Holyrood 531 / 17 June 2024

H25 Special anniversary issue:

Exclusive interview: Tony Blair reflects on 25 years of devolution

PLUS featuring exclusive interviews and contributions from John Swinney, Humza Yousaf, Alex Salmond, Jack McConnell, Henry McLeish, Brian Taylor, Jim Wallace, Susan Deacon, Angela Constance, Andy Kerr, Sarah Boyack, Màiri McAllan, Neil Gray, Wendy Alexander, Shona Robison, Kate Forbes

3 Editor’s note: No words can adequately describe my disappointment, rage, and disbelief at the sheer absurdity that ensnared our legislature
6 Roundup: Pictures and numbers from the past two weeks
7 Talking Point: There’s no such thing as investment purity so why keep demanding it?
9 In Context: The Education (Scotland) Bill
10 Political Spotlight: The general election has given the Tories the summertimes blues but there remains much to play for
12 Overview: Brian Taylor - The recreation of Scotland’s parliament is truly remarkable
16 Political Interview: Tony Blair - The prime minister who brought in devolution reflects on the journey so far
28 FM: John Swinney - So much has been achieved under devolution to make Scotland a better place
30 FM: Humza Yousaf - The election of Scotland’s first leader of colour shows how far we have come in 25 years
32 FM: Nicola Sturgeon - To her supporters she is a progressive but her critics say she has left Scotland divided
34 FM: Alex Salmond - A great deal has been accomplished but reform
of our parliament is overdue
36 FM: Jack McConnell - The parliament has lost much of its transparency and energy
38 FM: Henry McLeish - A new era of political consensus is needed to drive progress
42 Cabinet Secretaries: Past and present - Serving cabinet secretaries and their predecessors chart the progress of devolution so far
51 Feature: 25 Key moments - The moments that shaped not only the story of devolution but of Scotland itself
70 In Memoriam: Deaths in office - Eight MSPs have sadly passed away while serving at Holyrood
72 Feature: Departures - The once familiar faces who have left frontline politics
74 Feature: Expenses - Money troubles have done for several political careers since 1999
76 Getting to know...
Moray Council leader Kathleen Robertson and her travels across South America
78 Comment: The fire at the Glasgow School of Art is a tragedy which demands scrutiny
79 Local Politics: Aberdeen independent Marie Boulton walks us through her political patch
80 Diary: Naked truths and political messiahs
81 Political Spin: Christine Grahame talks us through her eclectic taste
82 Last Word - Sketch: Douglas Ross defends the size of a package

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