Time for newa story

The SNP’s crisis should be a wake-up call for all Scottish parties to reconsider devolution, where Scotland’s political failings are, and the state of our parliament as a whole, writes Gerry Hassan

THE past few days have seen Scottish politics shaken to the core. Humza Yousaf terminated the SNP-Green Bute House Agreement bringing the prospect of a vote of no confidence. This could end his premiership and SNP rule and even result in a special Holyrood election before the coming Westminster contest. In such a febrile atmosphere, no-one could be sure how voters would act in a surprise poll, or who they might blame for calling it!

Politics in Scotland hasn’t always been this intoxicating – and full of high drama. Twenty-five years ago, on May 6, 1999, the first-ever democratic elections to the Scottish Parliament occurred. Thus began a new chapter and story in modern Scotland and our collective history – with consequences to this day.

A couple of weeks ago Yousaf tried to claim that devolution – and the campaign that produced it – was an SNP achievement. He stated that the SNP “led” the cross-party pro-devolution campaign in the 1997 devolution referendum and “won” it, leading to the first elections and establishment of the Parliament.

This is one strand of the devolution settlement – as parties and traditions attempt to position themselves as advocates and champions of the Scottish Parliament with all the implications that then follow. Once Labour did this and saw devolution as their story; now the SNP do the same, aiming to present independence as the culmination of devolution.

Another potent and seldom critiqued strand of the past 25 years is that of “o–cial” Scotland’s sense of entitlement, of its place and importance, and clear self-regard. For example, a recent Holyrood Sources event on the 25th anniversary saw a host of former Scottish Parliament grandees such as ex-first minister Jack McConnell reflect uncritically on the achievements of the institution and their own roles in it.

History in the making: The setting-up of the Scottish Parliament in 1999

THE establishment of a Scottish Parliament in May 1999 was an achievement that dramatically changed the landscape of Scottish politics. Yet its creation resulted from a variety of forces. One was the growing awareness that the old system of direct rule from Westminster – given the euphemism “administrative devolution” – had become irretrievably broken.

Another was the emerging home rule consensus of the 1980s and early 1990s that had grown stronger and deeper in the face of the collapse of the ancien regime and time-honoured way of governing Scotland. A major catalyst was Margaret Thatcher and Thatcherism which had little time for the paternalism and noblesse oblige of the Scottish O–ce and consensual Tories.

These currents strengthened an increasingly assertive, confident, pro-autonomy politics. This was not owned by one party – Labour, LibDems, Greens, SNP – as all played their part as did those outside the political spectrum, including the churches, STUC and the voluntary sector.

This home rule consensus had extensive reach. In March 1989, when A Claim of Right for Scotland proclamation was published asserting “the sovereignty of the Scottish people”, every Scottish

Labour MP signed it (except Tam Dalyell) including Gordon Brown, e¥ectively a–rming an unapologetic Scottish nationalist document.

No party has a straightforward story to tell. The SNP famously decided to boycott the Scottish Constitutional Convention in the 1980s and 1990s – an idea they originally suggested. Humza Yousaf’s comments cited earlier about the SNP’s leadership role in the campaign for devolution were selective and disingenuous. They were an attempt to place the SNP unambiguously as the party of devolution and independence.

Ewan Gibbs of Glasgow University noted about the SNP and devolution in 1997 and Yousaf’s remarks: “Salmond did manage to convince the SNP to come out for a Yes vote but he had to fight with entrenched hardliners in his own party to achieve that.”

He concluded that such a perspective – put forward to mark the 90th anniversary of the SNP – is “a rather sad and thin overview of the SNP and the party’s history”.

The limits of ‘the o cial story’ of devolution

THE Scottish Parliament may have altered the political landscape of the country and become an accepted institution, where once there was a democratic void and chasm. But has it been a success in its achievements beyond what it represents?

The o–cial story of the Scottish Parliament – that it is a modern, inclusive, empowering body; the voice of