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Presiding Officer

This article gives an overview of the work of the Presiding Officer in Session 2 including links to background information and speeches.

George Reid was elected Presiding Officer on 7 May 2003.

He was Deputy Presiding Officer for the first Session of the Scottish Parliament from 1999 - 2003.

Session 2 was a time of transition for the Scottish Parliament, with the move into the new Parliament building at Holyrood in October 2004, and a focus throughout on 'moving on' and building a participative and progressive Parliament.

George Reid announced the closure and final cost of the Holyrood project in February 2007.

In his final speech in the chamber on 29 March 2007, he said:

"The costs and delays of Holyrood had brought hostile headlines, understandably adverse comment from the public, fractiousness, and damage to Devolution.

"It was clear that we had to move in before we moved on. Well we have moved in. And we have moved on. We can all take pride in this Scottish Parliament.

"Since 1999 we have grown in confidence, commitment and clarity of debate.

"In this Chamber, in Committee and in constituencies we have all worked long and hard to make a real difference to the daily lives of the people of Scotland.

We are now widely seen as a participative parliament, firmly founded in our principles of Accountability, Accessibility, Equality of Opportunity and the Sharing of Power."

During Session 2 the Parliament's commitment to openness and accessibility was emphasised by the decision to publish details of MSPs' allowances online.

George Reid said of the system: "I believe that we have developed what is probably the most open and accountable system of any Parliament in the world to provide our citizens with access to allowances information."

Engagement at home and abroad

Participation and engagement with the public was encouraged through innovative events such as the Festival of Politics.

The inaugural event took place in August 2005 and in 2006 the Festival was nominated for a Channel 4 Political Award in recognition of its achievements in introducing politics to new audiences.

Other major events which took place at the Parliament during George Reid's time in office were the Africa conference, the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy ceremony, the Scotland-Malawi conference, the Microsoft Government Leaders' Forum, and a range of seminars for Scotland's Futures Forum.

During his final speech to Members George Reid described such events as helping "to put Holyrood on the international map".

The Parliament also reached the milestones of its one thousandth public petition and its one millionth visitor.

As well as welcoming visitors from around the world, the role of the Presiding Officer involves representing the Parliament abroad.

George Reid led Parliamentary delegations to North America for Tartan Week, to Ireland in 2006, and to Catalunya in 2005.

He visited Canada for St Andrew's Day 2006, and spoke at international conferences in Bilbao, Lisbon and Paris.

Reflecting on the role

Summing up the wide-ranging scope of the Presiding Officer's role in a speech at the University of Glasgow in March 2007, George Reid said:

"Devolution will be judged by citizens by the extent to which the Values and Vision of Government make a difference to their daily lives. But Presiding Officers can help reframe the picture and set the style.

"They are the only statutory institution of the Scottish Parliament which has a finger in all parts of the pie, linking Bureau, Corporate Body and Chamber and trying to make sense of it all to the outside world. Presiding Officers can ensure that all the voices are heard, fairly."

Looking back at his own time in office he added:

"The building is finished. The books are closed. The internal management of the Parliament is in good shape. We have given Holyrood to the people of Scotland to such an extent that it is theirs forever.

"And we have put in place policies of Engagement and Enlightenment which will endure. We have reached the end of the beginning.

"In that process I have been, I suppose, a man of transition. Scotland’s third parliament is now ready for further change."

George Reid won the Scottish Politician of the Year award twice, in 2003 and 2005.

He received an honorary degree from the University of St Andrews in 2005 and was made an Honorary Professor of Law at the University of Glasgow in November 2006.

He was awarded a decoration by the Russian Foreign Minister in recognition of his contribution to strengthening cooperation between the Russian Federation and Scotland.

George Reid received the Freedom of Clackmannanshire, his home county, in April 2007 (pictured).

Key speeches

The Donald Dewar Lecture, Edinburgh International Book Festival, August 2005

Address to the Friends of Scotland Caucus in Washington DC during Tartan Week 2006

International Press Institute, May 2006

Rethinking progressive philanthropy: Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy ceremony, October 2006

Addressing the Scotland-Malawi Partnership Conference, November 2006

Opening remarks at the Microsoft Government Leaders Forum, January 2007

Final speech to the Parliament at the end of Session 2, March 2007

Lecture on the role of the Presiding Officer at the University of Glasgow, March 2007 (pdf)

Speech following the award of a decoration by the Russian Foreign Minister, April 2007 (pdf)