Holyrood, the dysfunctional democracy
Parliament ‘sterile, uninspiring and addicted to conflict’ says Tory
THE Scottish parliament is in the grip of a ‘sterile and uninspiring’ culture in which politicians are ‘addicted to conflict’, an MSP has said.
Stephen Kerr criticised the ‘rigorously controlled’ debating chamber he believes is full of MSPs more interested in tribal politics than in improving people’s lives.
The Tory MSP described Holyrood’s committee system as a ‘busted flush’ and said the scripted and pre-planned nature of questions to SNP ministers was leading to a ‘decline of free thinking and ideas’ in Scottish politics.
Mr Kerr, who was previously MP for Stirling, said if there was as little scrutiny of the Westminster Government as the SNP faces ‘there would be uproar’.
He said any spontaneous interrogation of Nicola Sturgeon during the weekly First Minister’s Questions was severely limited ‘because most of the time is taken up with long, scripted questions which are replied to with even longer scripted answers’.
Writing in the Daily Telegraph, he said: ‘SNP members typically ask the First Minister about the UK Government and reserved policy areas, questions which, if
‘People of Scotland deserve better’
asked in reverse at Westminster, would be quickly shut down by the Speaker.
‘Portfolio questions are even more predictable and unenlightening. The ministers have lodged the questions for a full week ahead of their appearance and some read their answers with all the authenticity of a “speak-your-weight” machine.’
Mr Kerr accused ministers of treating parliament ‘with scant respect’ and said the standard of debate was ‘sterile and uninspiring’. He said a key reason for such stifled debate was the dominance of party business managers picking who speaks, a claim parliament has contested.
He added: ‘A lively and relevant democratic culture needs a lively and relevant parliament.
‘We need to reform parliament and we need a change to our political culture.
‘Tribal politics is our curse. It means seeing the people who propagate arguments counter to our own viewpoints as being less moral than we are.
‘It means we have a parliament so addicted to conflict that any pretence or aspiration to provide a space to grow consensus is doomed. The people of Scotland deserve better.’
A Scottish parliament spokesman said: ‘The presiding officer meets regularly with all political parties and her door is always open to any member who wants to discuss how the parliament is operating. Any member can approach the standards and procedures committee with proposals on how to enhance parliamentary procedures.’
He added: ‘The schedule of business in the chamber is proposed by the parliamentary bureau and subject to the agreement of parliament as a whole.’
SNP president Mike Russell said Mr Kerr’s comments were from a ‘man and party that can’t win elections’ so they ‘want to rig the system until they can’.