Black hearted

SNP MP Drew Hendry criticises Tory MP Douglas Ross for being a part-timer because he also has a job as a football referee. Mr Hendry maintains Mr Ross treats his constituents with “utter contempt” (Scotsman, 22 October).

Meanwhile we learn that SNP MP Mhairi Black currently has the worst voting record out of all 650 MPS, voting only five times since the Westminster election. And that’s a massively worse record than Mr Ross, who has attended 95 per cent of votes. Little wonder Ms Black’s majority was halved in June.

If Mr Hendry considers Mr Ross’ behaviour worthy of utter contempt, how should Ms Black be described?

MARTIN REDFERN Woodcroft Road, Edinburgh Is the focus on Douglas Ross MP’S conflict between his assistant refereeing duties and his parliamentary ones really fair (your report, 23 October)? The current controversy seems to centre on a House of Commons debate in which he had not been scheduled to speak and around a vote where he would have been obliged to abstain anyway. I suppose the matter would really come to a head in June/ July next year if the following scenario emerges: an opposition motion of No Confidence in the government compels the Conservative whips to call on every MP in their party to be in attendance at Westminster at the same time Mr Ross is meant to be officiating, say, at a Spain/england World Cup game in Russia. Should he be called back despite the chance of confusion in the tournament’s refereeing schedule?

Notwithstanding all that, it has to be said that the Moray MP’S outside interest, though high profile, is fairly modest compared to those declared by some MPS (mainly, but not exclusively, Conservative) over the decades. Some have been able to combine their parliamentary duties with lucrative company directorships and careers in law. It is possible because, as Lord Heseltine once pointed out, nobody really cares what legitimate activities are carried out by backbenchers outside the House, so long as they turn up and vote. Even if they are not able to manage attendance, the “pairing” system still allows a fair bit of freedom. In the final analysis the voters and local party members can decide whether an MP’S outside activities make them less effective as a representative.

BOB TAYLOR Shiel Court, Glenrothes I can’t get upset about Douglas Ross MP officiating at a football match in Barcelona as the constituents he supposedly abandoned knew of his other role before they voted for him over Angus Robertson and many of those who didn’t vote for him like watching the Champions League. One of his critics, SNP MP Joanna Cherry, headed to Barcelona to “observe” an illegal vote which attempted to break up a previously stable European democracy. While the minority of her constituents who support separatism at any cost would have been happy with this, the majority would prefer she did something more constructive with the time she is not in parliament. Maybe she could take up a sport.

Similarly, I’m happy for Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson to appear on The Great British Bake Off as it is for charity, though it will do her career no harm also. Nicola Sturgeon, of course, would never contemplate getting involved with anything with “British” in the title; she is, after all, going against advice and removing the British Transport Police from Scotland for having the wrong name.

When abandoning her constituents, Ms Sturgeon’s preference is to flit about Europe pretending to be a great world leader, looking for anyone (except England) that would be nice to an independent Scotland.

She recently went as far as the Arctic in this increasingly desperate search. The difference here, of course, is that she abuses her position as First Minister to do this and gets us to pay for it.

SJ CLARK Easter Road, Edinburgh