New democracy

I see that Holyrood’s Presiding Officer, Tricia Marwick, has outlined reform proposals for the Scottish Parliament’s committee structure.

Ms Marwick is proposing fewer committees with larger membership and that the members are elected by their peers. Ms Marwick thinks the system needs a cultural and structural change.

She queries why no committee has proposed any committee legislation since 2002 (five years before the SNP came to power).

She questions whether the present system serves us well enough and also why we have carried out virtually no post-
legislative scrutiny.

Oh dear, this development of democracy is not going to suit the elderly neo-liberal conspiracy theorists who love to write to The Scotsman.

Douglas Turner

Derby Street

Edinburgh