Cole-Hamilton addresses King at 25 years of the Scottish Parliament event

Speaking as he addressed Their Majesties The King and Queen to mark 25 years since the opening of the Scottish Parliament,  Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP said:

“Presiding Officer, Your Majesties.

“It is said that the majority of children currently at primary school will go on to do jobs that do not yet exist.

“That was certainly true for me, as I dare say it is true for the majority of members in this parliament.

“I left primary school 10 years before this Parliament was reconvened by Her Majesty the Queen. It did not exist.

“And yet arc of my career has brought me to this chamber.

“I love this place. I have never stopped loving it.

“It can be a bear pit, full of rancour and acrimony.

“But we’ve shown it can also be a cathedral of ideas, of shared endeavour where the needs and interests of the people who sent us here are paramount and supreme.

“That together we can use the serious powers of this Parliament to give everyone a chance in life.

“To lift people up with a secure warm home, good schools and fast access to local healthcare.

“To protect our environment and the future of our planet.

“And to create a society where hard work is rewarded, and where everyone can enjoy the promise of a comfortable retirement.

“This chamber can be transformative.

“So, Your Majesties, what of today’s primary school children, and the careers they will go on to have?

“This Parliament has now existed for 25 years. Some of those children will carry the fire in this Chamber well into the next quarter century.

“Many will go on to achieve things that we cannot possibly imagine. It is incumbent on all of us to nurture their ambition, to open doors to them. In everything we do here we must think of them and the inheritance we leave them.

“On behalf of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, I would like to thank Your Majesties for your continuing support for the work of this Parliament.”