Monday 1 September 2008

Us And Them.


Mr Smith is amazed that the Scottish Parliament is even considering reversing its earlier decision to suspend Wendy Alexander from the Scottish Parliament for breaking Holyrood's rules.

"A LIBERAL Democrat MSP who voted to suspend Wendy Alexander from Holyrood says he will resign his post if the Scottish Parliament does not back his committee's decision. Hugh O'Donnell, whose vote was crucial in delivering a fatal blow to Alexander's leadership, says MSPs will "undermine" the Standards Committee if they overturn the proposed ban after a debate scheduled for Thursday. MSPs could vote down the one-day suspension plan on the grounds that Alexander - described yesterday by Chancellor Alistair Darling as "not likeable at all" - has suffered enough by resigning."

Either Wendy Alexander broke the rules or she didn't. And if she did, she deserves to be punished. One law for them and another for us?

But the fact that Mr O'Donnell has already been "reshuffled" off the Standards Committee by his new leader seems to suggest that MSPs will probably let Wendy off the hook which will set a precedent leading to lighter punishments for MSPs that break the rules going forward.

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