On a summer day in 1999, a parliament sat in Edinburgh for the first time in almost three centuries. As its first business got under way, one member declared that the Scottish Parliament, ‘adjourned’ in 1707, was hereby reconvened. After nearly 300 years, Scotland once again had a national legislature of its own. This is the story of devolution and the return of the Scottish Parliament.
Key facts: devolution and the Scottish Parliament
- Referendum: September 1997, when Scots voted decisively for a parliament with tax-varying powers
- Law: The Scotland Act 1998 established the new parliament
- First election: May 1999
- Reconvened: The parliament met from 1999, the first in Scotland since the Union of 1707
- First First Minister: Donald Dewar, often called the ‘father of the nation’
- Home: A landmark new parliament building at Holyrood, opened in 2004
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A parliament lost and remembered
Scotland's original parliament had governed the kingdom for centuries until it voted itself out of existence with the Acts of Union in 1707, merging with England's into a single Parliament of Great Britain at Westminster. Yet Scotland kept its own distinct legal system, church and education, and a strong sense of national identity endured. Through the twentieth century, calls grew for Scotland to have a greater say over its own affairs.
The road to 1999
An earlier attempt at devolution narrowly failed on a technicality in 1979. But support continued to build, and after the general election of 1997 the new UK government held a fresh referendum. This time Scots voted clearly in favour – both for a Scottish Parliament and for it to have powers to vary taxes. The Scotland Act 1998 turned that vote into law, creating a parliament responsible for areas such as health, education, justice and the environment, while reserving matters like defence and foreign affairs to Westminster.
The parliament reconvened
Elections were held in May 1999, and the new parliament gathered for the first time. The Labour leader Donald Dewar became Scotland's first First Minister, hailing the day as a new voice for Scotland. In 2004 the parliament moved into its striking, much-debated new home at Holyrood, at the foot of Edinburgh's Royal Mile.
A new chapter
The return of the Scottish Parliament marked the beginning of a new political era. Over the following years it took on further powers, and the question of Scotland's constitutional future moved to the centre of national life – leading, in time, to the independence referendum of 2014. Whatever their views, few Scots doubted that 1999 had restored something of profound symbolic importance: a national institution silenced for nearly 300 years.
Frequently asked questions
When did the Scottish Parliament reconvene?
It was elected in May 1999 and met that year – the first Scottish Parliament since the Union of 1707.
What is devolution?
Devolution is the transfer of certain powers from the UK Parliament to a Scottish Parliament, giving Scotland control over areas such as health, education and justice.
Who was Scotland's first First Minister?
Donald Dewar, who led the new devolved government from 1999 and is often remembered as the ‘father of the nation’.
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