Selecting Candidates

The difference between a target and a quota

There is often confusion about the difference between targets and quotas and what legislation says about them. Targets are aspirational goals which a political party might set itself but not mandate any of its office bearers to achieve. Quotas, on the other hand, are mandated outcomes decided by your party.

Quotas on the numbers of women candidates, for example, will mostly likely have been made by a policy decision at your National Committee or Party Conference and therefore your party has decided must be achieved. There is currently no legislation about targets or quotas for political parties in Scotland.

For more information about quotas and how they work see this report from Engender.

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