Children of the Devolution

On the 20th anniversary of the opening of the Scottish Parliament, journalist and broadcaster Allan Little embarks on a journey across Scotland meeting people from different generations to find out how devolution has shaped their lives. He hears from the men and women in their sixties who remember Scotland’s first devolution referendum in 1979, the fortysomethings who came of age during the 1997 debate, and the 20-year-olds who have never known a Scotland without a parliament. Through their stories, Allan explores the political battles that have been fought in Holyrood over issues such as land reform and the controversial repeal of Section 28. He also reflects on some of the early troubles that the parliament faced, from the scandal over the Holyrood building project to the death of the first first minister, Donald Dewar. As he makes his way across the nation, Allan also gets the inside story on the parliament’s first two decades from first ministers, MSPs, journalists and campaigners.

In this episode Allan heads to the pub to discuss the smoking ban, goes back to his old school to discuss free university tuition, and travels to the Highlands to reflect on the challenges posed by Scotland’s ageing population. As he makes his way across the nation, Allan also gets the inside story on the Parliament’s first two decades from first ministers, MSPs, journalists and campaigners.