Letter: Labour of love

Jackie Baillie (your report, 18 February) tells of her difficulties in juggling motherhood, family and being an MSP. It seemed to have come as a surprise to her that as a minister "there was always the box of papers to take home".

As the recipient of a 55,000- plus salary an array of allowances and pension entitlements that most of us could only dream of, I suggest that Ms Baillie, along with many of her adversaries, would benefit from a reality check.

Fascinating as the details about her daughter's PE kit, the quality of her childminder, the logistics of her travelling to and from work and the "most extreme pressure" which impacted on her family life are, was all of this not of her own choosing?

Perhaps she should have become a stay-at-home mother, worked a few nights in the local chipper and avoided the challenge of leaving home at 7am and not returning until after 8pm.

Not only would she have enjoyed more quality time with her daughter, she would have, as she asked "salt and vinegar ?", discovered how little some people have to juggle with and what extreme pressure on family life really is.

LAWRENCE FRASER

Mayne Road

Elgin, Moray