Glasgow MSPs and Cancel Culture

I know I shouldn't have to chase up the three Glasgow MSPs who haven't bothered to respond to my letters about the scourge of 'cancel culture'.

Especially as they receive generous public salaries and generous office expenses so that they can employ staff to help them do their jobs effectively.

Nonetheless I've had to send Anas Sarwar, Pam Duncan-Glancy and Sandesh Gulhane yet another chase-up letter - which is completely ridiculous, of course.

Dear Anas Sarwar/Pam Duncan-Glancy/Sandesh Gulhane

No Debate, Gender Ideology and Self-ID

I refer to my letters dated 1 September and 18 August 2023.

For some inexplicable reason you have failed to reply to either of my letters.

I have, however, received positive responses from the majority of your Glasgow MSP colleagues.

I appreciate MSPs are busy, but I also know that Glasgow MSPs receive a publicly funded member's support allowance of £60,700 a year which is intended to to cover their constituency work - including employing staff, running an office and meeting constituents.

In the circumstances, you will understand my frustration that I have to write to you three times to get an answer to a very straightforward question which other Glasgow MSPs were able to respond to weeks ago.

I look forward to hearing from you and trust you do not make a habit of ignoring your constituents.

Kind regards

Mark Irvine

Cancel Culture - Harvie Is A Hypocrite (September 12, 2023)

So I've heard back from four Glasgow MSPs in response to my letter about the ignoramus Patrick Harvie.

Pauline McNeil, Kaukab Stewart, Paul Sweeney and Annie Wells have all been in touch to say they're happy to meet to discuss the issues surrounding self-ID and gender recognition.

I need to chase up the three non-responding Glasgow MSPs which shouldn't really be necessary, but I will do this in the next few days.

In the meantime it's good to see other Glasgow MSPs reacting positively because it's a nonsense for politicians to be banging on about the need for 'respectful debate', if the Patrick Harvie's of this world refuse to meet their own constituents.

Glasgow MSPs and Cancel Culture (August 27, 2023)

Two more Glasgow MSPs have responded to my recent email to confirm they're happy to discuss self-ID and other gender recognition issues - unlike the ignoramus Patrick Harvie, a Green MSP and Scottish minister of course.

More details to follow.

No Debate, Cancel Culture and Glasgow MSPs (August 21, 2023)

I've written to Glasgow MSPs about the behaviour of Patrick Harvie - a fellow parliamentarian and minister in the SNP led Scottish government

To my mind Patrick Harvie's conduct is quite outrageous and my purpose in writing to other MSPs is to see who, if anyone, supports his 'no debate/cancel culture' approach to democracy.

Here's a copy of my letter to the other 6 Glasgow regional list MSPs and my local constituency MSP, Kaukab Stewart.

Dear Kaukab/Pauline/Anas/Paul/Pam/Sandesh/Annie

No Debate, Gender Ideology and Self-ID

I enclose an exchange of letters with Patrick Harvie, the Glasgow list MSP and Minister for Zero Carbon in the Scottish government.

Patrick Harvie has refused to meet with me (as a Glasgow constituent) to discuss gender recognition and self-identification because I attended a rally at Holyrood in support of women’s rights back in October 2022.

To my mind Patrick Harvie's behaviour is small-minded and highly intolerant because, like all politicians, he has been elected to represent all of his constituents - not just those who voted for him.

I don’t expect to agree with my locally politicians on everything, but I do expect MSPs, MPs and councillors to be willing to meet and discuss issues respectfully with the constituents they claim to represent because cancelling and blacklisting people is not acceptable.

My previous Glasgow constituency MSP (John Mason) believes in creationism, for example. I disagree with John profoundly on this issue, along with others, but nonetheless I met with John Mason on various occasions over the years without any difficulty.

Both John Mason and Patrick Harvie are obviously free to believe what they like, (for all I care they can believe the earth is round and the moon is made of green cheese), but what they cannot do is compel me or anyone else to share their views, nor should they cancel or blacklist people just for disagreeing with them.

In my view Patrick Harvie’s ‘no debate’ stance has to be challenged because it is unreasonable, undemocratic and discriminatory.

So I am contacting Glasgow list MSPs as well as my local constituency MSP to ask if you are prepared, in principle, to discuss the issues surrounding the controversial policies of self-ID and gender recognition which are currently blocked by UK ministers?

Both issues are strongly opposed by the vast majority of Glaswegians, of course, despite last year’s vote in the Scottish Parliament.

I am not looking for a firm date at this stage, only confirmation of whether you agree that Glasgow politicians should be willing to discuss such important issues with their constituents.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Kind regards

Mark Irvine

Watch this space.

Kaukab Stewart