Holding Scottish Ministers to Account
The Presiding Officer needs to take the Holyrood chamber in hand. It's starting to look like a kangaroo Parliament. Sturgeon is increasingly reading prepared answers that bear no resemblance to the question and the PO does nothing.
— Jennifer Ross (@Jen4Scot) February 1, 2022
It's bringing our Parliament into disrepute.
I thought it would be impossible to have a worse Presiding Officer than Tricia Marwick, but I have to hold my hands up and accept I was wrong!
The rules and conventions of the Scottish Parliament make it very difficult for backbench MSPs to hold powerful ministers to account, but they should have an ally in the Presiding Officer (Alison Johnstone) which clearly they do not.
Tricia has now retired, but I think I'm right in saying she's now into the second term of her appointment (by Scottish Ministers) as Chair of Fife health board.
Alison Johnstone
Tricia Marwick