FERGUS EWING: Time for change at Holyrood and I don’t mean in political party!
Holyrood is 25 years old.
Many have reflected on how devolution has fared. Most now believe change is required.
As well as moving away from the polarised trench political warfare that achieves so very little, some fundamental changes are needed.
I believe that the two types of MSP- constituency and list means in effect that there are two classes of member.
I would prefer to see an STV voting system where the voters - not party bosses choose all MSPs.
This system operates in Ireland where there are 20 Independent members in their parliament.
Power is placed in the hands of the people - and not party leaders who tend to wish to select and put on the top of lists those individuals who will follow the party line first.
Secondly, convenors of parliamentary committees should be elected by secret ballot of MSPs. This would strengthen the committee system.
We have fallen behind Westminster in the lack of independence from party and robust challenge by committees of government ministers.
This was a feature of the first sessions of Holyrood but has fallen away.
Finally, I do believe that we are in Scotland are massively over-governed, and the public sector has grown over the past quarter of a century at the expense of the economy and the private sector.
Public sector reform is not easy but should not longer be shirked.
All parties should work together on a plan to slim down the health service and local Government, and put power back in the hands of local people and not in the hands of vested interests.
Finding common ground on the A9
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On his first outing at First Minister’s Question time, I was able to press John Swinney on the dualling of the A9.
I asked if he would meet me, and MSPs from the other parties that also support the dualling programme. In particular I pressed him to accelerate the programme so that it is completed before 2035.
Secondly the current plan, outlined in December last year’s, is also subject to a worrying caveat.
Namely that next year a review is to be done of the market conditions regarding financing of the dualling of the remaining sections north of Drumochter.
That caveat must be removed as it casts doubt on the whole commitment.
The other MSPs, who I agreed this question with beforehand, are Ash Regan Alba, Ed Mountain, Tory, Rhoda Grant Labour and Willie Rennie, Lib Dem. Only the Greens refuse to support dualling the A9.
I believe that the public do want people from different parties to work together.
All but the most partisan supporters of individual parties see the sense of coming together and seeking to find an agreed way forward by reasoned argument and compromise.
In politics, trench warfare has no winners. I will report back, to Strathy readers once the meeting takes place.
• Fergus Ewing (SNP) is MSP for Inverness and Nairn including Strathspey