Doing the day job comes first
One of the great things about politics in the modern day is that politicians don’t all come out of the same box, as they did once upon a time; all going to the same schools, same university, same limited range of careers.
Of course, there is still an over-abundance of the Eton-Oxbridge-City sorts but, in the main, we are a pretty diverse bunch bringing a wide range of different skills, experiences and interests and that is a good thing for our democracy.
Many of us like to keep our hand in at the things we were interested in or excelled at before entering Parliament. My colleague, Philippa Whitford, for example, was a surgeon specialising in treating breast cancer patients before becoming a politician. It would be a real shame to see that knowledge and skill entirely un-utilised and so it is fantastic that Philippa chooses to spend some of recess putting her surgical abilities to good use, working with the charity Medical Aid for Palestine.
I was a professional musician before I became an MP. I love music and the enjoyment that it can bring to others and, along with other politicians, have formed a band – reputed to be the only parliamentary rock band in the world – called MP4.
But, whether it is helping to save lives, like Philippa, or bringing some pleasure to an audience, like MP4, or the myriad other ways that other MPs find to keep their hand in at old skills or follow a long-standing interest, these are extra-curricular activities. They do not impact on the everyday work of being an MP.
Most MPs appear on television programmes from time to time, some on programmes unrelated to politics but when it is taken too far, such as when Tory MP Nadine Dorries disappeared to the jungle to take part in a series of‘I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here’, there was justifiable public outrage and she lost her party’s whip for six months.
Because it is all about getting on with the day job.
That is a lesson that Douglas Ross, needs to learn very quickly. When he took off to Barcelona recently to run the line for a glamour football match, he crossed a line by missing a parliamentary vote. This is now a real test of leadership for Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson. However, seeing as she is about to take part in Celebrity Bake Off, I strongly suspect that she will fail to rise to the occasion.
This isn’t the first time that he has failed to turn up for important meetings and while Douglas Ross may not be interested in providing a voice for his constituents on this important issue that is driving up rent arrears and leaving families penniless, each and every one of you can have a say by signing the petition to have it halted. Just go online at https://www. snp.org/haltuniversalcredit.