The Scottish Parliament 1999-2009: The First Decade

Publications / Reports

The Scottish Parliament 1999-2009: The First Decade

1 Jan 2009

This 2009 publication was the first book about the new Scottish Parliament. It brought together a distinguished group of parliamentarians, commentators and academics to review the achievements, limits and challenges of the new Scottish Parliament after its first ten years.

The Scottish Parliament 1999-2009: The First Decade is a collection of essays by leading figures edited by Professors Charlie Jeffery and James Mitchell. In reviewing the first 10 years of the new Parliament's existence, across a wide range of topics, the book tackled key questions including:

To what extent have the founding principles for the Scottish Parliament set out by the Consultative Steering Group been delivered - access and participation, equal opportunities, accountability and power-sharing?
Has the Parliament changed how politics is done in Scotland?
Has the Parliament matured into an effective legislative body?
Have relationships between government, the Parliament and outside stakeholders in local government, interest groups and quangos been improved?
What’s the view from Westminster?
How does the Scottish Parliament fit into the UK’s changing constitutional architecture?

Foreword Alex Fergusson MSP, Presiding Officer, Scottish Parliament
- Chapter 1 Introduction: The First Decade in Perspective Emma Megaughin and Charlie Jeffery
The Parliament in Practice
- Chapter 2 A Dozen Differences of Devolution Lord Steel of Aikwood
- Chapter 3 Committees in the Scottish Parliament Chris Carman and Mark Shephard
- Chapter 4 The Legislative Process: The Parliament in Practice James Johnston
- Chapter 5 The New Scottish Statute Book: The Scottish Parliament's Legislative Record since 1999 Michael Keating and Paul Cairney
The Founding Principles
- Chapter 6 Access and Participation: Aiming High Bill Thomson
- Chapter 7 Travelling the Distance? Equal Opportunities and the Scottish Parliament Fiona Mackay
- Chapter 8 Parliamentary Accountability: Aspiration or Reality? Chris Himsworth
- Chapter 9 The Principle of Power-Sharing, 10 Years On Joyce McMillan
Representative Process
- Chapter 10 The Scottish Parliament Electoral System: Can Credibility be Restored? Nicola McEwen
- Chapter 11 New Parliament, New Elections James Mitchell and Robert Johns
- Chapter 12 Do Devolved Elections Work? John Curtice
- Chapter 13 Conundrums and Contradictions: What Scotland Wants David McCrone
Stakeholders
- Chapter 14 New Scottish Parliament, Same Old Interest Group Politics? Paul Cairney, Darren Halpin and Grant Jordan
- Chapter 15 Civil Society and the Parliament Lindsay Paterson
- Chapter 16 The Media and Parliament Brian McNair
- Chapter 17 Centre and Locality in Scottish Politics: From Bi- to Tri-partite Relations Neil McGarvey
- Chapter 18 Quangos, Agencies and the Scottish Parliament Richard Parry
The View from Elsewhere
- Chapter 19 The Scottish Parliament as seen from London Peter Riddell
- Chapter 20 Opening Doors: Devolution in Wales and the Scottish Parliament, 1999-2009 Alan Trench
Futures
- Chapter 21 The Scottish Parliament, Constitutional Change and the UK's Haphazard Union Charlie Jeffery

Latest / Highlights

News / Parliament Matters Bulletin: What’s coming up in Parliament this week? 8-12 December 2025

Chancellor Rachel Reeves faces questions in the Chamber and before the Treasury Committee about the Budget. MPs debate the Railways Bill for the first time, continue “ping-pong” on the Employment Rights Bill, and are expected to conclude proceedings on the Planning and Infrastructure Bill. The Conservative Party chooses the topic for Wednesday’s Opposition Day debate. In the Lords, Peers debate the English Devolution Bill, continue Committee scrutiny of the Crime and Policing Bill and of the assisted dying bill. Select Committees probe the Afghan data breach, Bank of England interest rates, and problems with the Whole of Government Accounts, and take evidence from the Energy Secretary and the Leader of the House.

News / 2024: The year our party system finally broke? - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 118

This week we spotlight our new book Britain Votes 2024, featuring research by leading political scientists such as public opinion expert Professor Sir John Curtice. We explore how Labour secured a landslide on just a third of the vote, why the election broke so many records, and what these reveal about the fragility of UK democracy. We also cover the Budget fallout, the role of the Treasury Committee in the appointment of the new head of the OBR, more backbench dissent, ex-MPs shifting to the Greens and Reform, and a brewing row over delayed mayoral elections.

News / 101 resolutions and a Finance Bill. How the Budget becomes law - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 117

It’s Budget week, so we look at what happens after the Chancellor sits down and how the days announcements are converted into the Finance Bill. We speak to Lord Ricketts, Chair of the European Affairs Committee, about whether Parliament is prepared to scrutinise the “dynamic alignment” with EU laws that may emerge from the Government’s reset with Brussels. And we explore the latest twists in the assisted dying bill story, where a marathon battle is looming in the New Year after the Government allocated 10 additional Friday sittings for its scrutiny. Please help us by completing our Listener Survey. It will only take a few minutes.

News / Is the House of Lords going slow on the assisted dying bill? - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 116

In this episode we look at the latest Covid Inquiry report addressing the lack of parliamentary scrutiny during the pandemic and the need for a better system for emergency law-making. With the Budget approaching, we explore how the Commons Speaker, Sir Lindsay Hoyle MP, might discipline ministers who announce policies outside Parliament and why a little-known motion could restrict debate on the Finance Bill. Sir David Beamish assesses whether the flood of amendments to the assisted dying bill risks a filibuster and raises constitutional questions. Finally, we hear from Marsha de Cordova MP and Sandro Gozi MEP on their work to reset UK–EU relations through the Parliamentary Partnership Assembly. Please help us by completing our Listener Survey. It will only take a few minutes.

Blog / The assisted dying bill: Is the number of Lords amendments a parliamentary record?

The assisted dying bill has attracted an extraordinary number of amendments in the House of Lords, prompting questions about whether the volume is unprecedented. This blog examines how its amendment count compares with other bills in the current Session, and what the historical data shows about previous amendment-heavy legislation.