A THREE Towns man has told how Scotland’s Citizens Assembly is pushing for a new kind of politics.

Martin McGill, 48, a mental health consultant, was chosen to be a member of the £1million deliberative body, set up last year by Nicola Sturgeon.

The Assembly is designed to consider Scotland’s long-term challenges over six weekend sessions across six months.

Martin said: “The Assembly is for ordinary people from the length and breadth of Scotland to debate and discuss how we would like the country to be a better place.”

The project has been criticised as a SNP talking-shop, but Martin strongly denies this.

He said: “We are not SNP acolytes, we are there to scrutinise and hold these people to account. People are scunnered with how politics are being carried out. We pay tax for them to represent us, not for them to squabble.”

In June when this session of the Assembly ends, they will have produced what Martin calls a ‘citizens’ manifesto’ which will be presented to the Scottish Government.

He said: “They have given their word they will scrutinise, examine and where possible accept the recommendations.”

Martin said there is an enthusiasm amongst the citizen members for their work.

He said: “It exposes you to other people’s ideas and values. It has been a splash of cold water on my complacency..”

Writing in his member’s diary, Martin said: “Selfish, partisan, shaming, bullying, greedy politics have had their time. We need a new reality. We demand better.”