MSP booked into dungeon

WITH ex-Childcare Minister Mark McDonald now shunned by many of his former SNP chums, he will at least have an opportunity to get some reading done. Among volumes left lying in Holyrood’s Garden Café is Born A Prisoner by one Jeffrey Archer, whose political career was damaged when he was jailed for perjury. The title may strike a chord with Mr McDonald, now banished to a basement office known as ‘the dungeon’ by cheery Holyrood staff – although he has no experience of the real thing.

AS Mr McDonald languishes in his dungeon while still clinging to his £62,000 salary as MSP for Aberdeen Donside, he now has only Scottish parliament staff to support him. With reports that Holyrood’s underground heating was turned on last week, Dog wonders if the officials were giving the basement dweller a warm welcome – or just trying to make him sweat.