Friday 23 August 2024, at the Scottish Parliament
As part of the 2024 Festival of Politics, Scotland’s Futures Forum helped the Scottish Parliament mark its 25th anniversary with a panel discussion reflecting on its achievements, challenges, and opportunities for growth. The event highlighted the Parliament’s strengths, legislative achievements, and areas for improvement, with a focus on accountability, collaboration, and public engagement.
Key Takeaways
- Scottish Parliament legislation, such as the Smoking Ban and Land Reform Act, has had a transformative effect on public policy and Scottish society.
- Youth engagement has improved significantly through initiatives such as votes at 16 and through collaboration with the Scottish Youth Parliament.
- Challenges remain in addressing partisanship, improving committee independence, and avoiding legislative overload.
- Local government reform and preventive health measures are areas which could address inequalities and improve public services.
- Public trust in politics requires constructive discourse, better political education, and greater accessibility.
- Diverse participation, especially from marginalised groups, is essential for a representative and inclusive Parliament.
Panel
- Olivia Brown MSYP, Vice Chair of the Scottish Youth Parliament
- Ken Macintosh, former MSP and Presiding Officer
- Lord Jack McConnell, First Minister of Scotland 2001-2007
- Esther Roberton, expert in civic, corporate and constitutional governance
- Brian Taylor, writer and broadcaster, former political editor of BBC Scotland
Summary
Reading time of 4 minutes
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Achievements of the Scottish Parliament
Legislative Milestones
The panel highlighted transformative legislation that underscored the Parliament’s commitment to improving public policy. Notable achievements included:
- The Smoking Ban which was introduced in 2006 and set a benchmark for public health policy. This demonstrated the Parliament’s ability to deliver impactful, well-consulted legislation. Jack McConnell noted that the ban was well-prepared, widely consulted on, and effectively implemented, leading to significant public health benefits.
- Land Reform Act: This law addressed historic inequalities in land ownership, empowering communities and enhancing fairness in land rights.
- UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) Incorporation: Olivia Brown highlighted this as a significant step in embedding children’s rights within the legislative framework, ensuring young people are prioritised in policy decisions.
Empowering Young Voices
Olivia Brown emphasised the importance of equipping young people with the tools and confidence to influence decisions that shape their futures. The role of the Scottish Youth Parliament was highlighted as a key factor in engaging young people in politics.
A New Political Culture
The Parliament has established itself as a forum for participatory governance. While panellists celebrated its ethos of inclusion and collaboration, they also acknowledged the ongoing need to better reflect Scotland’s diverse communities.
Challenges and Criticisms
Partisanship and Control
While designed to foster collaboration, the panel noted that partisanship and party control have sometimes limited the Parliament’s ability to operate effectively. Esther Roberton pointed out that excessive party control can hinder cross-party cooperation and deliberative processes, calling for greater independence in decision-making.
Committee System Weaknesses
The committee system, intended to provide robust scrutiny, was highlighted as an area requiring improvement. The current system was seen as too partisan, with committee members often following party lines rather than engaging in independent scrutiny.
Legislative Overload
Panellists discussed the risk of over-legislation, noting that while Scotland has been bold in creating new rights, these must be matched with practical mechanisms for implementation.
Future Directions
Expanding Devolved Powers
The potential for further devolution was explored. Ken Macintosh called for a balance between devolving powers to the Scottish Parliament and ensuring effective governance. Esther Roberton suggested that the Parliament could benefit from additional powers in areas like borrowing, immigration, and employment law.
Strengthening Local Government
Panellists advocated revisiting local government structures to ensure they are adequately resourced and empowered to meet community needs.
Health and Social Care Reform
The need to shift from reactive spending on the NHS to preventative health measures was emphasised. Panellists suggested that addressing social determinants of health – such as housing and education – could significantly reduce long-term pressures on healthcare services.
Building Public Trust
Addressing Political Divides
The impact of divisive politics and misinformation, particularly on young people, was a point of discussion. Panellists called for constructive, fact-based discourse to rebuild trust.
Education and Accessibility
Panellists called for improved integration of political education into school curriculums to ensure future generations are informed and engaged. Enhanced accessibility to the Parliament’s processes was also seen as key to fostering wider participation.
Engaging Marginalised Groups
Barriers faced by marginalised groups, including young women and minorities, were acknowledged as significant challenges. Olivia Brown emphasised the need for targeted education initiatives and inclusive pathways to encourage political participation among these groups.
Audience Questions: Key Themes
Cross-Party Collaboration
Dennis Canavan, a former MSP, raised concerns about the lack of cross-party collaboration and the control exerted by party whips. Panellists agreed that fostering a culture of cooperation is vital for addressing Scotland’s most pressing issues.
Electing Committee Conveners
The idea of electing committee conveners was suggested by David Stewart, another former MSP, as a way to strengthen parliamentary scrutiny, reduce partisanship, and enhance the effectiveness of committees.
Revising Parliamentary Processes
Calls for reforms, such as enhancing post-legislative scrutiny, were highlighted as practical ways to strengthen the Parliament’s effectiveness.
Local Government Reform
Andy Wightman, a former MSP, questioned whether the creation of the Scottish Parliament has come at the cost of strengthening local government. Jack McConnell agreed that more power and resources need to be devolved to local authorities and called for a review of the current structure of local government.
Future of Devolution
The panellists discussed the need for a more mature approach to intergovernmental relations and the potential for further devolution in areas like immigration and employment law.
Public Service Reform
The panellists agreed on the need for bold action to streamline public services, reduce duplication, and focus on prevention.
Political Engagement for Marginalised Groups
The need to remove structural barriers in order to ensure a more inclusive and representative Parliament was discussed.
Effectiveness of Cross-Party Groups
Cross-party groups provide valuable engagement opportunities, but a more focused and streamlined approach was recommended for greater efficiency.
Conclusion
This event reflected on the Scottish Parliament’s achievements, including transformative legislation and progress in youth engagement. However, challenges such as reducing strengthening committee independence and improving legislative focus remain. Looking ahead, bold action on areas like health and local government reform were highlighted as key areas.
This summary was generated by artificial intelligence. It may contain errors or inaccuracies and should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional advice. If you find any content that is offensive or discriminatory, please report it to us.
Watch the Recording
Panellists
Olivia Brown MSYP is vice chair of the Scottish Youth Parliament and represents the constituency of Midlothian North and Musselburgh. Scottish Youth Parliament has been an integral campaigner on many issues, such as votes at 16, equal marriage and more recently, UNCRC incorporation. Since joining the Scottish Youth Parliament, Olivia has spent time working with other MSYPs on matters she cares deeply about, such as education and sustainable fashion.
Ken Macintosh is a parliamentary consultant following his time as an MSP and Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament. He was born in Inverness and went to school in Portree and Oban, going on to study History at Edinburgh University. He began his career with the BBC before being elected to the first Scottish Parliament in 1999. He is Chair of Lar Housing Trust, a member of the Privy Council, and a board member of Revenue Scotland. He plays football, tennis and golf, but none of them very well. He is married to Claire and the couple have six children.
Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale – Jack McConnell – was First Minister of Scotland between 2001 and 2007 and was a UK Special Representative for Peacebuilding between 2008 and 2010 before being appointed to the House of Lords in 2010. Jack was an MSP for Motherwell and Wishaw between 1999-2011, during which time he served terms as Minister of Finance, and Minister of Education. He is Chancellor of the University of Stirling, Chair of Reform Scotland and Chair of the McConnell International Foundation. Jack is Honorary President of the Labour Foreign Policy Group and is active in peacebuilding and mediation. He grew up on a sheep farm on the Isle of Arran and graduated from the University of Stirling before teaching Mathematics.
Esther Roberton is an expert in civic, corporate, and constitutional governance and is a passionate advocate for clarity of purpose, consensus, collaboration and community involvement to build a new route map to a better, fairer Scotland. She is a Board member of Scotland’s Futures Forum and has spent a lifetime in public service, most recently as Chair of NHS Lothian and before that as Chair of NHS24 and Non-Executive Director of the Scottish Government. In 2017 she was asked to chair the Independent Review of Legal Services Regulation for the Scottish Government and was a Press Complaints Commissioner between 2007 and 2014. In the 1990s Esther was the Coordinator of the Scottish Constitutional Convention whose 1995 publication ‘Scotland’s Parliament, Scotland’s Right’ provided the blueprint for devolution.
Brian Taylor is a writer, broadcaster, author, lecturer and after-dinner speaker. He is a columnist for The Herald and regular broadcaster, mainly on politics and current affairs. Brian is the former Political Editor of BBC Scotland. Before joining the BBC, Brian worked in newspapers including his role as lobby correspondent at Westminster. Brian has written numerous books including The Scottish Parliament: a definitive account of the road to devolution and its consequences, and Scotland’s Parliament: Triumph and Disaster. He has lectured on politics and identity across the globe. Brian maintains contact with the realities of Scottish life through passionate support of Dundee United Football Club.
