12 June 2009: Reform Scotland / Sunday Times Essay Prize

As Victor Hugo said, “You can resist an invasion of armies, but ideas sweep all before them”. Why not join the vanguard in the battle of ideas in Scotland this year?

Reform Scotland was established last year to come forward with ideas to shape our future and the Sunday Times is playing a major role in reporting and shaping that debate.

Now we have teamed up to find the best young minds in Scotland and publish their ideas. When faith in our politicians is at an all-time low there has never been a more important time to hear the views of the guardians of our future. This is an opportunity to tell us what is going wrong and how to put things right.

The competition rules

The search for the best young thinkers in Scotland will take the form of an essay writing competition with two categories open to all Scottish residents aged 16 to 18 and 19 to 25.

The essay’s title will be:

“Political Accountability in Scotland - How can we ensure that our politicians are answerable and effective in the light of the debate on devolution and the crisis at Westminster?”

The winning essays will put forward original ideas based on research and a clear understanding of the economic, political and philosophical issues at stake. Detailed knowledge of the current mechanics of Scotland’s constitutional settlement will be held to be less important than well thought through ideas.

The essay should be no more than 1,500 words long and should be sent by post to the following address:

Reform Scotland / Sunday Times Scotland Essay Competition
The Executive Centre
7-9 North St David Street
Edinburgh EH2 1AW

The deadline for submissions is 9th October 2009, and entrants should include photocopied proof of address and proof of age.

Essays will be assessed by a panel of judges (to be announced later in the summer), and the winner and two runners up will be announced thereafter.

All further queries should be directed to Nefertali Deeb on nefertali.deeb@reformscotland.com or 0131 524 9500 .

The Prizes

The winners of the competition will be offered a two week work experience placement at the Sunday Times Scotland, and a one week work experience placement with Reform Scotland, (both unpaid) to be taken at times of mutual convenience in 2010.

In addition, the winners’ essays will be published in the Sunday Times and on the Reform Scotland website.

The winner in each category will receive £300 and the runner up in each category will receive £100. Winners and runners up will also receive a free subscription to the Sunday Times for a year, and be invited to a celebratory event at the time when the winner is announced. 

The Judges
Ian Rankin, the best-selling aithor of the Rebus novels
Michael Fry, writer and historian
Jim Mather, Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism
Wendy Alexander, former Scottish Labour leader
Keith Skeoch, Chief Executive of Standard Life Investments
Dan Macdonald, Chief Executive of Macdonald Estates Group
Ben Thomson, chairman of Reform Scotland and of Noble Group
Dr Craig Smith, lecturer in moral philosophy at St Andrews University
Carlos Alba, the editor of The Sunday Times Scotland


Terms and Conditions: Open to all Scottish residents aged 16 – 25 only. One entry per person. Entries must be received by 5.00pm Friday 9th October 2009, entries will not be acknowledged or returned, entrants are advised to retain a copy. All entries must be the original work of the entrant and not previously published, The Sunday Times and Reform Scotland reserve the right to edit entries at their discretion for publication. Entrants will retain copyright in their submitted entries; however by entering give The Sunday Times Scotland a worldwide royalty free perpetual licence to edit, publish and use all or segments of their entry in any and all media for publicity and news purposes. The judges’ decision is final. The winners will be notified no later than the 31st December 2009. There is no cash or other alternative to the prizes stated. The work experience prize is unpaid and no expenses or other costs will be reimbursed.