Holyrood Magazine issue 403 / 7 May 2018

The Holyrood baby, Kirsty, is now two years old and starting to find her feet. Plus: the growth in electric cars and an Interview with John Carnochan, former head of the Violence Reduction Unit

3 Editor’s note
Rape convictions are ridiculously low but to believe the answer is to legally compel victims to give evidence appears, at first take, sheer madness

6 Roundup
Pictures and numbers from the past two weeks

7 Talking Point
Parenting is about more than good intentions

9 Digital Highlights
The best of Twitter and Holyrood’s online content

10 Political Spotlight
Lots of talk around single use plastics, but how much action?

12 Cover Story: The Holyrood baby at two
Kirsty turns two, but will her mother take up free childcare?

16 Maree Todd: A whole village to raise a child
The Childcare and Early Years minister on being a parent

18 John Swinney: First two years
The Deputy First Minister reflects on tackling child poverty and the attainment gap

21 Johnathan Sher: Child poverty is a choice
We must prevent children being dealt a poor hand

24 MSPs Q&A: Parents in power
A group of MSPs reflect on the experience of being parents

29 Electric Cars: Scotland’s journey
An electric car made it to Mongolia, but is Scotland ready?

32 Interview: John Carnochan
The violence reduction and prevention expert tells Holyrood Scotland is far from being fixed

36 GTKY
Neil Bibby frets about football and two grey hairs

38 Comment
Darren McGarvey: A letter to my son, with love

39 Events
A preview of some of the forthcoming Holyrood events

40 Diary
A leaflet mix-up, canal heroics and a hot potato

41 Pets
Annie Wells introduces her two four-legged children

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