WHAT’S THE STORY?
JUDGING by the lack of street parties and bunting, not many people knew that the weekend just past saw the 20th anniversary of the Scotland Act, the biggest upheaval in the governance of Scotland since the Act of Union in 1707 itself.

It was legislation that really did change Scotland, and most people would say for the better, for without its passing in 1998 we probably would not have had free personal care for the elderly, the smoking ban, free eye tests – all brought in by the first two Labour and

LibDem Scottish Executive coalitions – the scrapping of tuition fees, protection against benefit cuts, equal marriage and the 2014 and future independence referendums.

On the other hand we might never have had to endure Murdo Fraser and numerous other MSPs of the “nae use” persuasion.

The final Parliamentary approval for the Scotland Act was on November 17 and the Royal Assent was given on November 19, 1998.

WHO DRAFTED IT?
THE Act followed the 1997 devolution referendum in which the Scottish electorate voted both for a Scottish Parliament and one with tax raising powers.

The Tories opposed devolution but the party’s Scottish MPs couldn’t do anything about it after the 1997 general election, because there weren’t any.

The Labour Secretary of State Donald Dewar, Lord Derry Irvine and Andrew Hardie, then Lord Advocate and later a judge, were among the principals working with the usual drafters of bills to ensure that it was legally and politically watertight.

With Labour’s massive majority the bill was always going to pass, and despite a Tory-led rearguard action, especially in the Lords, the bill proceeded to its inevitable conclusion.

Within a few short months the people of Scotland voted for their new MSPs, and on May 12, 1999, Winnie Ewing was able to say her immortal words: “I want to

start with the words that I have always wanted either to say or to hear someone else

say – the Scottish Parliament, which adjourned on March 25, 1707, is hereby reconvened.”

Those who drafted the bill’s proportional representation elements deliberately made it virtually impossible for any party to win an outright majority and that is what happened in the first three administrations before Alex Salmond and the SNP proved it could be done in 2011.

WHO IS CELEBRATING THE ANNIVERSARY?
DAVID Mundell, the Secretary of State for Scotland, won’t be. He was due to give a major speech to mark the anniversary at Glasgow University yesterday morning at 9am. We would have loved to have told you what transpired and what he said, but at the weekend the event was cancelled.

According to the Scotland Office, the speech was going to be full of revolutionary sentiments with Mundell saying “devolution didn’t go far enough” and “independence now” but Westminster vetoed it – actually we made that bit up.

What really did happen was that on Friday, Mundell’s civil service gophers called the university to say that the Cabinet’s most loyal lapdog was needed on urgent ministerial business, i.e. Brexit. You can get a flavour of what he might have said from the official invitation:

“The passing of the Scotland Act was one of the most significant constitutional events in our history. Driven by the will of the Scottish people, it created the Scottish Parliament and for 20 years has paved the way for it to become one of the most powerful devolved parliaments in the world.

“We invite you to join us as we celebrate this historic event and reflect on 20 years of devolution and its future.”

The invitation adds “Dress – business attire” which suggests that students weren’t entirely going to be welcome.

We cannot let the anniversary pass without pointing out that Mundell has on at least 20 occasions voted against extending the powers of Holyrood.

SO WHO REALLY IS CELEBRATING?
NOT a lot of people, though there is the Devo20 twitter account.

Some people think Devo20 is a celebration of the 20th birthday of the American rock band Devo, but in fact they were founded in 1973. Nor is the band named after devolution but de-evolution, the theory that humankind is actually regressing in evolutionary terms, for which numerous Brexiteers are evidence.

IS THERE ANY LITTLE KNOWN FOIBLE IN THE ACT?
YES, and funnily enough it involves David Mundell. Section 58 of the Act gave the Secretary of State for Scotland the power to revoke legislation made by the Scottish Parliament if “he has reasonable grounds to believe to be incompatible with any international obligations or the interests of defence or national security”.

It’s never been tried yet but you never know.