Holyrood has become stale and needs a reboot says Record View.
The Daily Record championed devolution for decades and we remain of the view that the creation of the Parliament has been a success.
Holyrood led the way on free personal care for the elderly and the Scottish Child Payment for low income families.
Government is much closer to the people than it was before 1999 and the Parliament is a fixture of our democracy.
But Holyrood has become stale and we need a reboot nearly 30 years after the referendum creating the institution.
MSPs should have made it their priority to use their powers to tackle poverty, reform the NHS and close the educational attainment gap.
But all too often MSPs have focused on niche pursuits instead of the bread and butter issues.
In recent times, for example, MSPs have backed a ban on greyhound racing but claimed there is not enough time to protect women from prostitution.
The end of this parliamentary term will see a huge number of MSPs stand down or retire.
This is an opportunity for new blood and new ideas.
We need good people across the political spectrum in the chamber working hard sort out the everyday problems faced by voters.
Professor James Mitchell, an expert in devolution, is on the money in today’s Daily Record when he says the Parliament has gone “backwards” due to “hyper-partisan” MSPs sucking up to party leaders.
Holyrood desperately needs new faces to restore people’s faith that politics has the ability to improve lives.
The new intake need to rebellious, imaginative and willing to think the unthinkable to make real changes.
We need fewer time-servers and more big thinkers.
Devolution has made a difference in the past and can do so again.
But we need MSPs that match the ambitions of the Scottish people.
Knife crime woe
Knife incidents in schools have reached a record high with 267 crimes recorded in the most recent figures.
While most of these incidents do not end up with an attack, all it takes is a fight to break out and there can be fatal consequences.
That’s why we agree with Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar that there needs to be tighter controls around the sale of knives to young people.
But that is not the only answer, as rules to restrict sales will inevitably be thwarted by teenagers who are determined to carry a blade.
The Daily Record ’s Our Kids.. Our Future campaign has long campaigned for more controls on harmful online content – and that could also help tackle Scotland’s knife culture.
Toxic online figures, such as Andrew Tate, have too much influence over vulnerable young men – convincing them that violence and hate are the right way to behave.
The billionaire social media tycoons who profit from this disgusting output need to act to keep it away from young people.