Youngsters asked for views on Scottish parliament

The Scottish Parliament building and adjacent water pool.

Young people in Shetland are being asked to write to the Scottish parliament setting out their hopes and aspirations for the institution over the next 20 years.

A selection of the letters will be included in a new book due to be published in June to commemorate the parliament’s 20th anniversary. The book will also include a series of essays from well-known authors, academics and others which explore how well the parliament is placed to tackle the big issues facing Scotland in the future.

The competition is being held in partnership with Young Scot which wants to involve young people. The winning letters will be chosen by a panel chaired by the presiding officer Ken Macintosh.

Professor of Public Policy at the University of Edinburgh James Mitchell and Jim Johnston, a clerk at the parliament, will co-edit the book.

Mr Macintosh said: “Young people are at the heart of our plans to mark the parliament’s 20th anniversary and this competition gives them a fantastic platform to tell us, in their own words, what the parliament should look like and what it should aspire to in the future.

“Over the course of this year there will undoubtedly be a lot of reflection on what the parliament has achieved over the last two decades. While that reflection is important, it’s equally important that we look forward and think about how we can improve and how the parliament can help make this a better world to live in.”

The book’s joint editors said: “We are delighted to be working with Young Scot to ensure that young people from across Scotland have the opportunity to contribute to this book, which will focus on how the parliament should respond to the significant challenges we will face over the next 20 years.”