Respect for Parliament

To paraphrase Joan McAlpine, I make no apology for this article.

As the Presiding Officer so rightly pointed out today, being in the position of an MSP in the Scottish Parliament is a priviledge, and one that must be highly respected.

Ms McAlpine seems to think the opposite.

It turns out that on not one, but several occasions, she has failed to be present in Parliament when she was required to do so. That is inexcuseable.

One news source gave us the juicy details about what she had for lunch. That is irrelevant. What is important is that she seems to have little if any respect for the Scottish Parliament, and simply using her position to promote independence.

Just as a reminder, she was elected to serve the residents in her area. She was not elected to  spend time stuffing her face and turning up when she felt like, or as it seems, remembered to do so.

As a member of the Education and Culture Committee, you would think she would be setting an example. As a newly elected MSP, you would also expect her to be working her backside off for everyone she represents.

Her skills as a journalist are without question, but as a politician she is rapidly turning out to be an embarrassment to not only the SNP, but the Scottish Parliament itself.

Whether Scotland becomes independent or not, the Scottish Parliament must show it is capable of being a proper seat of government, and not a pretendy parliament as some critics would have it. Politicians of all parties have a part to play in supporting the Parliament.

It's about time some of ours remembered this.