EDWARD MOUNTAIN: 'If we can sometimes park party politics we will achieve so much more'

At the start of the new session of the Scottish Parliament Highlands and Islands Conservative MSP Edward Mountain calls for less tribal political debate. He also wants to see changes to the 'procedural' nature of Holyrood that he says leads to stultifying 'four minute read speech with no interventions'.

This week sees Parliamentarians returning to Holyrood. Many will claim that a two-month break is too long, but it is a real opportunity to get round your constituency or region and it is vital for those that represent huge regions, like the Highlands and Islands.

It took me nearly three weeks to hold surgeries round the far North. If you add in visits and dealing with normal constituency enquiries, time flies by.

Now, however, is the time to get back to the political side of the job. Debates, committee meetings, scrutiny of legislation fill our days, and this is to say nothing of cross-party groups and meeting people who want their views heard. It is busy and that makes a parliament hum.

Every new session brings new hopes and wishes but these are often marred by the failings that this Parliament encourage and promote. In my mind the two biggest of these are the lack of real debate and the tribalism.

There is no doubt that the Scottish Parliament is driven by the party politics. Not only does the largest party choose most debates but each party also chooses their speakers.

The Presiding Officer, unlike the speaker at Westminster, is given a list of speakers to call. I wish that this could change, with the presiding officer being given the opportunity to choose speakers in debates.

One of the many benefits of this is that it would promote more spontaneous speeches and stop the ‘four minute read speech’ with no interventions. It would encourage a real debate.

And it is not just in the chamber that the party control is exercised, it also happens in committees. Convenors and their deputies are allocated to parties to appoint. Parliament would be stronger if committees elected their convenor, whilst it might remove me from the chair of the net zero energy and transport committee, it would strengthen the committee.

This party-driven procedural approach also promotes the second biggest failing of this parliament – tribalism. A long time ago, as a soldier, I learnt that no one person has a monopoly of good ideas and that collaborative working leads to better results.

As a leader you quickly learn that one of your team may well have greater experience than you and using that to get results is critical and sometimes lifesaving. It is no different in business or politics.

A good politician, who will make life changing decisions and laws, should look for consensus based on evidence. Whilst they won’t want to compromise their beliefs, to achieve them they may need to reach outside their party to make good law.

We have much to do in this session and if we can sometimes park party politics we will achieve so much more.

I genuinely look forward to working with my fellow Highland and Island MSPs there is much to do.

When we all work together as evidenced with Fergus Ewing, Kate Forbes on the A9 and Highly Protected Marine Areas, and with Rhoda Grant on mental health provision, the Highlands and Islands will be so much more than a stunning home.

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