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Holyrood feels rejuvenated with MSPs that more accurately reflect the country’s multiculturalism
There have been times in the past year when Scotland has felt like a dark and retrogressive place. Alex Salmond’s acquittal on sexual assault charges prompted an outpouring of online misogyny that manifested itself first in attacks on the complainers and then in a wider lashing out at anything considered “woke”. Those who aligned themselves with the former first minister seized on the SNP’s already-contentious plans to reform the Gender Recognition Act (GRA), so trans people could self-identify, as a wedge issue. They scorned the party’s attempts to increase the number of women, minority ethnic and disabled candidates for the Holyrood election.
The launch of Alba – a vehicle for Salmond’s ego – days after James Hamilton’s report cleared Nicola Sturgeon of breaching the ministerial code, cast a further shadow. Though neither he nor George Galloway – who stood for his All for Unity party – were invited to take part in the leaders’ debates, they secured enough airtime to inject their own special brand of toxicity into the proceedings. Continue reading...