Hot under collar over a rainbow tie

Why can’t a member of the Scottish Parliament wear a rainbow tie? Last week, Alex Cole-Hamilton, an Edinburgh MSP, was kicked out of the Holyrood chamber for wearing a tie that supported LGBTQ rights. The presiding officer told him he’d broken the rules which ban “ostentatious campaign material”. What nonsense.

Apparently, the Scottish Parliament’s rules permit discussing sexual identity – and this was an event at which Scotland was committing to having an inclusive curriculum in schools – if you don’t get too flamboyant while you do it.

It seems Mr Hamilton went too far when supporting the TIE campaign against homophobia, biphobia and transphobia, but perhaps triggered chromophobia (fear of colours), vestiphobia (fear of clothing) or possibly alloxodophobia (fear of opinions) in presiding officer Ken Macintosh. (No, I couldn’t find a name for fear of ties.)

Meanwhile, James Dornan MSP pointed out that everybody in the chamber was wearing a poppy, which I think is ironic, given the sacrifices made to ensure we can all express ourselves.

To be fair, Mr Macintosh has said there is “latitude” for “discreet” campaign symbols like pin badges or ribbons. But a rainbow tie is too much for the genteel authorities of Holyrood.

Respectfully, I disagree. If we’re policing each other’s ties, I can think of people who should be arrested, starting with some of those producing this newspaper. I myself have represented The Courier while wearing a bow tie made of purple corduroy and I didn’t have the excuse of doing it for a good cause. I was just being a git.

I understand the need for rules, but look at the “why” behind them. Holyrood exists to enact the settled will of the Scottish people and I reckon anything that doesn’t interfere with that is acceptable.

If an MSP wants to go to work in a chicken suit, let them. Maybe they feel like wearing a ballgown, or their pyjamas, or a dayglo T-shirt. I say allow it. If they’ve crossed a line, maybe they’ll hear about it at the next election.

And if they have something important to say, let them say it.

Let them shout it with a loud tie.

If they’ve crossed a line, maybe they’ll hear about it at the next election