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Dear All
On top of lack of trust, expenses abuse; now comes the bold statement which is probably true that Politicans should work longer hours.
Who says so?
Tory MSP Jackson Carlaw!
He is of course right.
To show this isn’t a party point here is a story which affected me personally.
My friend’s mother is 70 years old, she suffers from heart and lung problems, this wasn’t helped by the fact she stayed in a damp house.
The family want to put central heating under the Government scheme, the company that was tasked to do the job wanted to rip her off.
A 70 year old disabled woman!
In March 2010 I spoke to an MSP to take up the case, the MSP knew me so I wasn’t some punter coming in off the street.
After a month, I checked back with my friend to hear that no one had gotten in touch with his mother.
The MSP and the office staff hadn’t acted.
So, I personally spoke to the MSP again and remind her, 'so sorry etc etc etc' and protestations of how good her staff are and that they will get on it.
The woman was never contacted; it was left to her son to fight for her because the MSP couldn’t be bothered.
So, yes there is scope for making MSP’s work longer hours.
That way they might decide to do the job they are paid for.
At present some MSP don’t give value for money as Jackson Carlaw rightly suggests.
The short working week in plenary sessions for just eight and a half hours is a joke.
Add to that the farce of the weekly First Minister's Questions.
First Minister’s Questions are nothing more than an outdated show carried over from Westminster where politicians try to prove they are clever.
Another function of the event is to teach MSP’s to be able to ask questions and raise points of order.
Carlaw says this is "tedious verbal torture", with failings on all sides.
The West of Scotland MSP gave his opinion on the day Scottish Conservatives gather in Eastwood for the region's annual conference.
A dead party with has no clear idea of how to win the support of the ordinary Scottish working class.
Carlaw was elected in 2007, so he is the first to really speak out and break ranks.
He said:
"It is time for us to start giving value for money from our Parliament, it is time for MSPs to work harder to hold the Executive to account and to better scrutinise the legislation we pass."
Unfortunately some MSP’s are too thick to hold the Executive to account.
He added:
"By no means is this a criticism of any MSP or any party. Nor am I seeking to present myself as some sort of political paragon. But I do believe Parliament could work harder on behalf of the people of Scotland."
And perhaps when give a constituent’s case of a 70 year old disabled woman they might take it up in future.
To say that the MSP let me down badly is an understatement, it is now 7 months since the MSP received the case and not even a letter of acknowledgement to the woman.
Is that MSP a People’s Champion?
Yours sincerely
George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University
On top of lack of trust, expenses abuse; now comes the bold statement which is probably true that Politicans should work longer hours.
Who says so?
Tory MSP Jackson Carlaw!
He is of course right.
To show this isn’t a party point here is a story which affected me personally.
My friend’s mother is 70 years old, she suffers from heart and lung problems, this wasn’t helped by the fact she stayed in a damp house.
The family want to put central heating under the Government scheme, the company that was tasked to do the job wanted to rip her off.
A 70 year old disabled woman!
In March 2010 I spoke to an MSP to take up the case, the MSP knew me so I wasn’t some punter coming in off the street.
After a month, I checked back with my friend to hear that no one had gotten in touch with his mother.
The MSP and the office staff hadn’t acted.
So, I personally spoke to the MSP again and remind her, 'so sorry etc etc etc' and protestations of how good her staff are and that they will get on it.
The woman was never contacted; it was left to her son to fight for her because the MSP couldn’t be bothered.
So, yes there is scope for making MSP’s work longer hours.
That way they might decide to do the job they are paid for.
At present some MSP don’t give value for money as Jackson Carlaw rightly suggests.
The short working week in plenary sessions for just eight and a half hours is a joke.
Add to that the farce of the weekly First Minister's Questions.
First Minister’s Questions are nothing more than an outdated show carried over from Westminster where politicians try to prove they are clever.
Another function of the event is to teach MSP’s to be able to ask questions and raise points of order.
Carlaw says this is "tedious verbal torture", with failings on all sides.
The West of Scotland MSP gave his opinion on the day Scottish Conservatives gather in Eastwood for the region's annual conference.
A dead party with has no clear idea of how to win the support of the ordinary Scottish working class.
Carlaw was elected in 2007, so he is the first to really speak out and break ranks.
He said:
"It is time for us to start giving value for money from our Parliament, it is time for MSPs to work harder to hold the Executive to account and to better scrutinise the legislation we pass."
Unfortunately some MSP’s are too thick to hold the Executive to account.
He added:
"By no means is this a criticism of any MSP or any party. Nor am I seeking to present myself as some sort of political paragon. But I do believe Parliament could work harder on behalf of the people of Scotland."
And perhaps when give a constituent’s case of a 70 year old disabled woman they might take it up in future.
To say that the MSP let me down badly is an understatement, it is now 7 months since the MSP received the case and not even a letter of acknowledgement to the woman.
Is that MSP a People’s Champion?
Yours sincerely
George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University
1 comment:
George,
I have a question, was the 70 year old disabled woman Catholic? The SNP have a history of being anti Catholic at the top, Billy Woolf ring any bells to you. You should have went to a Labour MSP, something to remember in future.
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