Shallow pool

There’s a certain irony that in the week John Mccormick a report on the Scottish Parliament’s many shortcomings, the SNP MSP Mike Russell threatens to derail the Brexit process if Holyrood is, in his opinion, short changed on new powers.

The Mccormick report confirmed what much of Scotland already knew. Holyrood is not the centre of excellence that occupants of its bubble would have us believe. The need for 75 recommendations for improvement underlines how MSPS and the Scottish Government should be concentrating on delivering their existing responsibilities properly rather than trying to grab more.

It was welcome that Mccormick didn’t recommend an increase in the number of MSPS, as some were calling for, as the parliament is currently not working at peak efficiency, in the judgment of the Commission. With nearly 200 elected representatives at Holyrood, Westminster and Brussels the talent pool has already been drained. ROBERT MILLER-BAKEWELL

Whiterigg, Near Melrose