Chamber
Plenary, 24 Jan 2007
24 Jan 2007 · S2 · Plenary
Item of business
Scottish Parliament (Disqualification) Order 2007 (Draft)
I can confirm that that is correct. I am talking about the general principles behind the order.
It is clear that someone who is expected to work in London until 10 pm on Mondays and Tuesdays, 7 pm on Wednesdays, 6 pm on Thursdays and 2.30 pm on Fridays would have some trouble performing his duty of serving his constituents or indeed attempting to be First Minister of Scotland, let alone having any time left over to pursue his love of horse-racing.
In the extremely unlikely event that Mr Salmond's dream of being First Minister came true, would a part-time First Minister miss Cabinet meetings because he has to go to Prime Minister's question time? When the division bell sounds at Holyrood, will the 10 minutes until voting be long enough for two-jobs Alex to race up from London in time? Perhaps that is the real reason for his desire for a bullet train to London. Of course, the SNP is willing to pay for it to go only as far as the border, but I am sure that the United Kingdom Government would be only too happy to front the money to ensure that Mr Salmond is sped away from London as quickly as possible.
On a serious note, eight years on, no one here attempts to straddle the border as a list member of this Parliament and a member of the UK Parliament for the very good reason that both are full-time jobs. I hope that the SNP will support that notion today and put its principles on the record at 5 o'clock tonight.
On a really serious note, can the SNP justify supporting an order that will prevent some people from doing two full-time jobs, while continuing to back its leader in London, who—in the unlikely event that his wildest dreams came true and he became First Minister—has said explicitly that he has no intention of standing down as an MP until 2009? Further, he has made no commitment to stand down at all if he is lucky enough to become just a humble list MSP. I commend the order to Parliament and hope that there is cross-party support for it.
I move,
That the Parliament agrees that the draft Scottish Parliament (Disqualification) Order 2007 be approved.
It is clear that someone who is expected to work in London until 10 pm on Mondays and Tuesdays, 7 pm on Wednesdays, 6 pm on Thursdays and 2.30 pm on Fridays would have some trouble performing his duty of serving his constituents or indeed attempting to be First Minister of Scotland, let alone having any time left over to pursue his love of horse-racing.
In the extremely unlikely event that Mr Salmond's dream of being First Minister came true, would a part-time First Minister miss Cabinet meetings because he has to go to Prime Minister's question time? When the division bell sounds at Holyrood, will the 10 minutes until voting be long enough for two-jobs Alex to race up from London in time? Perhaps that is the real reason for his desire for a bullet train to London. Of course, the SNP is willing to pay for it to go only as far as the border, but I am sure that the United Kingdom Government would be only too happy to front the money to ensure that Mr Salmond is sped away from London as quickly as possible.
On a serious note, eight years on, no one here attempts to straddle the border as a list member of this Parliament and a member of the UK Parliament for the very good reason that both are full-time jobs. I hope that the SNP will support that notion today and put its principles on the record at 5 o'clock tonight.
On a really serious note, can the SNP justify supporting an order that will prevent some people from doing two full-time jobs, while continuing to back its leader in London, who—in the unlikely event that his wildest dreams came true and he became First Minister—has said explicitly that he has no intention of standing down as an MP until 2009? Further, he has made no commitment to stand down at all if he is lucky enough to become just a humble list MSP. I commend the order to Parliament and hope that there is cross-party support for it.
I move,
That the Parliament agrees that the draft Scottish Parliament (Disqualification) Order 2007 be approved.
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Trish Godman):
Lab
The next item of business is a debate on motion S2M-5442, in the name of George Lyon, on the draft Scottish Parliament (Disqualification) Order 2007.
The Deputy Minister for Finance, Public Service Reform and Parliamentary Business (George Lyon):
LD
I begin by highlighting the unusual nature of this item of business, which relates to a wholly reserved matter that must, under the Scotland Act 1998, be con...
Alasdair Morgan (South of Scotland) (SNP):
SNP
Will Mr Lyon give way?
George Lyon:
LD
I will make a little headway first. I know that the deputy leader of the Scottish National Party agrees with me, as she has repeatedly stated on the record t...
Alasdair Morgan:
SNP
As Mr Lyon is speaking in his capacity as a Government minister, I hope that he will confirm that the powers under the Scotland Act 1998 from which the order...
George Lyon:
LD
I can confirm that that is correct. I am talking about the general principles behind the order.It is clear that someone who is expected to work in London unt...
Alasdair Morgan (South of Scotland) (SNP):
SNP
I suppose the best that we could say about that speech is that it was well read. I shall take no lessons on general principles from members of the Liberal De...
Nora Radcliffe (Gordon) (LD) rose—
LD
Alasdair Morgan:
SNP
I am not giving way.Is this the same Liberal party that thought that Donald Gorrie and Jim Wallace—and Andrew Arbuckle—could do two jobs at the same time? I ...
George Lyon rose—
LD
Alasdair Morgan:
SNP
No, no. We heard more than enough from Mr Lyon during his allocated time.In his challenge, Mr Bruce says that"the new law would ban MSPs from holding two job...
Alex Johnstone (North East Scotland) (Con):
Con
When I was nominated to speak in the debate, the first thing I did was look up the debate from four years ago so that I could see what it was all about. Havi...
George Lyon:
LD
This has certainly been an interesting debate. Usually, my good colleague and friend, Mr Morgan, is a calm, collected and level-headed gentleman in debates. ...
The Deputy Presiding Officer:
Lab
Order.
George Lyon:
LD
Those people should have someone who is willing to offer their full attention, full time for the full term.I ask members to lend their support by approving t...