The Scottish Parliament (credit: Lee Kindness via Wikimedia Commons)
ON 1ST JULY 1999 the Scottish Parliament was, as Winnie Ewing reminded us, reconvened for the first time since 1707. Yet this parliament was very different from its predecessor, firstly, because it was designed for the 21st century, and secondly, because it was not sovereign. It was gifted to us by the UK Parliament in Westminster, armed with a limited menu of powers which London felt were safe to give to Scotland, or which had already been traditionally left to Scotland to exercise. Further powers were added in 2012 and 2016, though these are limited by exceptions. And the Westminster parliament retains the right to overrule the Scottish Parliament by legislating in any delegated area. Indeed, an Act of Parliament at Westminster can abolish the Scottish Parliament overnight.