Policy Scotland was delighted to present this public event with the Rt Hon Ken Macintosh MSP, Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament, to reflect on two decades of Scottish devolution.
Since 1999, the Scottish Parliament has evolved into a mature institution at the heart of Scottish political life, shaped by seismic political, financial and constitutional events. This event took place almost one year since the UK entered the first COVID-19 lockdown, a year in which Parliament has adapted how it meets, votes and holds Government to account.
This wide-ranging conversation delved into the principles and procedures of the Scottish Parliament, particularly during the past year with the COVID-19 emergency, and the intense scrutiny of its investigation into the Scottish Government’s handling of harassment complaints. It also marked the end of this session of the Parliament before it concludes this week for the Scottish Parliamentary election.
The conversation was introduced by Anton Muscatelli, Principal and Vice Chancellor of the University of Glasgow, and chaired by Des McNulty, Deputy Director of Policy Scotland.
About Ken MacIntosh
Ken Macintosh was first elected to the Scottish Parliament in 1999 as a Scottish Labour Co-operative Party candidate and became Presiding Officer in 2016. He will be stepping down from Parliament at this election, and this event will be an opportunity to hear his valedictory reflections on where the Scottish Parliament has got to and where it is going.