Mr. Atherton offers ten years' experience as a policy developer and program manager in the fields of local government and community regeneration. His work as a policy adviser at the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister in London and to the Scottish Executive in Edinburgh has focused on tackling the multiple causes of disadvantage in the UK's urban neighborhoods. Before this, Jon specialized in developing legislation for democratic renewal, the modernization of rural towns and advising Pan-European institutions on local self-government.