Hansard

I see that I have less than two minutes in which to do so, Deputy Presiding Officer.

It is especially pleasing to listen to all those kind words when I reckon that I am probably the only one of the 129 MSPs who has inevitably, at some time or other over the past four years, disappointed, irritated, upset or offended every one of the other 128. Although I may have made 128 temporary enemies, I feel that I leave having made 128 permanent friends and I thank members for that.

I would like the thanks to me to be linked directly to thanks to the nearly 500 staff whom we employ in our seven buildings, both those whom we see and those whom we never see. From porters to policemen and from caterers to clerks, we have built a dedicated and highly professional parliamentary staff force, to whom not just I, but all of us, are genuinely and deeply grateful. In particular, I thank those who work in my private office and our chief executive, Paul Grice, who I think has given outstanding leadership to the team.

I also thank the Deputy Presiding Officers, George Reid, Patricia Ferguson and Murray Tosh, for the prodigious amount of work that they have undertaken on your behalf, and especially for their work during my illness. We worked as a team, especially in welcoming the unexpectedly large number of distinguished visitors who came to visit us from overseas.

I would like to thank the Parliamentary press corps. [Members: "Boo!"] No, I know that members will understand that it is one of the greatest sadnesses of my life that I have never been able to see them or know who is or is not in the press gallery.

We have had the odd grumble about press coverage, and I commend to you the MSP who recently decided to do something personally to obtain positive coverage. He invited the Lawnmarket gang to a trendy pub in Leith and produced his well-trained Labrador. He threw a stick into the sea for it to fetch. The dog walked across the water, picked up the stick and walked back across the water to the astonishment of the assembled hacks. The next morning, the member opened his newspaper to read the headline "MSP's dog can't swim".

In spite of the occasional negatives, we ought to record that unquestionably the scale of attention that the Parliament has received from press and broadcasting has turned us remarkably quickly into the focus of our national life. In fact, a recent poll found that only 13 per cent of the public would like to have us abolished and yearned for a return to total rule from inaccessible Westminster. Note that that is a much smaller percentage than those who voted no in the referendum.

The Parliament has had, on occasion, justified critics but, in the light of all that has been done in the past four years, few seriously argue that we should revert to being what Malcolm Rifkind accurately described as the only nation in the world with its own legal system but no legislature to adapt, modernise and improve it. In fact, we are all aware that the heavy legislative programme that we have experienced was partly the result of taking up several long-standing, overdue reforms that never made it into the Westminster queue. In the next session, I expect that still more time may be spent on committee inquiries and scrutiny. I am fully confident that the Parliament will grow in strength and effectiveness.

Now most of you are off to contest the election. As I explained to my daughter when she asked for my help in her forthcoming fight for a council seat, I can play no part in that. She gave me the ominous response, "But babysitting is not a party-political activity."

I tried hard to think of something impartial, but new and original, to say to all of you as you go out hoping to come back with your party having won the election—for example: go back to your constituencies and prepare for government. However, that line has already been taken.

I want to end by thanking all of you for the privilege of having been your Presiding Officer. I use the word privilege deliberately. When I was a student, I used to make speeches frequently on two topics: anti-apartheid and pro-Scottish self-government. If someone had then tapped me on the shoulder and said, "One day, my boy, you will preside over a Scottish Parliament and introduce to it someone with whom you will have worked over several years—the President of a democratic South Africa," I would not have believed them.

That is just one among many reasons that I end simply by wishing you all well and saying thank you, thank you, thank you. [Applause.]