Propaganda.

Mr Smith finds it hard to believe that some of our elected representatives would have the audacity to use publicly funded Parliamentary postage and materials to send out communications to their constituents in an attempt to win themselves more votes in the run up to an election. Then again ... perhaps he doesn't. But yet again the Holyrood authorities seem to have closed the stable door after the horses have already bolted ... and been re-elected.

"MSPS HAVE been banned from spending more than £5000 a year on office supplies following fears they were using the publicly-funded system to boost their re-election chances. Holyrood officials imposed the cap after MSPs racked up a record spend on postage and stationery last year. The £477,000 bill, up 75% from the previous year, was incurred while MSPs were trying to regain their places in the parliament."

And some of the worst offenders? Step forward ... "Christine Grahame, the SNP MSP for South of Scotland, who spent £26,465 on central office supplies ... Her bill was around seven times the average and almost 10 times the £2701 she spent in 2005-06. Another big spender was Labour's Cathy Craigie, who racked up £17,302 while defending a 520-vote majority in Cumbernauld and Kilsyth. Craigie's office spend was more than triple the £5358 she used from the central budget the previous year. Fellow Labour MSPs Wendy Alexander and Jackie Baillie were close to the top of the office supplies league table, spending £14,450 and £14,649 respectively."

Catch A Falling Tzar.

Mr Smith thinks that Scotland's Commissioners are going to be on the receiving end of decisions by their political masters who have had too much trouble caused to them by the Tzars "independent" status. The good times may be over for the Tzars and Tzarinas ... and did you know that Holyrood had a "Housekeeping Committee"? What do the MSPs do? Take a turn at Holyrood's dusting?

"The system of public service czars is set to be scaled back after MSPs yesterday agreed to reconsider the whole future of parliamentary commissioners. Six commissioners, each with their own headquarters and support structures, should be crunched into three new bodies, with commissioners sharing back-offices, according to the new plan. This was put forward by Tom McCabe, convener of Holyrood's Housekeeping Committee, and was then backed by his successor as Finance Secretary, John Swinney."

They Are Family.

"MORE than two dozen MSPs have turned politics into a family business by putting relatives on the Holyrood payroll. Figures released yesterday show 26 MSPs - 11 SNP, 11 Labour, two Tories and two Liberal Democrats - employ family members."

At least we have the information. But, as Mr Smith has highlighted before, shouldn't we also know how many family members of MSPs are also employed, not by themselves, but by their fellow MSPs?

Un-Sportsmanlike Behaviour.

Surely our elected representatives should be setting a much higher standard?

"A TEAM of MSPs was branded "an absolute disgrace" after a football match in which they were involved was called off when tempers boiled over. The match at Lesser Hampden in Glasgow on Sunday was stopped after about 55 minutes when the game threatened to descend into a mass brawl following a number of contentious challenges between the politicians and their opponents, a team of sports journalists."

And one of them was Chic Young. Well ... that might mske their actions understandable, even if not excuseable.

Family Friendly.

Mr Smith thinks there has been a very big gap in the disclosure rules for MSPs ever since the establishment of the Scottish Parliament as regards MSPs employing members of their own families with minimal public scrutiny. Well, it would appear that the Scottish Parliamentary authorities are now acting to close the loop hole, but it won't apply to MSPs having to declare employing family members of other MSPs.

Mr Smith is aware of some MSPs that have employed each others spouses in the past.

"MSPs have been given 30 days to register details of any relatives working for them. The deadline is part of new rules on MSPs’ expenses that came into force yesterday. Under a revamp of the allowances to which MSPs are entitled, members must tell the Scottish Parliament authorities of any relative they employ. The requirement covers husbands, wives, civil partners and cohabitees, as well as parents, children, grandparents, grandchildren, brother, sisters, uncles, aunts, nephews and nieces. It will not apply to MSPs who employ relatives of other MSPs."

Perhaps that loop hole should be closed as well, given that it clearly could influence the deliberations of one MSP in relation to the actions of another if they happened to employ a family member?

Head And Shoulders.

"A FORMER Labour minister has launched a withering attack on his "arrogant" Westminster colleagues whom he accuses of being "resentful and contemptuous" of the Scottish parliament. Tom McCabe, a one-time finance minister who ran Wendy Alexander's campaign to become Labour leader last year, warns his party will be "pushed to the fringes" for "a very long time" if it does not radically reform itself."

Scenario: The average Westminster Labour MP, who is head and shoulders in calibre above the average Labour MSP, being "resentful" of the Scottish Parliament.

Really? Hands up who believes that one.

Er ... Anyone?

Heat And Light.

It seems to take a lot to get our Members of the Scottish Parliament hot under the collar, except of course anything to do with their remuneration, pensions or allowances.

"MSPs awarded themselves a £1.4 million increase in allowances for employing staff and running their offices. The cash will be shared out between members – despite a recommendation that constituency MSPs should be better funded than those elected from the regional lists."

Mr Smith seems to recall that one of the first debates in the Scottish Parliament following its re-establishment in 1999 was a debate on the subject of MSPs' allowances which has set the tone for most of what followed in the minds of the public. Perhaps MSPs should be banned from awarding themselves higher salaries or allowances until the public have actually voted that they deserve one because of what they have actually done? For example pass a few good laws, improve the performance of Scotland's public services, increased the country's rate of growth, eliminated some poverty, ... that might focus their minds.

On The Cheap.

"CELEBRITIES were urged to help promote Scotland for free amid claims that many demand "impossible" fees. Business and tourism chiefs called for well-known Scots personalities to get on board for the "greater good" and back attempts to attract the Scots Diaspora back home next year."

If the Scottish Government and its agencies choose to spend millions of pounds of public money on flashy campaigns promoting Scotland as a destination they should expect to have pay the appropriate fees if they want Scotland's stars to feature in them. It's a bit naive to expect them to do anything else. Would Members of the Scottish Parliament be happy to do their jobs for free?

While The Cats Away ...

Mr Smith must ask what has happened to Scottish Labour Leader Wendy Alexander over the last couple of weeks? She seems to have disappeared which is perhaps part of her latest relaunch strategy to try and make everyone forget the issues which have plagued her since she was not elected in the first place. But in Wendy's "absence" it would appear her Labour colleagues are battling about the issue of allowances for those of them representing "constituencies" and those of them representing "regions."

" LABOUR MSPs are engulfed in a civil war over plans to change their allowances so that constituency members receive more than those elected from the party list. MSPs are due to vote on whether to accept the findings of a report by a committee chaired by Sir Alan Langlands which recommended that constituency MSPs should get £62,000 a year for office and staff, but list MSPs just £45,000."

One of the main critics of the change is Lord "three jobs" Foulkes, coincidentally a Labour "regional" MSP, therefore with more to lose than most Labour MSPs, and who it is hard to think of as the "voice of reason" on this or any other issue. But it just reinforces how much the concerns of representatives of the Peoples' Party have changed since they lost power last May with their main concern now apparently being their own allowances and not the best interests of the people themselves.

Going to Jackson's.

From Drumlanrig, "That were SNP MSPs doing in in Jackson's restaurant in Edinburgh last week? Some say it was their delayed celebration knees-up to mark a year in power. But they insist it was a simple dinner to celebrate the best of Scottish produce, with Environment and Rural Secretary Richard Lochhead. What's politics coming to when you even have to spin your tea? The slap-up feed featured haggis, Scotch beef, sea bass, Scottish berries and Orkney fudge ice cream. Surely just a coincidence then that the event was timed just after the first meeting of Holyrood's Cross-Party Group on Obesity? And surely there were no MSPs who attended both events? So much for the fudge ice cream, although it could have been worse – at least the whipped-cream cranachan was off the menu. And the less said about deep fried Mars Bars the better."

Homeless.

Mr Smith reads that, "AROUND 30 MSPs will have to sell their taxpayer-funded Edinburgh homes if they want to make future expenses claims for staying in the capital. Holyrood bosses have ruled that the abolition of the discredited mortgage interest scheme should be accompanied by MSPs disposing of their Edinburgh properties. The decision means that just less than one-quarter of MSPs will benefit from a near six-figure windfall if they sell their subsidised flats before 2011 - when the new expenses rules kick in."

Mr Smith's heart bleeds. Really ... it does.

£1.69.

"FORMER MSPs have been handed a cash "windfall" of £1.69 - a backdated pay rise for one day. Their wages went up on April 1 last year. But parliament closed down on April 2 at the start of the election campaign, when MSPs who were standing down officially lost their jobs."

What a waste of time. Did the former MSPs miss the cash? Did they even know they should have had it? Mr Smith bets it costs far more than £1.69 to process a payment of £1.69. Don't spend it all at once.

Admit One.

So, "THE cost of taking a guided tour of the Scottish Parliament went up again. Adult visitors to the £414 million Holyrood building must now pay £6 a time for the tour, compared to a previous charge of £5. The concessionary price for under-16s, over-60s, students, unemployed and disabled people, went up from £3 to £3.60, and a family ticket from £15.20 to £18."

Mr Smith advises anyone who wants to visit the Scottish Parliament to contact their MSP, or indeed one of the nine MSPs that represent them, and ask them if they would be prepared to show a constituent around Holyrood - you will save a fortune. They might even buy you a cup of coffee and a biscuit.

Mr Hutcheon ... again.

The vitriol-packed comment pieces from the Sunday Herald's Political Editor Paul Hutcheon have previously been highlighted by Mr Smith on this blog, but Mr Hutcheon went quiet for a while. But Mr Smith is happy to say that Mr Hutcheon is now back and in full flood in a piece on the Edinburgh Accomodation Allowance Scheme used by the Members of the Scottish Parliament.

"Spare a copper for MSPs ... MSPS LAST week earned their salaries by publicly debating genuinely important issues such as rape, eating disorders and the rights of wheelchair users. But in private, they moaned about a subject close to their hearts: protecting their state-funded mortgage payments. In party group meetings, tea-room chats and behind-closed-doors bitching sessions, MSPs complained about the imminent reform of their much-loved Edinburgh Accommodation Allowance (EAA) ... Don't believe the folk who say politicians are only in it for themselves: this overlooks the fact that they are trying to fill their families' boots as well. If the past five days are anything to go by, they are at their most animated when their own financial self-interest is questioned."

Do any of our politicians still talk to Mr Hutcheon given his trenchent and well earned commentary on their real political concerns?

Lapping it up.

So, "MSPs are being handed out new laptops at a cost to taxpayers of up to £94,000. The computers – which replace ones issued five years ago – are intended to allow politicians to do parliamentary work when they are away from Holyrood."

Great ... but our politicians will probably end up using them as big screen DVD players during their extended Parliamentary recesses.

Golden Goodbyes.

Mr Smith reads that "42 POLITICIANS who quit or lost their seats at this year's Holyrood elections have received more than £1.1 million in pay offs from the taxpayer. The "resettlement" grants, which had to be found from Scottish Parliament contingency funds, are intended to help ease former MSPs back into everyday life. "

Mr Smith thinks that sums up the problem with modern politics ... politicians having to be paid to "ease" themselves "back into everyday life." That might explain why so often they take such poor decisions, and then get a wodge of cash even if the voters vote them out of office.

Supplementing your pension.

Mr Smith notes that Members of the Scottish Parliament are to be given the opportunity of "voting" themselves an increased final salary contribution pension.

Wouldn't it be nice to vote yourself a final salary pension equivalent to one fortieth of your salary for each year of service you have, even if you had to contribute 10% of your salary up front?

Yet again though it is the taxpayer that is picking up most of the tab. Nice work if you can get it.

We are family.

Mr Smith reads that: "ALMOST 50 MSPs have given parliamentary jobs to members of their immediate family, a Sunday Herald investigation has revealed. Hundreds of thousands of pounds of public cash have been taken out of the Holyrood expenses scheme to put MSPs' spouses, children and in-laws on the state-funded payroll.
Some have employed two relatives at the same time in what critics describe as a scam to "top up the incomes of their nearest and dearest"."

Mr Smith asks in what other job, in either the public sector or the private sector would someone be able to employ their own family without any scrutiny or oversight of what was happening? This is one practice that deserves to be consigned to the Scottish Parliament's dust bin.

And another pat on the back to Mr Paul Hutcheon who breaks the story yet again in the public interest.

Doon the watter.

Mr Smith reads that fifteen of our esteemed Members of the Scottish Parliament have backed a motion at Holyrood expressing concern about proposals to “scrap” a Mississippi paddle steamer, the Delta Queen. Yes – that’s Mississippi in the United States of America.

Mr Smith asks if this is really all that our elected representatives really have to worry about whilst they go about the task of representing their constituents?

Sloppy government.

So, "The legal age for buying cigarettes in Scotland is to rise from 16 to 18 next month, after MSPs unanimously backed a change in the law. The move attracted cross-party support. It was met with criticism from retailers who said that nothing had been done to publicise the change."

Now, Mr Smith has no real issue with the concept of the actual change in the law if that is what MSPs think is right, but does anyone, any democrat, really think that only formally agreeing such a major change in policy just two weeks before it is meant to be implemented is really good government? At least Westminster MPs had the good grace to agree the change before they headed off to their summer recess two months ago. Not the Scottish Parliament.

It's a bad day for government in Scotland that they got away with doing this. Mr Smith suspects that on any other issue they wouldn't have even tried, let alone been able to.