17th October 2022: A Week in Parliament

History in the making

In my short career as MP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, I have been lucky, or unlucky, enough to have seen and worked through significant political moments of history. When elected in 2015, that was the momentous election in Scotland terms when the SNP secured the largest number of seats by any party. I was fortunate to be the first Scottish MP elected, signalling what was to follow, when I briefly held the record for the largest swing ever in a UK General Election.

I have subsequently seen the Brexit referendum, and the disastrous Brexit deal agreed by the Tory Government. I have had to fight general elections in 2017 and 2019, despite being originally elected for a five-year term!

We are now on the fourth Chancellor in just as many months, and four Prime Ministers overall -three of them initially elected by the Tory membership rather than through a general election.

There has been the global covid pandemic, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and now the energy crisis. The pound has fallen from a high of $1.6 to on average now at $1.1. That’s a devaluation of over 30%. This in itself is why we are struggling with inflation and energy costs. The pound has also fallen against the Euro, from 1.4Euros to 1.1Euros at present. A mere 27% fall! This remember, as part of the 2014 referendum was that the UK is supposed to offer a stable alternative for Scotland compared to independence. Quite clearly this has not been the case.

The 2019 election was Labour’s worst general election since 1935, and only a year ago it was predicted the Tories would easily win the next election and likely the one after that. Now thanks to the antics of Johnson and now the madness of Truss, it looks certain Labour will win the next election and win a majority without needing to rely on votes in Scotland. And with the Tories polling so low, suddenly commentators are talking about an existential threat to what has been the most successful political party in the world. They can never be written off, but it seems more history is in the making. Including of course another potential vote for Independence.

Business Questions

For those who are unaware of the Parliamentary protocols and proceedings, Business Questions take place on a Thursday morning - directly after the Leader of the House has announced the forthcoming business in the Commons. At this Questions session, MPs can raise essentially any issues they wish with the Leader of the House, presently Penny Mordaunt MP. It is common for Members to ask the Government to make time for a debate on a specific issue but I tend to use the bulk of my time raising constituent casework.

Over the years I have raised several constituent cases in the House via this platform and last week was no different as I raised yet another. A single-parent household earning more than £50k is liable to pay the high-income benefit charge yet a home with two earners of £50k each (combined income of £100k) is eligible for full child benefit payments. I asked the Government for a review of how the high-income benefit charge is triggered given how unfair the system can be.