The devolution brought partial independence in governing related to health, education and local government.
We already had separate judiciary in Scotland.
We do not have foundation hospitals and school academies here. Our university students do not pay
top-up fees. Whenever I have a chance to speak in England I say "Whatever England can do we can do better in Scotland".
I do recognise that some of the Welsh colleagues have done even better in some cases than the Scottish Parliament.
Ali Syed, Edinburgh, 13 December 2007
The most notable moment, in amongst the many beneficial changes, has been having the Parliament
take a vote against Trident. In our photo archive, we have a picture of Dundee trade unionists marching against Polaris
at the Holy Loch back in the early '60s. I remember marching with 400,000 in London in the early 1980s against Cruise
Missiles and attended manyother protests with Dundee CND. Last year I did the Long Walk for Peace from Faslane to Holyrood.
In all this time, we may have had support from some 'nuclear free' local authorities and individual politicians. But
the boost in having the Scottish Parliament vote against Trident was the first time I felt our elected representatives were
on our side. I still believe that people power on the streets is essential in winning advances, but, personally, that
Trident vote made Holyrood's biggest single impression.
Mike Arnott, Dundee Trades Union Council, Dundee, 14 December 2007
My brother said that the Scottish Parliament should be built half way between Edinburgh and Glasgow for
cheapness of land and fairness of travel distances and to bring more facilities to that area. As time passes I agree
with him more and more.
As a campaigner I had been to the door of 10 Downing Street but I have still not been inside Westminster
'tho I was in an election to be put forward for the House of Lords a couple of years ago.
So the Scottish Parliament? Well with due respect to the dead I would not let someone unused to the
Scottish climate design a large project in Scotland. On the outside I do not like the pistol shapes stuck on it - without
them it might be OK. They make me nervous. Presumably they will not fall off but they look as if they might.
I've been inside the Parliament loads of times for events - 30th Birthday of Cannongate Youth project, launch of a book the
Campaign for a Scottish Assembly/Parliament which I was a member of. Meetings of peace education group and the Scottish
independence Convention. I've been shown round as Vice chair of my community council by my MSP Sarah Boyack whose dad
was a pillar of the Campaign for a Scottish Assembly and had dinner in the Parliament restaurant.
The parliament is OK on the interior. You should go if you have never been. You do NOT have
to pay to get inside but you do go through a scanner then you can look around the huge foyer where there is a small exhibition
and a shop but you do have to pay for the Tour. There are some nice artworks and lovely use of wood against stark grey
concrete. After the first few visits I realised that the ceiling has only christian symbols in it and I do think that
urgenly needs addressed in a multicultural modern Scotland. Do atheists and agnostics have a symbol? And the restraunt
should have lighter plates so the waiting staff do not get RSI.
Yes it's good to have the Parliament. I was brought up by independence minded parents to believe Scotland
needed but...the Reserved Powers. There are a mire of issues that need sorted out and cover nuclear weapons, abortion,
drugs and other stuff. It was also a scandal that how Scotland's seas are measured was changed so that England got more.
I had hoped that Scotland's education system would be kinder on children under seven and like Scandanavia
not teach reading until children are seven. Before that there are many concepts and skills as well as use of language
they need to learn to get them ready for formal reading and writing.
My solution for the future of the 'West Lothian question' is a Multi option referendum with a Federal option
which moves the House of Lords to York where they deal with unreserved matters and anything the Federal Parliaments fall out
over.
Linda Hendry, Legalise Cannabis Campaign, Edinburgh, 14 December 2007
I was very pleased to see the birth of Scottish Parliament based on a consensus of the
Scottish People, which was to bring together the talents so abound throughout Scotland in all aspects of Public/Private Services
and to work as a country to develop the skills we inherited from our fathers and forefathers for the betterment of our generations
to come, the Scottish Parliament was essentially a democratic agreement that would provide an opportunity for every section
of the Scottish People to have their voice heard, and for the outcomes of political and financial as well as Social policy
decisions to be taken that would encapsulate all the people's views.
The principle being set before the Scottish People was unity and purpose in a parliamentary
democracy, not dogma nor control of the decision making processes by one section or faction by or over another, that principle
remains as is practised by the parliamentary decisions, however, when shown on TV and newspaper reports it makes it look as
if the decisions are taken by the government with the majority votes, which is simply not the case, and the loss of this fact
being put across to the Scottish People is setting the deathnell for the parliament, history has shown that the Scottish People
in tandem with our Welsh, Irish and many parts of England, particularly the Devonish people have a real social in built sense
of caring for our fellow citizens and this has always brought us together, the division as now being set by the SNP breaks
away from the principal as agreed under the Convention as made prior to the Devolved Parliament yet both SNP and Conservative
Parties did not sign up to that Convention but now appear to be coming together in a co-ordinate way to work towards the destruction
of the devolved parliament, and simply are putting the people's concerns behind their own.
My organisation has been very supportive of the parliaent because we have been listened to
in terms of mental health care within both our hospital and communities, we were successful in getting special ring fenced
financial packages agreed that meant that year on year these vital services were protected agains raiding local authorities
and NHS boards who simply directed the allocated funds elsewhere.
With election of a minority SNP Government stripped of any initiatives that would stimulate
growth within a Scottish Economy they have now removed these protective fences and opened up the flood gates for all
local authorities to raid the allocations of Mental Health finances, which does not have the political muscle operating to
defend these services, and this will eventually return the servie users and their carers back twenty years, and will cause
untold misery and hardship to the most vulnerable within our communities.
The parliament has probably got about 10 years' struggle to even survive, never mind stay
as it is, my view is that if Scotland does vote for separation then it will fall into an abyss of poverty and degredation
the like of which has not been seen within the rich western nations, because the rest of what will be the UK will vote to
keep Scotland out of a european common market, as the vote to break from the United Kingdom will mean that Scotland will have
also cut its ties with Europe, yes negotiations will commence with the EEC for Scotland to have its own seat at the table,
but having cut its sovereignty with Gt Britain and Northern Ireland it will be treated as a rogue rebellious nation that is
acting against the principles of collectiveness as is the purpose of the EEC, so it will follow that being a self determining
nation Scotland will stand in line and need to wait until it can meet all the EEC requirements to join a European Community.
Having no Industrial or Manufacturing base that Europe needs, having a failing farming, and
fishing industry now dependent on European handouts, it will have absolutely nothing for which it can exchange for its inclusiveness
in a European community which will be based on trade and industry, so Scotland will return to the real backwoods and revert
only to an industry related to fun, games and hunting, this is a sad day for a nation but it is staring us all in the face
and those that are in the know have already made their decisions on where they will be when independence comes, ask Mr Trump?
Francis Fallon, Lanarkshire Links, Mental Health/Dementia Service Users/Carers Involvement, Shotts,
16 December 2007
The return to Scotland of its own Parliament after nearly three centuries has had a significant, and in
my view, dynamic effect.
The sad reality is that most people, in most countries, do not consistently play a very active role in politics,
and this appears to hold true over long periods of time.
Indeed it would appear from history that where a small minority holds political power over the great majority,
and manages to maintain their control for a long time, this appears to settle into an accepted "normal" state of affairs,
and can last for very long periods.
However what is also clear from history is that should such a situation be disturbed or "reformed" then
those who gain some additional power from the reforms, invariably grow to like their new power, and to seek more.
Looked at in this historic context the claim that devolution was an "event" and not a "progress" is merely
a futile attempt to set limits to the devolution of power in the UK.
The reality is that most people in Scotland by 1997 felt alienated from the Westminster government, and
were determined to get more control over the UK government. This was not alway the case in my personal experience.
I was brought up in Scotland during the war, and at that time people in Scotland did feel a close affinity
with the English people who were fighting with them against the Nazis. There was indeed a strong sense of being British
in Scotland then. Immediately after the war reforming British Government, with measures like the NHS united people throughout
the UK.
However, since the mid fifties there has been a gap opening up between the south of England and Scotland,
whch can be seen in voting patterns, but is deeper in diverging political opinions. This long trend has increasingly
resulted in the Scots feeling outnumbered and alienated in the Westminster democratic system. It was in my view this
process which motivated the drive for devolution.
Once the Scottish Parliament has been up and running it has become evident to Scots that its powers were
very restricted and that they still could not exercise the influence they wanted on many aspects of political life.
This has led to the growing demand that the powers of the Scottish Parliament need to be enhanced.
Now all the political parties in Scotland have jumped on that band wagon particularly since the election
of an SNP Government.
However, since some of the frustrations of the Scottish people arise from issues such as the Iraq war and
fiscal policy, which will not be addressed in any adjustment to the devolution legislation, it does seem to me that the failure
of most political parties to face the independence issue, will only add to the pressure.
I have the feeling that the current situation in Scotland is that most people are pleased with a devolved
Scottish Parliament, but want it to have more power. They probably do not want independence. However, any attempt
to frustrate their desire for a more powerful and responsive Parliament will merely add to the pressure for independence,
and those who are seen to try and obstruct this will suffer at the ballot box.
I believe that Scottish politics is livening up, and becoming more exciting by the week. It would
be a brave, or very foolish person, who would confidently predict where this pressure will lead so I will not attempt to do
this. I feel however that the current political pressre has been building since the mid-fifties, and will not be easily
diverted.
Andy Anderson, Isle of Skye, 18 December 2007
Not much of a story, but I do remember the late 60's, joining for the first time a political
party which was in fact the SNP, being still a teenager at the time. For any Dundonian it was in the Hilltown I first
joined, and remember years later canvassing for Jim Fairlie, the parliament for me has been years in dreaming, but glad to
see we have it. I feel proud visiting my brother in England who is not jealous but envious of what our parliament has
achieved thus far, the Scots should be proud of our Parliament's ambitions, and hope in the years to come we will have more
say in our day to day running of Scottish affairs.
Gordon Deans, Dundee, 18 December 2007
I was hopeful in 1999 that the Scottish Parliament would bring new opportunities for people
with a passion to influence legislation, policy and practice in the area in which their passion lies. My own experience
was incredible fortune to be able to have channels of influence in the field of mental health and mental illness, using my
experience of volunteering and working in the field as well as my personal experience of mential ill health in the Cross Party
Group on Mental Health. This played a small part in gaining better rights and a better deal out of the Mental Health
(Care and Treatment) Scotland Act 2003 for mental health service users. It has also led to unprecedented unfluence in
subseqent mental health policy in Scotland. This has culminated in the group VOX-Voices of Experience being established
of, for and by people with a lived experience of mental ill health. Our English and Welsh colleagues are envious of
the links we have with MSPs and the Scottish Government, which have resulted in better consultation and outcomes for all in
the areas of responsibility which the devolved Scottish Government holds. We have an award winning anti-stigma campaign
and have seen a reduction in the shocking suicide statistics. More people are put at the centre of their care and treatment
and more have access to independent advocacy to ensure they are supported and their Our challenge now is to move this agenda
out of the "Health" silo and to make all Government departments realise that Mental Health and Wellbeing has a significant
impact on them all. We have made a good start but there are plenty of challenges ahead!
Shaun McNeil, Glasgow
