Scottish Parliament - 10 years old
First Minister Alex Salmond in the Scottish Parliament
July 1, 2009
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Your Majesty, our Queen of Scots - on behalf of the people - the community of the realm of this ancient nation - I thank you for your presence here today.
This is indeed a historic day for Scotland - and I am not speaking of the epic events soon to be played out in SW19. Today marks the beginning of a new decade in the life of this Parliament - our parliament.
Your remarks were significant in recording the achievements of this Parliament and offering reflections on its future.
I know that I am not alone in wishing that Donald Dewar was here to witness them. Our first First Minister - a fine Parliamentarian, and a proud Scot - was immensely influential in the reinstatement of this Scottish Parliament.
Let me also express my thanks to Roddy Hart for his stirring contribution to today's celebrations.
It is fitting that these words - the words of Robert Burns - should greet us during his 250th anniversary - Scotland's Homecoming Year. Just as, a decade ago Sheena Wellington's rendition of A Man's A Man provided an unforgettable opening to this Parliament.
Your Majesty, today you will meet children born on the very day on which this Parliament received its full powers.
The whole Chamber will want to wish the children a very happy 10th birthday, and thank them for sharing their celebrations with us.
Their presence is a reminder that we are all growing older and wiser - hopefully - by the day.
The decade since this Parliament was reconvened has proven to be a remarkable time in our political history.
A time in which there have been some notable legislative successes. Scotland led the UK in banning smoking in public places, and will lead the world in reducing carbon emissions. These are things in which all Scots should take great pride.
But success should also be judged by the way the Parliament has gone about its business, how it has woven itself into the tartan of Scottish society, how we have carried ourselves, how we have become a Parliament worthy of the name and worthy of the nation.
There have been difficult times too. But your Majesty has always been a firm supporter of this Parliament. Your words of support in Aberdeen in 2002 when our fortunes were at a much lower ebb have not been forgotten - who knows perhaps you will soon find some words of encouragement for another parliament elsewhere .
Your Majesty, as you noted you have visited the Scottish Parliament on five previous occasions, in three different locations - Let me assure you that we intend to stay here for the foreseeable future!
The Scottish Parliament is founded on transparency, and inclusivity for all the people of Scotland.
Proportional representation has made the Parliament genuinely representative of the range of views in Scotland.
That electoral system has resulted in two coalition governments followed by a minority government.
We have certainly broken the mould -learning how to build a system of governance that reflects and responds to the values of our people.
Some said it could not be done. That the Parliament was bound to fail, born to fail. But we have - as a Parliament and as a People - proven them to be wrong.
This Parliament has found its place in Scottish society. It is no longer 'new' in the eyes of our people.
In fact, it has become so familiar that many now struggle to recall what it was like not to have a Scottish Parliament.
Today we are right to celebrate the successes of the Parliament, thus far. We also, rightly, consider its future.
The Scottish Parliament is here to stay - this much we know but the reconvening of this Parliament was never an event but a process.
Following its first decade, this country is reflecting on how, together, we can meet the challenges of the next decade, and of those to come.
There are different visions, different proposals. But at the heart of each is a genuine regard for what is best for the future of Scotland.
In searching for the solutions we believe are best for Scotland, we share a common purpose. And that exchange of ideas, taking place here in Scotland, is the sign of a healthy, thriving democracy.
Your Majesty it is both a privilege and a great responsibility to serve the Scottish people in their Parliament.
That is what unites us - that the interests of the Scottish people must remain at the heart of everything we do and everything we debate.
And as the Scottish Parliament has grown in stature over the last 10 years, so Scotland has grown with it.
We, the people of Scotland, are enjoying a renewed sense of ourselves. And a new hope for the future.
We look forward to the next ten years with confidence - aware of the obvious challenges but seized of the great opportunities.
Because whatever the future holds, Scotland can and Scotland will flourish.