Except translation, this story has not been edited by achinews staff and is published from a syndicated feed.
All 129 parliamentarians were asked to nominate a local hero who had made an “extraordinary contribution” to their communities to take part in the ceremony to mark 25 years of the Scottish Parliament.
Emma was here as Paul Sweeney’s Labor MSP nominee.
When I ask her why, she tells me that she started doing community work in Springburn when she was only 12 years old.
He set up an outdoor classroom, founded the Springburn Youth Forum, is a leading executive in the Spirit of Springburn charity, runs the Springburn Community Hub, is on the local Community Council, and even runs the community fridge.
A worthy local hero.
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Emma is a few years older than I was on that day in the summer of 1999 when Winnie Ewing declared the Scottish Parliament “prorogued on the 25th day of March in the year 1707” “is hereby reconvened.”
I’m not sure I’m qualified enough to compare what life was like before devolution to what life is like now.
Gordon McDonald is a little older than Emma and me.
He was in his 50s when he returned to Holyrood. When I ask him if he thinks it has made a difference in his life, he immediately replies, “Absolutely.”
“It gives people a little more hope,” he adds. “We can actually start making decisions for ourselves, rather than having things forced on us. And I think that’s a very comforting thing. It’s true.”
Gordon is here for his work establishing a community center in Bwki. As well as providing food, toiletries and school clothes to those in need, it is also somewhere to go for people with mental health problems, people who are lonely, and people who just need a cup of tea.
“A lot of people were worried about the Scottish Parliament [in 1999]especially after what we have gone through before, the Poll Tax and all the other things.
“Okay we can get it wrong here, but at least we’re making up our own minds.”
Before the speeches, before the King arrives, there is milling. ASA wanders around the debating chamber, joking and laughing.
In the gallery, there are local heroes, families of MSPs, high-ranking dignitaries from almost every branch of the public sector and what every Lord Provost in Scotland must be.
By my count, three of the six former Scottish ministers are here.
Nicola Sturgeon sits next to Humza Yousaf on the SNP benches, while Alex Salmond sits with the public, watching the proceedings from the heights.
The SNP, the Tories and the Lib Dems all have roses in their buttonholes. When I ask a Labor MLA why he doesn’t have a flower, he jokes, “Megxit”.
After a rousing new fanfare composed by John Wallace of Fife for the 25th anniversary and played by brass students from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, the King and Queen arrive, accompanied by the Royal Rifle Company, Bodyguard the Sovereign in Scotland on the one hand.
Beau Johnston, Member of the Scottish Youth Parliament, went ahead, wielding the mighty Sword of Elizabeth. It’s a big job. The sword has to be about the same as her.
It looked sharp too. One trip and she could have triggered a couple of by-elections.
Although that might have helped John Swinney with his budget negotiations, it would have lessened the situation.
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The King’s speech was surprisingly political and personal. He spoke of his grandmother and mother and their love for Scotland.
“From the central belt, to the Northern Highlands, across the islands, in Ayrshire, in the Borders, the cities, towns, and villages, or the coastal communities, which, I wonder, could not fail to be moved by this complex Caledonian. kaleidoscope?” he asks.
1999 was a “turning point,” says Charles.
“Today is an important milestone. As we look ahead to the next quarter of a century and beyond, there is still much more to be done, for Scotland, for the United Kingdom and, equally, to address the challenges we all share them as inhabitants of a planet whose climate is changing dangerously. and their biodiversity is being seriously depleted.”
It’s an important message whose impact is perhaps weakened a little when, shortly after leaving parliament, he and the Queen board a helicopter that stays on the grounds of Holyroodhouse and flies away.
Before they leave, the King and Queen sit stoically through the speeches of the party leaders.
There isn’t even a flicker of irritation or boredom or anything when Patrick Harvie talks about the need for wealth to be “fairly distributed, instead of being hoarded by the few.”
Nor when he calls all powers to be “democratically accountable.”
The Royals have perfected their poker faces. They are inscrutable when John Swinney talks about embarking “on the next chapter of Scottish self-government.”
Nothing either when the new Scottish Tory leader, Russell Findlay, says that support for “the principle of a devolved Parliament for Scotland within the United Kingdom remains strong.”
In fact, the only time there is a crack is after a stunning performance by 92 musicians from Sistema Scotland’s Big Noise programs.
Highland Cathedral can be a horror when performed poorly. And it is often performed poorly.
But the youngsters from Douglas, Govanhill, Raploch, Torry and Wester Hailes knock it all out of the park.
Although they are outside the chamber, standing on the stairs down to the Garden Lobby, it is a truly moving moment watching it on the monitors.
It’s not just the King who strikes when they end.
The music from the Còisir Alba is also extremely powerful, although towards the end a dancer from the Highlands stands between the SNP and the Green benches and throws in some bass de basques/paddy bass.
She is not mentioned in the programme, but I assume she is supposed to be there. Maybe not. Who knows? It may come on Tuesday for Stage 3 of the Proceedings: Aggregate Tax and Devolved Tax Administration (Scotland) Bill.
Holyrood is messy, furious, often boring and sometimes a bit stupid.
In recent years, he has failed to hold the government to account and failed to properly scrutinize important legislation.
Reform is desperately needed.
Yet when Alex Cole-Hamilton said, “I love this place,” I found myself nodding in agreement.
Our parliament is young. One of the youngest in the world. It can only, surely, get better.
I can’t wait to see what the next 25 years will hold.
(Except translation, this story has not been edited by achinews staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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