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

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In response to the Modernisation Committee's call for views on 17 October 2024, we submitted evidence outlining key areas we believe the Committee should prioritise. Our submission recommended a focus on: strengthening legislative scrutiny, with particular emphasis on reforming the delegated legislation system; enhancing financial scrutiny, especially in relation to the Budget and the Estimates; addressing strategic gaps in parliamentary scrutiny; making more effective use of parliamentary time; and reviewing the Standing Orders, language and rituals of the House of Commons.

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