In Scotland, we have become quite used to Minority or Coalition Governments where the largest party has to negotiate with the opposition for every vote.
In many ways this makes for better legislating, ensuring that the Government of the day cannot railroad legislation and opposition parties interact with the parliamentary process in a meaningful way if they want to get anything done. In that sense, the Scottish Parliament shares much in common with legislatures elsewhere in Europe.
READ MORE: Scottish Parliament votes to revoke Article 50 and cancel Brexit
The difference in political cultures between Edinburgh and London is striking.
Where the SNP has delivered on a range of policy commitments as a Minority Government at Westminster, the UK government appears to be in a state of paralysis. Nowhere is this more apparent than on Brexit, where almost three years on from the Referendum we have very little idea of what the future holds.
Efforts to try and keep the DUP and hardline Brexiteers onside seem doomed to failure. That is why Wednesday’s votes in Parliament were an important first step in taking the process forward.
MPs were never going to agree on a solution after an afternoon’s debate but by considering and voting on different solutions we do now have a clearer idea of possible solutions.
It was good to see the amendment from Margret Beckett to secure a second Referendum on the final outcome of talks gain further traction. Scotland voted to Remain in the EU by a margin of almost two to one and we know from the UK government’s own analysis that is the best in terms of protecting jobs, the economy and opportunities for our young people. That solution also means that those advocating leaving the EU must put forward a fully worked alternative to Remaining.
It only seems fair to give people all of the information about what Leave plan is being proposed in detail in the same way that the Scottish Government set out detailed Independence plans ahead of the 2014 Referendum.
READ MORE: Patrick Harvie: Disrespect shown to Scotland is reason enough to push for independence
Democracy is best served when those proposing a change set out the details before we vote, a failure to do so by Vote Leave in 2014 has left us in the current mess.
Over this weekend MPs will, as they should, be reaching out across political divides to try and find a way to make progress. The SNP has already found common ground with the Liberal Democrats, Greens, Plaid Cymru and a number of Labour MPs on a way forward and we now need to build on that.
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