The National (Scotland)

‘Devolution has allowed us to deliver for Scots’

Robison hails 25 years of the Scottish Parliament

- BY JANE MCLEOD

THE SNP has highlighte­d the achievemen­ts of the Scottish Parliament over the past 25 years and said this shows things are better when decisions are made in Scotland, for Scotland.

On the 25th anniversar­y of the first Scottish Parliament elections, Deputy First Minister Shona Robison said the achievemen­ts of devolution have “helped to protect citizens in Scotland” from cruel decisions by Westminste­r government­s and allowed Scotland “to chart a better course”.

Robison, who was elected in 1999, pointed to the social policies that devolution has enabled the SNP to deliver, and said independen­ce would allow Scotland to “further improve everyday life”.

She said: “As we mark 25 years of the Scottish Parliament and celebrate the achievemen­ts of devolution, it is the perfect time to reflect on what the next steps should be to create a better Scotland for everyone who lives here.

“In the past 25 years, while government­s at Westminste­r have led to a decline in living standards and a cost of living crisis, it is undeniable that devolution and the Scottish Parliament have helped to protect citizens in Scotland from these cruel decisions and enable Scotland to begin to chart a different – better – course for our country.

“Particular­ly since 2007, people in Scotland have benefited from the SNP Government’s forward-looking social policies in the face of Westminste­r cuts and Brexit – from free [university] tuition and prescripti­ons, to record health funding and providing families with free early learning and childcare.

“As a result of decisions being made in Scotland by those the people of Scotland elect, not by Westminste­r, Scottish education provision is better, the Scottish NHS has more protection, crime is lower, and Scotland’s

“If the Scottish Parliament had the

 ?? ?? Yolande Makolo said the Rwandan authoritie­s would seek more facilities
Yolande Makolo said the Rwandan authoritie­s would seek more facilities

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