IN the 20 years of the reconvened Scottish Parliament there have been many laws passed which might not have made the statute book if devolution had not happened.
READ MORE: Celebrations announced to mark the Scottish Parliament's 20th anniversary
In no order of importance, here’s our top 20 of those achievements:
1. The 2014 independence referendum – well we would say that, wouldn’t we?
2. Free personal care for the elderly, brought in by the Labour-LibDem executive;
3. The ban on smoking in public – ditto;
4. Free eye and dental tests;
5. No prescription charges – an SNP Government initiative in 2011;
6. No tuition fees for students;
7. World-leading renewable energy targets;
8. Marriage equality laws;
9. Votes for 16-year-olds;
10. Laws (and money) to tackle the worst effects of Tory austerity laws such as the bedroom tax;
11. The abolition of bridge tolls;
12. Backing the bid for, and the budget of, the magnificent Glasgow Commonwealth Games of 2014;
13. Numerous land reform measures; 14. Keeping Scottish water in public hands;
15. Approving the building of the Queensferry Crossing;
16. Bringing in community empowerment legislation;
17. Building new railways and roads, including the Borders Railway and the completion of the M8 between Langbank and Edinburgh;
18. Free school meals;
19. Setting up Scotland's own social security agency;
20. Resisting the Tory Government’s Brexit insanity.
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