A Week in Parliament

Cummings

If ever there was any doubts that the Tories do not care for you, and it is one rule for them and one rule for another then all you need to do is consider the Dominic Cummings fiasco. His story doesn’t stack up – first it was him and his wife being ill, then it was only the wife. Next it was for his parents to help with childcare (dangerous given their age and risk of catching Covid-19) and then it was his sister who offered to help. Ultimately, they made a 250-mile trip when they were sure at least one of them had the disease. They risked spreading it to their immediate family and who knows where else. Did he have to stop for petrol for example?

When Scotland’s chief medical officer, Catherine Calderwood was found to have broken the rules on non-essential travel, in my column I called for her to resign (I had to edit at the last minute, as she resigned before going to print), so I know I am not political point scoring. How can someone who advises the Prime Minister, was aware of the Government slogan “Stay at Home” remain in position when he flouted such guidance in a completely reckless manner? I previously wondered if the power of Cummings over the UK Government is exaggerated but he now seems untouchable - we should all be alarmed at this lack of democracy and accountability. Strangely, the Scottish Tories have nothing to say on the matter. Why?

Health Surcharge

Maybe a wee bit of good news within the Cummings fiasco is the fact that the UK Government look like they will cave in on their plans to keep charging non-UK healthcare workers a surcharge if they have to go into hospital. Clearly, they cannot handle more bad news at this moment in time. But again, for sheer lack of empathy, imagine the Prime Minster was defending proposals that mean those healthcare workers from outside the UK, treating patients with Covid-19 would need to pay for the privilege of treatment themselves if they get ill. I was only too happy to support a cross-party effort to drop this proposal. Thankfully common sense of a sort seems to have prevailed.

Ian Murray

Ian Murray, Labour’s shadow Scottish Secretary, used his first question at the dispatch box not to challenge the UK Government, but to try to attack the Scottish Government. He was arguing that Scotland should have shut down two-weeks earlier. Yet he doesn’t want Scotland to have the powers that allows a full scale to shut down and implementation of aspects like the furlough scheme to support workers. He always seems to forget that, which is rather convenient.

Westminster Modernisation

During the debate about the continued use of the hybrid Parliament, a Labour MP declared that “it has taken centuries” to get TVs installed in the chamber. Now I am no defender of Westminster and its dated traditions, but I think getting TVs installed centuries earlier might have proved a bit difficult!