Queen to open Scottish Parliament
Thousands of people are expected to attend celebrations in Edinburgh today to mark the official opening of the new Scottish Parliament building.
Following a procession down the Royal Mile to Holyrood, the Queen will lead an official opening ceremony in the new building’s main chamber. Her opening address will be followed by speeches from Scotland’s party leaders.
A variety of Scottish actors and musicians, including singer songwriter Eddie Reader, will perform at the opening ceremony, which will include the reading of a specially-commissioned poem by Scotland’s national poet Edwin Morgan.
Scotland’s most famous supporter of independence, actor Sean Connery, described the new parliament as a “second chance” for Scottish democracy.
The £431m building has been dogged by controversy throughout its construction, following repeated delays and cost hikes.
Scotland’s First Minister Jack McConnell is expected to use the opening of the new building to claim a renewed pride amongst Scots and to map out the future of the new parliament in the context of the devolution settlement.
“The reality is that Scotland is a much better country to live in today than it was five years ago. We need to celebrate the fact that devolution is working and we need to get out there and sell the image and build on it,” Mr McConnell told the Times newspaper.
The Scottish National Party (SNP) is expected to use the occasion to repeat calls for Scotland’s independence.
