While we were electing a fifth SNP government last month in the Scottish Parliament elections, more interesting events were unfolding 400 miles away in Cardiff’s Senedd. Not the first election of a Welsh nationalist government (that was interesting, but it’s for another day). What was most interesting is that it was a Welsh election held in the aftermath of the Senedd Reform Bill.

The passing of the Senedd Reform Bill was a victory for reasonable, calm debate and sound decision making. The logic was very simple; the powers and responsibilities of the Senedd had grown steadily but significantly since its inception in 1999, yet the number of members elected to cope with the increasing burden had stood still.

With minimal fuss, the Senedd agreed to swell its ranks by more than 50 per cent. Argument made, argument won, change implemented.

Not so here, in Scotland. Scared of our own shadow, arguments about the inability of Scotland’s 129 MSPs to cope with the increasing burden of responsibility - following two Scotland Act revisions which significantly expanded the Parliament’s responsibilities over taxation and welfare - have largely taken place behind closed doors in whispered tones.

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Enough is enough - Scotland needs new political parties to emerge

In private, many MSPs bemoan this, but are largely unprepared to take the argument to the public consciousness. The vicious cycle of politicians being wary of promoting their trade and social media........

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