New Scottish MPS finding their feet
It’s the new kids that get the most attention at the start of term, and on the first days of a new parliament no region has more new MPS than Scotland.
Some 22 of last week’s 87 newly elected MPS are from Scotland, and over the past two days groups of them have been unveiled to a hungry Westminster media with varying degrees of wide-eyed nervousness.
Yesterday it was the turn of Scottish Labour. During the election, Jeremy Corbyn was accused of a snub by not visiting the only Labour constituency in Scotland.
It didn’t do any harm to the MP, who was returned with the biggest majority in Scotland and joked that he was “no longer lonely Murray”.
Mr Corbyn, who wore the red rose pinned on him by Scottish Labour spinners all day, dodged questions about who would fill the shadow Scotland secretary job vacated by Ian Murray in protest at his leadership – but he was overheard asking the Edinburgh South MP for a private meeting.
A quick dash over to Victoria Gardens by the Thames to meet 12 new Scottish Conservative MPS – if only party spinners can find them all.
There is a brief delay while a couple of stragglers are rounded up. It was all so much easier when David Mundell only had himself to disagree with.
Now he faces awkward questions about whether the 13 Scottish Tories agree with Theresa, Ruth, or indeed each other.
Disappointment among the gathered media that Mundell didn’t make a show-stopping entrance, unzipping himself out of a panda costume to represent the Tory revival.
That gag should be put out of its misery, the Scottish Secretary insisted, before proving why by joking: “The Scottish Government will have to use its artificial insemination programme to increase the number of pandas.”
Despite saving Theresa May from defeat, some Scottish Conservative are being feted more than others. Douglas Ross has already had lunch offers on the strength of his other job as a top-level football referee. Ross is also reportedly the Prime Minister’s favourite for ousting her regular inquisitor, Angus Robertson. Beating Alex Salmond in Gordon only makes Colin Clark the bridesmaid.
Scottish Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie was in town to show off three new MPS – but in a more relaxed manner as none are new to the politics business.
And the only new SNP MP, David Linden, is also a former parliamentary staffer. His biggest concern isn’t finding his way around, it’s explaining MPS’ behaviour to his constituents – particularly that sound they make. “What will they make of that in Easterhouse?” he asks.