 and 2020) of planning applications that have been rejected by locally elected planning committees only to be given the high-five at central government level? Would a third party right of appeal be a positive way to counter centralisation?

Is the government of Scotland failing to adequately address, among other issues, the biggest problem impacting every aspect of our society, namely the outdated feudal style land tenure system and its effect on housing land availability and cost?

While the detailed regulations will be considered in Parliament, surely the people must take the responsibility of setting the main framework? The only way to ensure we hold our elected representatives and public officials to account is via a strict set of rules that are established by an impartial agency, independent of political parties.

A written constitution will provide the authority for these rules that are necessary to effectively hold elected politicians and government institutions to account. However, it will take the involvement and lots of pressure from the grassroots to achieve a meaningful system of checks, balances and consequences, and you can help when you use the “thumbs-up” icon to indicate the proposals in the constitution that you agree with. But remember, it will be Parliament that legislates a written constitution into existence, so we will also require elected representatives of integrity who place the welfare of the people foremost in their endeavours – people before party politics.

Article 11 of the model constitution is about government auditing and accountability. But will any of it have any more meaning unless the rules are set out by independent commissions from outside the political sphere?

How effective have the current Auditor General service and the Public Services Ombudsman systems been when one hears of the wastage of taxpayers’ money due to the self-opinionated, arrogant and often petty behaviour of senior politicians and government officials? Who should the likes of the Auditor General and the Lord Advocate be accountable to? Is it not time for these roles to be reassessed and updated by an impartial independent commission? Who set out the current rules on lobbying at Holyrood? Who set out the Code of Conduct for representatives at Holyrood?

The National: Justice Secretary Michael Gove who has abandoned controversial plans to overhaul the way legal aid contracts are awarded to duty solicitors

Meanwhile at Westminster, inside Michael Gove’s Cabinet Office, a special unit screens journalists and blocks “sensitive” Freedom of Information (FOI) requests. As long as the politicians and their acolytes write the rules for themselves you can forget about democracy, honesty, integrity and accountability.

Article 11 of the model constitution also highlights the need for an impartial Broadcasting and Media Audit Board with the authority and competence to ensure accurate unbiased truthful information.

In the next instalment in the series, we will look at Article 12: services currently held by local authorities to be held autonomously and shared between regional and community councils.

By May 10, the CfS constitution had 5977 visits, 928 comments and 873 “thumbs-up” votes.

To interested groups the Constitution for Scotland team offers a “guest speaker” introduction, demonstration and Q&A session within your own Zoom meeting. Please contact info@constitutionforscotland.scot to arrange.

Robert Ingram is chair of Constitution for Scotland