Stinging criticism but is there a purpose?

Young SNP MP Mhairi Black has certainly garnered plenty of attention since arriving at Westminster as part of her party’s record-breaking contingent. She may work there, but it appears the politician does not hold the famous old parliament in particularly high regard.

A frequent critic of both the institution and indeed many of those who work there, Ms Black used an appearance at the Edinburgh Festival to put the boot in, branding it “defunct”.

Describing some of her duties as “crap”, she suggested Westminster is little more than a club masquerading as a parliament.

It is a damning indictment.

Whether or not the parliament is fit for purpose is indeed worthy of debate, but it would be nice to know exactly what Mhairi Black and any like-minded colleagues are doing to challenge the status quo.

Issuing soundbites is the easy part, actually doing something positive about your evident dissatisfaction is less straight-forward.

Doubtless there will be many who agree with Ms Black’s assertion that politics “attracts quite often the worst of humanity”.

Worth remembering, however, it also pays those who make it as far as Westminster a fairly decent wage.

As such, it is incumbent upon those who see problems to try to address them.