How Scotland Works

This book will be available May 2026

About the Book: 

Have you felt frustrated when politicians and pundits juggle facts and figures leaving you baffled by a mess of complexity and opinion?

Have you felt aggrieved when during a debate in the media – either traditional or social – opponents make contradictory claims on a point and you wish you could be sure who was correct, or at least closest to the truth?

Or do you suspect a particular party – one you oppose, or perhaps one you favour – of cherrypicking information or distorting the numbers?

How does Scotland really work?

What do you as a citizen need to know?

The aim of this book is to share an understanding of the information and data that should underpin the political debate in Scotland. If you just want some facts and figures then you’ll find them within, but the intention is not just to list statistics about Scotland; it is to highlight sources, dismantle barriers of jargon and place information in a context where you can relate them to your morals and politics. In short, to assist anyone who wants to improve their knowledge of our society.

Politics is society’s attempt to make sense of a jumbled nest of moral and factual issues and as such is a tremendously difficult business. This book will help you untangle and identify some of the certain and uncertain facts. What you then do with them is entirely up to you.

Reviews: 

In short, there is a huge wealth of interesting and relevant facts in here for anyone interested in knowing more about Scotland. AMAZON REVIEW

About the Author:

ANDREW CONWAY started his career as an astrophysics lecturer and researcher and has a degree and PhD in astrophysics from Glasgow University which awarded him its Faraday medal. He also has an award for work on NASA’s RHESSI mission and is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society. On leaving academia he spent time as an entrepreneur, founding two companies. As Chief Scientific Officer he touched on the world of politics, being responsible for the data engine behind the UK government’s ActOnCO2 campaign. At the Open University he honed his skills in explaining difficult concepts to people from all backgrounds. This experience led him to his current work on bringing clarity to essential information about our society.