This Parliament is not for turning

It's amazing how quickly something can become an integral part of your life. At first you don't really think too much of it, you begin to get annoyed with it and then eventually you accept it and even think it could do some good. Yes, facial hair is a funny thing indeed but on the tenth anniversary of its swearing in I should really turn my attention to Holyrood.

And, broadly, the same applies. It got off to a rocky start but it's a marvellous institution and Sam Galbraith may have had some reservations about it being a 'second division' Parliament but I would be perfectly happy for any of the five party leaders to speak for Scotland on the world stage. I think we can see the calibre of your average MSP growing as every year passes too.

Smoking bans, tuition fees, fox hunting, free bus passes, elderly care. Many worthwhile debates have taken place at Holyrood that wouldn't have made it into the Chamber at Westminster and I can't help but think that there will be bigger fish to fry in the next decade.

Yes, value for money should always be of utmost concern and Holyrood will no doubt have a difficult 'teens' period, just as rocky as its infancy was, but bedding in processes for quangos, public spending and local taxation are the challenges that lie ahead, not to mention the potential to truly deliver a Renewables revolution which I am pretty sure all parties will rally around with equal verve and vigour before too long.

I daresay there is a heck of a lot of cross-party work that goes on behind the headlines that we don't get to hear about and all 129 MSPs are driving Scotland forward as best they can.

I'm grateful for their endeavours and looking forward to another decade of thrills, spills and (best of all) elections.