The Scottish media this month has been full of coverage to mark the first decade of devolution, and with a new book published on those 10 years, ‘Uncharted Territory’ by Hamish Macdonell, it seemed timely to look back at what those years have held.
A decade ago, your correspondent stood on the Mound and cheered, or rather, clapped politely, as the new MSPs, carrying with them our hopes and shiny dreams, traipsed slightly sheepishly past and into their temporary home.
If 30 feels a long, long way from 20, and it certainly does, how far has the parliament come in the last 10 years?
It is important to separate out the bedding in of an institution from the political agenda enacted by various parties within that institution.
The parliament itself has become an accepted, integral part of Scottish political life, perhaps even the pivotal institution. We have discovered that a political system, and a nation’s perception, can be flexible, with the focus shifting from Holyrood to Westminster and back again, dependent on the issues currently occupying the headlines. We have also found that the shape and style of a government can be flexible as we have witnessed coalitions, minority governments and a changing array and proportion of minority parties.
We were promised a more responsive, accessible style of government, but what we have experienced is that on a smaller stage bit players can more easily grab the limelight. This has its benefits, but the unedifying spectacle of a personally funded referendum from one of the SNP’s biggest donors and continued intensive anti-gay lobbying from the Roman Catholic church, raises serious questions about the nature of democracy.
So what of the relationship between Westminster and Holyrood? The previously mentioned book by Hamish Macdonnell, was printed by the London-based Politico’s Publishing. The book, which claims to tell ‘The story of Scottish devolution’, also refers on its back cover to ‘John McConnell’s term as First Minister’. That would appear to sum things up.
But what of the substance? The life-changing stuff? After all, the creation of the Scottish parliament was never intended to be an end in itself.
It turns out that an institution is only as good as the party in power.
Looking back at the period 1999-2007 Scottish Labour, along with a few token Liberal Democrats, can point to significant ‘Scottish solutions to Scottish problems’: free bus travel for pensioners; free installation of central heating and insulation; community buy-outs of long-neglected estates; free personal care; the smoking ban; the abolition of fees; and an attempt to capitalise on Scotland’s natural resources combined with the technological know-how of the oil and gas industry to place Scotland at the forefront of the renewable energy industry.
Since 2007, we have witnessed the abandonment of commitment after commitment from the SNP government, and as we enter the second half of their term, with close to all their policy pledges now left strewn behind them, it seems unclear what they will find to occupy their time.
Then there is the Scottish Labour party, the party of James Maxton and Jennie Lee. Devolution has not been as kind to the Scottish Labour party as perhaps our electoral maths pre-1999 would have led us to expect, but there possibly is also the nub of our current weakness, but that is a whole other column.
What is clear, is that ten years on, we no longer need to ask, is devolution a success? It has become a matter of fact, an every day element of Scottish life. Devolution isn’t a success, it just is.