Willie Sullivan, Jess Garland and Michela Palese on how to fix our broken political system Most commentators seem to buy in to the idea that we are largely governed by consent in Britain. Up until now, it has seemed to matter only a little that this consent is positively granted through the clumsy and cumbersome […]
Paul Cairney argues the Scottish Parliament is fundamental to Scottish democracy but legitimises pluralist rather than participatory democracy A well-functioning and effective parliamentary system underpins a well-functioning democratic system. However, there is no point in pretending that a single body can foster every kind of democracy. Instead, we make choices about the type of democracy […]
Michael Keating makes a balance sheet of the good, the bad and the not so beautiful. Devolution in 1999 was the culmination of over a hundred years of debate and some twenty years of campaigning after the false start of the 1970s. Initially conceived as a way of bringing power back from London, home rule […]
Elaine Smith argues the Scottish Parliament has made little progress in realising it essential tasks. Gordon Brown, in The Red Paper (1975), argued: ‘The irresistible march of recent events places Scotland today at a turning – not of our own choosing but where a choice must sooner or later be made’. He went on to […]
Alex Neil is both proud and disappointed on the amount of left progress made. When I was elected as a Member of the Scottish Parliament on 6 May 1999, I was elated. This was the first ever democratically elected Scottish Parliament. As a believer in social justice and independence, I was full of hope that […]
Colin Fox says promises have been unfulfilled, challenges ducked and the poorest Scots failed On this, the twentieth anniversary of the Scottish Parliament, I find myself reflecting on the lofty promises it made in 1999; politics would be done differently we were told, the world’s newest legislature would be a ‘People’s Parliament’ with a progressive […]
Dennis Canavan says only independence will allow Holyrood to become a heart in a heartless world. Throughout my entire political life, I campaigned for the setting up of a Scottish Parliament, even at a time when it was not a popular cause amongst many comrades on the left. The case for a Scottish Parliament was […]
Grahame Smith argues the Parliament has made a good start but has unfinished business. In his iconic speech at the formal opening of the Scottish Parliament on 1 July 1999, Donald Dewar described the Scottish Parliament as: ‘Not an end [but] a means to greater ends’. The devolution of power to Scotland and the reopening […]
Pat Kelly recalls the struggle for a Scottish Assembly and how it shaped the Parliament we have today. In his speech at the official opening of the Scottish Parliament on 1 July 1999, Donald Dewar encapsulated the feelings of the country when he declared: ‘For me, for any Scot, today is a proud moment; a […]
Pauline Bryan argues Brexit could be an opportunity to remake Britain in a federal mould Sometimes when you ask for directions, you’re told: ‘I wouldn’t start from here’. That may be the best response when considering the British constitution. Not having a codified constitution may have some advantages – it has allowed changes to be […]