Holyrood Annual Review / 23 August 2021

A look back at the Parliamentary year 2020-2021

OVERVIEW

12 THE POLITICAL YEAR: A bitter falling out between one-time political allies dominated proceedings at Holyrood

HOLYROOD BABY

16 NEXT STEPS: Did life improve for Kirsty and children like her during the last parliament or have things got worse?

INTERVIEW

20 JASON LEITCH: On being thrust into the limelight and how being so busy has helped him through the pandemic
party leaders

PARTY LEADERS

26 NICOLA STURGEON: Despite the challenges of the last 18 months, there is reason to be optimistic about Scotland’s future

28 DOUGLAS ROSS: At this time, more than ever, politicians need to bring solutions to the table, not just problems

30 ANAS SARWAR: Scotland deserves a real alternative, one that is ambitious and strives to bring people together, not divide them

32 WILLIE RENNIE: As we bounce back from the pandemic, it’s time to focus on building a fairer Scotland in the here and now
portfolios

PORTFOLIOS

36 The year in Covid Recovery
+Q&A with Cabinet Secretary and Deputy First Minister John Swinney
+ Special Feature in association with Visit Scotland

40 The year in Education & Skills
+Q&A’s with Cabinet Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville

42 The year in Health & Social Care
+Q&A with Cabinet Secretary Humza Yousaf
+ Special Feature in association with Scottish Health Innovations (SHIL)
+ Special Feature in association with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, Chartered Society of Physiotherapy Scotland, BMA Scotland, and the Royal College of Nursing Scotland

48 The year in Finance & The Economy
+Q&A with Cabinet Secretary Kate Forbes
+ Special Feature in association with Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE)

53 The year in Justice & Veterans
+Q&A with Cabinet Secretary Keith Brown

55 The year in Rural Affairs & Islands
+Q&A with Cabinet Secretary Mairi Gougeon
+ Special Feature in association with South of Scotland Enterprise

60 The year in Constitution, External Affairs & Culture
+Q&A with Cabinet Secretary Angus Robertson

62 The year in Net Zero, Energy & Transport
+Q&A with Cabinet Secretary Michael Matheson
+ Special Feature in association with Siemens
+ Special Feature in association with OGUK

70 The year in Social Justice, Housing & Local Government
+Q&A with Cabinet Secretary Shona Robison

REGULARS

3 Editor’s note: What should have bound us closer has been a time riven by polarised debate around issues fundamental to who we are

6 2021 Roundup: Pictures and numbers from the past year

72 Diary: A look at Holyrood’s best diary stories from the past year

74 Last Word: Sajid Javid takes a stand against COVID

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