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Plenary, 27 Mar 2003

27 Mar 2003 · S1 · Plenary

Item of business

Motion of Thanks

McConnell, Jack Lab Motherwell and Wishaw Watch on SPTV

This is an important occasion. As the proceedings of this four-year session draw to a close, I am delighted to have the honour of moving a motion to pay tribute to our first Presiding Officer, Sir David Steel. Sir David's experience, commitment and the wider role that he has had in his new position have been fundamental to our success as a young Parliament.

The Presiding Officer has been in Scottish politics in many different capacities for nearly 40 years. When I became First Minister, I remember calculating that the average age of members of the Scottish Parliament was about 41 or 42. For those of us in that age range, that means that Sir David became a member of Parliament before we were at primary school and that we were still at secondary school when he became the leader of the Liberal party. He has had a career of distinction and has made a massive contribution to Scotland, the United Kingdom and the liberal movement worldwide.

Sir David's experience, which is not always remembered by those of us who are of a younger generation, has been fundamental to his success in his position and to the on-going success of the Parliament during the past four years. He represented his constituency for 32 years and was leader of the Liberal party for 12 years. Following his retiral as a member of Parliament, he became a life peer and, in 1999, he made the important and exciting choice to return to politics to serve in the Scottish Parliament.

Sir David had also been one of the active leaders of the Scottish constitutional convention, the body that drew up the blueprint from which the Scottish Parliament was to be created. That was highly appropriate for a Presiding Officer. He had been a lifelong campaigner for devolution, and that commitment has shown through over the past four years. Sir David has defended and promoted the founding principles of the Parliament. The informality, courtesy and respect that characterise our proceedings—at least, most of the time—are a tribute to his example to us all. His sure hand and light touch have been shown on many occasions, not least in Aberdeen last year, when he told the story of the white mice when Her Majesty the Queen was present in the chamber.

Despite illness and all that has changed around him, Sir David's presence has given us stability and an opportunity for this young Parliament to grow. There has also been a wider importance to his role. We are fortunate, in this young Parliament, to have had a Presiding Officer with international experience and international interests. There was always a danger of the new Scottish Parliament being a parochial institution. However, a variety of speakers and visitors, such as Thabo Mbeki and others, have visited the Parliament and have engaged with us, and Sir David and other members have represented our new Parliament abroad, especially in the USA on tartan day. Those occasions have served Scotland well, and Sir David has served Scotland well. He has kept our proceedings in a wider perspective, and that has been very important.

That is partly because of the man that he is. In the excellent book by Tom Devine and Paddy Logue that was published last summer, entitled "Being Scottish", in a short essay on his Scottishness, Sir David quotes John Buchan, describing his constituents in the Borders as having

"realism coloured by poetry, a stalwart independence sweetened by courtesy, and a shrewd kindly wisdom".

I can think of no better summary of Sir David Steel, in his role in the Parliament. I commend that to the Parliament this afternoon. He has served us well and I wish Judy and him well in retirement. [Applause.]

I move,

That the Parliament expresses its gratitude to Sir David Steel for his service to the Parliament and recognises the important and historic role he has carried out as its first Presiding Officer.