Garden Party & Political Awards

Congratulations to the winners of the 2022 political awards

Speech of the Year - Richard Leonard MSP:

“This is about our soul as a nation”. These were the emotional words from Leonard during a rousing speech making the impassioned case for miners who were convicted during the 1984-85 miners’ strike to be pardoned and compensated. Leonard asked his fellow MSPS how could the matter of compensation for miners be considered a reserved matter when these were Scots arrested by Scottish police forces, prosecuted by Scottish fiscals, and convicted in Scottish courts? Leonard received many nominations for this award but not least, one that was sent in by the miners themselves.

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Tweet of the Day - Edward Mountain MSP:

Mountain revealed on Twitter earlier this year that he had been diagnosed with bowel cancer and was undergoing treatment including surgery and radiotherapy. Using Twitter to very honestly and graphically describe the early symptoms of bowel cancer which he had just been treated for, will quite literally save lives and was an extraordinarily brave and exposing thing to do.

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One to Watch - Neil Gray MSP: The former MP was elected to Holyrood in 2021 having had the courage of his conviction and resigning his Westminster seat ahead of the election. He joined Shona Robison in convening the Social Justice and Fairness Commission before being appointed a minister for Culture, Europe and International Development in January 2022 and was also more recently given responsibility for Ukrainian refugees. Tipped as a potential future leader of the SNP, Gray also wins praise across the chamber with many opposition MSPS pointing out his desire to work with others to reach consensus.

The Powering Change Award - Citizen Participation

and Public Petitions Committee: A committee that is often disregarded as a sleepy backwater for legislation but has effectively used its role to explore ideas from the public which can lead to substantial policy change. And particularly, for the joyous way the committee members deftly handled the youngest person to ever appear before a committee in the parliament, seven-year-old Callum Isted, who had petitioned MSPS to urge the Scottish Government to replace disposable water bottles provided in many schools with a sustainable, reusable, metal bottle, it should win plaudits. Pure magic.

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Green Giant Award - Maurice Golden MSP: Golden has been a clear and consistent champion on climate action, the circular economy, and the wider environment throughout his career in parliament. Whether it is debates, questions, interventions, or media calls, he has used every opportunity to get these issues in front of the public. He has also pushed the envelope for opposition parties, persuading them to go that bit further and find common cause.

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Flushable Motion of the Year - Christine Grahame

(Motion: Silverburn phone box second only to the Tardis): Grahame was nominated for this prestigious accolade for not just asking the parliament to recognise the efforts of the small community of Silverburn in managing to retain the presence of its red phone box which had been threatened with removal by BT several times, but for bravely claiming the rural phone box was second only to the Tardis. Is there a doctor in the house…

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Political Staffer of the Year - David Hill: The judges unanimously decided that there could only be one nomination to go forward for this year’s Staffer of the Year award and that it should be awarded posthumously to David Hill who tragically died while playing rugby for the Scottish Parliament’s rugby team in Dublin in March. David had worked for a number of the Scottish Conservative MSPS and at the time of his death was head of office for Jamie Greene MSP. He was loved, admired, and respected across the parliament and politicians from across all parties have paid tribute to David. Greene wrote: “David’s passion for whisky, rugby, mediocre bagpipe playing, and a wry smile were the very essence of him and his life. His sudden passing has been a shock to us all in Holyrood. A young life taken too soon.”

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Best Scot at Westminster - Stewart Mcdonald MP: The war in Ukraine has really brought the prior work and intelligence gathering that Mcdonald had done to the fore. Raising the plight of Ukraine before many even understood what was happening, he withstood criticism from Tory MPS who painted his efforts as grandstanding, and continued to bang that particular drum. Events in Ukraine have subsequently, sadly justified his cause. He has also come to prominence over the last year for papers on disinformation and in particular for his work on developing ideas for defence policy in an independent Scotland.

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Backbencher of the Year - Fergus Ewing MSP: Ewing replaces Alex Neil as the SNP MSP whose contributions are as likely to be applauded by the opposition as his own benches. Since leaving government, Ewing has become more outspoken and been unafraid to challenge the party line. He was applauded by opposition MSPS after he challenged the government’s oil and gas strategy calling for a “thriving oil and gas sector” to continue and had criticised the policies of the Scottish Greens who are in a cooperation agreement with the Scottish Government as “extreme”. More to come, we suspect.

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Open All Hours Award - Alex Cole-hamilton MSP: Colehamilton is a bundle of focused energy. Does the man ever stop campaigning? He applies himself to the politics of west Edinburgh with a dedication that befits what was formerly, if not currently, a keenly contested marginal seat and no Cramond coffee morning or Corstorphine car boot sale is complete without an appearance by ACH. He has adapted that energetic approach, honed in his constituency, to the role of party leader. If Alex Cole-hamilton ever rests, it is only to gain further energy for fighting on political, constituency and policy issues.

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MSP of the Year - Jackie Baillie MSP: Baillie is one of the rare beings at Holyrood, an existing 1999er who has hung onto her constituency seat for five terms through sheer hard work and good politics. She has been a formidable critic of the SNP in government and is on her feet most weeks at FMQS raising the big issues. She is the powerhouse behind the Labour leader, Anas Sarwar, and worked tirelessly to ensure Labour’s success in the local government elections which moved the party back up into pole position behind the SNP and looking more like a credible government-in-waiting.

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Political Hero of the Year - Pam Duncanglancy MSP: Duncan-glancy is an inspiration. The parliament’s first permanent wheelchair-using MSP, she has attracted a lot of attention but her contribution goes way beyond her own lived experience. And while she has no doubt championed the rights of disabled people, of carers and with her potentially life-changing, Disabled Children and Young people (Transitions to Adulthood) Bill, she also sits on two committees and has made important and thoughtful contributions in many other areas of policy.

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Lifetime Achievement - Sir John Curtice:

This award is given to someone who has dedicated their life to Scottish politics and has managed to cut across party-political boundaries to demonstrate a commitment to public service, statecraft and the democratic process. Someone woven into Scotland’s political fabric. Presenting the award to this year’s winner Sir John Curtice, former BBC Scotland political editor Brian Taylor said that John was widely acknowledged as “the doyen of his trade.” He went on to describe why John was the BBC’S “go-to guy” for any election analysis: “His analysis is sharp, thorough and dispassionate. In addition, he speaks fluent human. People – politicians, pundits, voters – listen carefully to him because he talks sense. He repays their attention. His analysis is always firmly based upon social scientific data, often polling. But he skilfully spots the trends, discerns the messages – and draws them clearly to our attention. More than any of these things, he is a thoroughly decent man. Honest, highly intelligent, open and friendly.”

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