MSPS’ lunches delayed by food security campaigners

The Scottish Parliament has rarely come together in such solidarity as it did when the ninth protester was escorted out of the chamber yesterday – as MSPS from all parties took part in a collective eye-roll and tut, writes David Bol.

The nine interruptions is the highest a session of Holyrood has ever experienced, beating the tally of six seen during Humza Yousaf’s debut at First Minister’s Questions (FMQS). Holyrood is no stranger to interruptions, but nothing on this scale.

FMQS was a tetchy affair from start to finish, with Douglas Ross left fizzing over comments Angus Robertson may or may not have made.

And then came the first suspension by the Presiding Officer as a protester raising the issue of food poverty called on the First Minister to act as they were calmly removed from the chamber.

Normal service resumed to allow politicians to shout at each other again, before the second protester leapt to their feet.

The interventions kept coming – all pretty much identical. But the patience of the First Minister and other MSPS was wearing thinner and thinner as lunchtime approached.

Mr Yousaf finally had enough of it, using a response to a question about deer management to address the protests, warning the interruptions were “deeply frustrating”.

He said “the issues of food security and poverty are very important to the government that I lead”. But the FM couldn’t help himself.

He claimed it was “up to protesters to decide where they protest”, adding that “I would say to them gently that they are protesting at the wrong Parliament”.

The protesters have all been banned from the public gallery for six months.