Monday 13th October 2014
10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY
An eventful week in the Scottish Parliament which quietly celebrated the 10 year anniversary of the building’s official opening by Her Majesty The Queen.
Johann Lamont MSP, Labour Leader in Scotland, came up with a novel idea for a politician, when called on the SNP Government and the other parties to put politics to one side when the future of our health service is at stake.
Johann also identified childcare as an issue where our Parliament can and should make progress. There is obvious common ground across the major parties on the benefits of good childcare provision for children, for families and society. Working together we can make it happen here in Scotland.
Finance Secretary, John Swinney also had his moment when he put forward his draft budget with new taxation and borrowing powers through the Scotland Act of 2012, allowing him to set out Scottish tax rates for the first time in 300 years.
Earlier today, Lord Smith of Kelvin, the man leading the commission on more devolved powers for Scotland, brought together for the first time ever in Scotland all of the five political parties to discuss the future of the devolved settlement for Scotland in the UK.
The pressure is now on to bring about powers with a purpose. In the words of Donald Dewar, Scotland’s 1st First Minister “I look forward to the days ahead when men and women from all over Scotland will meet to work together for a future built from the first principals of Social Justice”.