Minister access must be for all

The Westminster parliament has returned after the long summer break and the return has been as chaotic as you would imagine.

With the Labour Party still distracted by its summer of infighting over allegations of anti-Semitism and the Tories not knowing who their leader will be after the upcoming conference season, it is easy to see why our European neighbours are looking on and scratching their heads.

Whether or not the prime minister survives the latest plots to oust her remains to be seen, but one thing is certain, the alternatives are not pretty.

Over the summer the government has turned talk of avoiding a hard Brexit into trying to make it seem like the only option open to them and one which is desirable.

Ignoring their own expert advice on the possibility of stock piling medicines and travel chaos at our ports and airports seems to have become second nature for most UK ministers.

Speaking of UK ministers, this week I made a formal complaint to the UK cabinet secretary regarding what I believe to be the politicisation of access to ministers.

One of the fundamentally important things about our democracy is a member of parliament’s ability to speak to ministers about policy issues or particular cases which involve the constituents we represent.

Those familiar with the activities of Scottish Conservative members of parliament will know that they like to be photographed with their more senior and better-known colleagues.

Any cursory glance at their social media output will see a phalanx of photos with any number of UK ministers.

This is intended to show that it is they that have the access and the ear of ministers.

There isn’t even an attempt to hide this co-ordinated and crude attempt to give this advantage and it is something that goes against every principle of the ministerial code.

Recently I have been denied a meeting with the chief secretary to the treasury to discuss the important details of the Tay Cities Deal, something which has since been afforded to a Scottish Conservative MP.

Similar such requests have been ignored or declined by ministers in relation to seasonal workers and benefits issues.

Access to ministers must be something that is afforded to all members of parliament.

We are all elected to serve the people of this country and every constituent should be afforded the same rights from ministers through their democratically elected MP.

To politicise access for party political advantage is simply unacceptable and anti-democratic.