Writing for the BBC Scotland news website, Scottish Conservative leader Annabel Goldie reflects on the last 12 months.

We're not far off a year since we entered uncharted waters in Scotland's political ocean.

Annabel Goldie said the real winners under minority rule would be the public

Last May, the Scottish Parliament election delivered the first defeat to Labour in this country since 1955.

Nearly 12 months on from that historic day the SNP, after forming the government, have increased their lead in the opinion polls and Labour are in utter disarray.

Why are the SNP riding high? It isn't because the public is buying independence. The reason is very simple; the SNP is not the Labour Party

Everyone was fed up with the main governing party at last year's election, and were looking for a change. The SNP were in an ideal position to deliver that.

There is a feelgood factor in Scottish politics which has little to do with Alex Salmond.

I believed coalition politics was stale. In short, minority government deserved a shot.

I felt with minority government the real winners would be the Scottish public.

The Scottish Conservatives have played their hand extremely effectively. We worked with the SNP government, agreeing to support its budget in exchange for key concessions.

Minority government requires constant work and, in this new chapter of Scottish politics, the journey has only just begun

Scottish Conservatives gave Scotland 1,000 additional police officers, accelerated cuts in business rates for 150,000 small Scottish businesses, launched a new chapter in the battle against drugs abuse and kept bus fares down.

And where we disagree with the Nationalists - and there is plenty of scope for that - we have fought against their proposals.

We reject a national income tax that would punish hard-working families and, when the SNP have threatened our country by wandering down the separatist road, we have opposed them tooth and nail.

The bottom line is that 16 Scottish Conservative MSPs have achieved more than Scottish Labour, who have 46 MSPs.

There are some who say that, as committed Unionists, we should never sup with the devil. That view is wrong. That view would be bad for Scotland.

The Scottish Parliament is at its best when it gets on with devolved responsibilities.

Headlines in the next few weeks will doubtless concern themselves with a year of the SNP being 'in power'.

I can understand this focus. However, it doesn't tell the whole story, or even half the story.

Minority government requires constant work and, in this new chapter of Scottish politics, the journey has only just begun.

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