As the Scotland Bill heads towards enactment at Westminster this summer, a new political culture has been rapidly developing north of the Anglo-Scottish border. The Labour-controlled Scottish Office seems intent on creating a parliament that is close to the people. The watchword from Mr Dewar, the Secretary of State for Scotland, and Henry McLeish, the devolution minister, has been "accessibility". The future practice of the Edinburgh legislature, to be sited at Holyrood, neighbour to the royal palace, is being defined against the Westminster model.New departures include a substantial shift towards proportional representation in parliamentary elections, the apparent determination of the major parties to ensure a gender balance at Holyrood, and the desire to employ a consensual rather than adversarial style in parliamentary committees.