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Bowing out

• Brian Taylor
• 29 Mar 07, 03:12 PM

It ended in tears. As MSPs paid warm - and well-deserved - tributes to George Reid, who’s stepping down as Presiding Officer, his charming wife Dee succumbed to the emotion of the moment in the gallery.

Indeed, there were more than a few sniffles in the Chamber. And not just from those who are retiring - or who suspect that they may be retired, involuntarily, by the voters.

After the Presiding Officer brought down the gavel for the final time in this Parliamentary session, members and staff queued up to wish him well.

For this observer, George Reid’s term of office has been a triumph. He sorted out the building project, he kept Holyrood’s face turned upon the world (rather than internalised). More than that, he has been a splendid envoy for Scotland and Scottish politics.

So the collective emotion was genuine. But the political battle is real too. Earlier, members had debated the future of Scotland. Frankly, they seldom strayed further than the next five weeks - the countdown to the Holyrood elections on May 3. And no wonder. This is serious stuff, a tough, tough contest.

The SNP have been ahead in the polls before - but never this close to an election. Habitually, they have slipped behind by now. Labour knows that. Cue anxious faces in Labour ranks – and hard campaigning.

George Reid has one more task as Presiding Officer. He returns to Holyrood on May 9 to swear in the elected members. Wonder who’ll be among them?

As they shook the PO’s hand, you could see that thought occurring to the departing MSPs too.