Last night, we hosted The Herald Scottish Politician of the Year Awards 2023.
Since 1999, this event has been a key fixture in Scotland’s political calendar and it was wonderful to be able to return to Edinburgh's Prestonfield House yet again in this, the 240th year of The Herald.
Through the course of the evening we looked back on another extraordinary and tumultuous 12 months in Scottish, UK and global politics. A year in which Nicola Sturgeon stepped down as First Minister, war broke out in the Middle East, Labour flexed its muscles with significant by-elections victories north and south of the border and inquiries began into the Covid-19 outbreak.
Read more:
10 reasons to subscribe to The Herald this Black Friday
Our main focus was, of course, at home and the chance to pause, reflect and celebrate the very best achievements of our MSPs, MPs and councillors, many of whom work tirelessly on issues that are vital for communities, yet rarely make the front pages. These individuals embody the very essence of public service, displaying an unwavering commitment to the welfare of our communities and the prosperity of Scotland as a whole.
Last night was not just a celebration of individual accomplishments, it was a collective reaffirmation of a shared commitment to a vibrant and thriving Scotland. As we applauded the efforts of our politicians, we recognised that the strength of our democracy lies in the collective power of an engaged and informed public. The importance of civic participation is crucial and the belief that, together, society can forge a future that reflects the aspirations of every Scot.
We are in an era largely defined by what divides us. The constitution, gender reform, Brexit, the approach to the Middle East. And yet I believe that what unites is far more powerful. I know every person in the room last night wants Scotland to thrive. Indeed, every Scot wants success in business, the arts and sport. We want our public services to be stronger, inequality to be tackled, and to live in a society where everyone can pursue their passion.
Get Editor's Pick straight to your inbox every Friday.
What we all often disagree about is how to get there. Last night was an opportunity to set aside those differences, remind ourselves of our shared goals and pay tribute to those who have made a huge difference in 2023.
Catherine Salmond
Editor
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel