20 years of devolution: Scots voted for better in 1997

HOLYROOD celebrates a milestone birthday this year when it will mark the 20th anniversary of the official opening in July.

Much has happened since then as Scotland has seen five First Ministers.

They have led coalition governments, minority governments and one majority government under the SNP between 2011 and 2016.

Landmark laws have been passed like the abolition of section 28, ban on smoking in public places and minimum pricing of alcohol.

There was a brief period in the second term when the electoral system produced a variety of parties, with the SSP, and Greens making big breakthroughs.

The voters also elected independents, who had fallen out of favour with their parties, a hospital campaigner and a representative from a senior citizens party.

The political dynamics have changed from the first two elections with people thinking we were looking at decades of Labour/LibDem coalition dominance.

But the changes in a relatively short space of time have been dramatic.

The two parties which dominated government from 1999 to 2007 now find themselves in third and fifth place in the Holyrood hierarchy, as the SNP and Tories grew in popularity.

In 2014 everything changed.

The rapid growth in SNP membership from the referendum campaign and the division of Yes v No continued into subsequent elections.

It allowed the SNP to be the big force for independence, sidelining the Greens and smaller socialist parties who failed to capitalise on a referendum bounce.

It gave the Tories a new purpose and allowed them to seize the mantle of defenders of the union pushing Labour and the LibDems back.

Since then, there has been one issue that has overshadowed every other, dominated debate and caused deep division and tribal politics on a scale not seen in the early days of devolution.

The Scottish Referendum changed the political landscape in Scotland.

Every policy is distorted through the lens of nationalism versus unionism.

Attacks are launched by politicians on either side of the divide with the main objective being to discredit the others preferred form of sovereignty.

It is damaging for politics and for the services that the Scottish Parliament oversees.

When Nicola Sturgeon took over as First Minister from Alex Salmond, she said she wanted to work with others and wanted to build consensus.

It was seen as a departure in style from her predecessor but the consensus never materialised and it was never seriously pursued.

Labour leader after Labour leader was attacked, demonised and ridiculed at every opportunity.

Tories were public enemy number one for the austerity policies pursued by the UK Government at Westminster.

And in return the opposition parties demanded that the SNP give up on plans for a second referendum and blamed absolutely everything on the SNP being distracted from governing because they are blinkered by independence.

There has been an unhealthy atmosphere in Holyrood for some time now. Scotland voted for better in 1997.

Let’s hope it starts to change in 2019.

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Every policy is distorted through the lens of nationalism versus unionism