As politicians debate in Holyrood, another world is half a mile away
It takes nine minutes to walk from the flat in Dumbiedykes Road where Moira Gilbertson was murdered to the door of the Scottish Parliament. It is only half a mile but it might as well be a million.
As her body lay for 11 days in her killer’s home, just 900 yards away MSPs were debating.
As a woman murdered by Roger Crossan – a man, her family believe was freed to kill by Scotland’s courts – lay dead close by, Scotland’s lawmakers discussed offensive behaviour at football, prescriptions for under 10s, and Catalonian independence.
On October 8, five days after her murder, still undiscovered, the SNP met in Glasgow for their party conference. Angela Crawley, SNP MP, told her party colleagues that they must recognise the impact of domestic violence. She told her party: “We must tackle the justice system, tackle a system which sometimes fails to secure convictions even with the worst instances of violence.”
In Dumbiedykes last week, few residents believed their proximity to power would improve life on the poverty-battered estate. One elderly man, who has lived there for more than 20 years, said: “The parliament is just down the road but it could be on another planet.
“This used to be a nice place to live but not so much now. I barely know anyone. People keep moving in and out.
“Sometimes I think the politicians should take a right turn on their way to work one day to see how ordinary people are living and just trying to get by.
“All the important visitors to the parliament are never brought here. We are right in front of them but they are looking the other way.”