Multi-Tier Politics and its Impact on Local Representation

April 2002 - March 2005

Principal Investigators: Dr Jonathon Bradbury, Oonagh Gay, Guy Lodge

About the project

This project examines the local roles of MSPs and AMs and their relationships with each other, as list and constituency members, and with other elected representatives (particularly MPs). It asks how the local representative role of these new members is developing, how the role of MPs is changing, and where relations between the are competitive or co-operative. It thus seeks to inform debate about whether devolution has resulted in more effective, or simply more confused, local representation, and how the level service to the public can be maximised. It is based on postal surveys and interviews with MSPs, AMs and MPs. The first round of surveys and interviews were conducted in 2002 (and a second round is due in 2004). The project shares data with the 'Devolution and Westminster' and the 'Public Attitudes' projects funded by the Leverhulme Programme.