(450)  WE’LL ALWAYS BE LOOKING OVER OUR BACKS IN THE HISTORY OF THIS PROJECT””

The words with which Brian Stewart, one of the project architects, in effect and aptly closed the final episode of The Gathering Place on BBC2 on the evening of 22 March 2005.  In the end the series seemed to lay the blame for the troubles of the Holyrood project at the door of Scottish parliamentarians, who looked always for those whom they could publically blame and, if possible, humiliate, while evading any responsibility on their own part.  The programmes amounted to a sustained defence of the consultants, who (with the exception of Benedetta Tagliabue) were sympathetically portrayed throughout.  There can be no doubt that the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body was indeed the client from hell”