The Scotsman

It is a thing of beauty; a majestic piece of architecture, breathtaking in its ambition, sweeping in its scope. Its complexity continually surprises. No, not a description of Enric Miralles's masterpiece but of the legislation which led to the building at Holyrood, the Scotland Act of 1998. To some, it may seem odd to describe an act of parliament with its clauses, sub-clauses and schedules in such a way. Yet, in legislative terms, the act which made the dream of home rule a reality is a thing of beauty. It has confounded the doom-mongers who warned during the debates over its enactment that it would lead to constitutional conflict, cross-Border crises and put Scotland on the motorway to independence. It has done none of those things. And what of the English backlash, predicted by some and actively encouraged by others? Instead of invective from south of the Border, we mainly get indifference.