Columnist Euan McColm criticises a new IPPR Scotland report in which former MSPs, speaking anonymously, complained of "deep frustration and disillusionment" with how the Scottish Parliament operates. He argues it is hypocritical for politicians who served at Holyrood between 2021 and 2026 to now blame their colleagues for declining standards, when they themselves were part of the institution during that period and, in his view, did little to challenge those failings while in office.

The IPPR report, based on "exit interviews" with former parliamentarians ranging from senior cabinet figures to backbenchers, catalogued complaints about poor-quality answers from cabinet secretaries, weak questioning by opposition members, a dysfunctional committee system, and a low standard of debate. McColm notes that he and other commentators raised similar criticisms throughout the last parliamentary term without seeing any acknowledgement or change from MSPs at the time, and argues that Holyrood's committee system in particular was rendered powerless because convenors prioritised loyalty to the SNP government over effective scrutiny and legislation.