On This Day 1999: Scottish Parliament reconvenes for first time in 292 years

"I want to start with the words that I have always wanted either to say or to hear someone else say - the Scottish Parliament, which adjourned on March 25, 1707, is hereby reconvened." A breakout of applause and cheering sealed the historic moment at the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland building where the new parliament found its first home. In place on May 12, 1999 were Scotland’s first batch of MSPs, with the 129 members elected just a week before when Labour took 38.77 per cent of the vote and SNP 28.7 per cent. Outside, pipers played and Scots dressed in 18th Century clothes gathered for the occasion in a long echo of times of Scottish Parliament past. Some 292 years before Winnie Ewing made her address, fierce debate, unrest and rioting met the agreement of the Treaty of Union in 1707. Mrs Ewing, who led the famous 1967 SNP victory in the Hamilton by-election and took her place in the new parliament as MSP for Highlands and Islands, referred to those days in her opening statement. She recalled the words of the Earl of Seafield when signing the Act of Union: "There is ane end to ane auld sang." Mrs Ewing then added: "We can begin to write the new Scottish song." The new Scottish Parliament folllowed the September 1997 referendum when Scots were asked if there was support for the creation of a Scottish Parliament with devolved powers, and whether the Parliament should have tax-varying powers. A message from the Editor:Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.Subscribe to scotsman.com and enjoy unlimited access to Scottish news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit https://www.scotsman.com/subscriptions now to sign up. Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them. By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website. Joy Yates Editorial Director