Wha's like us... MSPs

Published on Saturday 13 March 2010 19:32

POLITICIANS of all hues have done themselves few favours in recent months when you consider the ongoing ramifications of the Westminster expenses scandal. Holyrood escaped censure for such blatant malpractice after tightening up rules some years ago.

But MSP credibility has taken a severe dip after Tuesday's no-show, with Labour and SNP members refusing to cross a union picket line. The MSPs decided to take a day off from parliament rather than upset the Public and Commercial Services Union, which had called a 48-hour strike of civil servants over redundancy payments.

Their decision – supported by about two-thirds of MSPs – meant that six full parliamentary committee meetings had to be cancelled or postponed by conveners. This was even though the parliament's presiding officer Alex Fergusson and chief executive Paul Grice had assured MSPs that enough clerks and officials would be on duty to allow the committees to proceed as normal. It's a poor message to be sending to the electorate that the workings of democracy can be so easily knocked off course.