Report to the People
High Living
Last week the Scottish Parliament took its spring recess. And, as you would expect, I lived the high life.
Not, unfortunately, skiing the Alpine slopes or sunning myself on a Mediterranean beach – but scaling the heights of Ravenscraig Court and Eastern View.
Getting out of the Holyrood pressure cooker for a week offers a number of advantages. And, although I would be lying if I said that I was distraught at the thought of not ploughing back and forth along the M8 all week, these advantages are not just for MSPs.
Recesses play a crucial role in the parliamentary process.
I have said repeatedly that our Parliament will be all the more effective if everyone feels they have a stake in it. And a recess is an ideal opportunity to try out different methods of giving people the opportunity to connect with the Parliament.
That is why I found myself in various high flats throughout the constituency carrying out more "roving surgeries." This new style of surgery means that rather than an MP or MSP sitting in their office waiting for people to knock on the door, they go out and visit a particular area, dropping in to see anyone who has a matter to raise.
All year round, of course, whether through phone calls, letters, emails, faxes, or even carrier pigeons, it’s not difficult to contact your MSP. But these methods rely on members of the public making the first move.
This might not be a problem to many people. (Indeed, catching up on some office administration through the week, I noticed that, this year alone, our office has received some 400 telephone calls from constituents seeking advice or assistance.) However, some may not have a specific problem. They may wish to raise a general concern, or require clarification on a particular matter, but are reluctant to contact their MSP.
I welcome all enquiries. But I believe that politicians must make it simpler to ask these questions by taking the initiative and going out into the communities we serve. Surgeries in supermarkets, workplaces, open surgeries and roving surgery are just a few examples of how we can do this. I will continue to look for new methods to ensure that our new Parliament is open and accessible to all the constituents of Greenock & Inverclyde.
P.S. Thanks to all those in Royal, Regent, Rankin, Kilblain and Ravenscraig Courts and Eastern View who took the time chat with me last week and express their views.
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