'Honest John' - Shots Fired! (May 24, 2024)
Alex Massie's sketch on John Swinney's ill-judged decision to attack the Scottish parliament's standards committee made me laugh out loud.
Especially when I read this paragraph which confirms that SNP members of the committee agreed 'Morocco Mike' should pay a financial penalty and be suspended from the parliament.
Swinney has shot himself in the foot.
To err is human, to forgive Michael Matheson is divine
‘Honest John’ Swinney said his chum had already suffered enough, and rejected the recommendations of the standards committee
By Alex Massie - The Times
Should you find yourself in a hole, the first question to ask is a simple one: “What would Jesus do?” According to John Swinney, the son of God would stress the fundamental Christian maxim: “Do unto others as you would have done unto you.”
On this basis, the first minister rejected the recommendation of the Scottish parliament’s standards committee that Michael Matheson should be suspended for 27 days and docked 54 days’ worth of pay.
Due process had not been followed, Swinney insisted, and one member of the committee — Annie Wells, the Tory MSP — had “prejudged” the issue. This “prejudiced” process risked damaging “the integrity and reputation of the parliament”. Perhaps so, although unkindly I wondered how anyone might tell.
Awkwardly, whatever the views of Wells, the SNP members of the committee also agreed that Matheson should pay a financial penalty and be suspended from the parliament. This principle having been established, the committee’s squabbles were confined to the length of that suspension, not its necessity.
However, Honest John was determined to stand by his pal. He was not just first minister but the only member of the parliament who had voted for its establishment. He cares “deeply” about its integrity. He is the father of the nation, you know.
And, come on, his chum had already “suffered significant reputational damage” as a result of mistakenly claiming £11,000 of expenses to which he was not entitled, and then being less than candid about the circumstances in which he had done so.
When viewed correctly, any fair-minded person would appreciate that Matheson made a small mistake but was now the victim of an “unfair process”. Douglas Ross and Anas Sarwar might hoot and holler all they liked but Matheson is the injured party here. It is very important to remember this. To err is human, to forgive divine.
Alas, politics is an Old Testament game, not a place for New Testament charity. It was hard to banish the thought that the Good Book has firm views on these matters. “Thou shalt not bear false witness”, for instance, and “Thou shalt not steal”. Except, of course, when parliamentary arithmetic requires every SNP MSP to be present for every vote.
Should you find yourself in a hole, the first question to ask is a simple one: “What would Jesus do?” According to John Swinney, the son of God would stress the fundamental Christian maxim: “Do unto others as you would have done unto you.”
On this basis, the first minister rejected the recommendation of the Scottish parliament’s standards committee that Michael Matheson should be suspended for 27 days and docked 54 days’ worth of pay.
Due process had not been followed, Swinney insisted, and one member of the committee — Annie Wells, the Tory MSP — had “prejudged” the issue. This “prejudiced” process risked damaging “the integrity and reputation of the parliament”. Perhaps so, although unkindly I wondered how anyone might tell.
Awkwardly, whatever the views of Wells, the SNP members of the committee also agreed that Matheson should pay a financial penalty and be suspended from the parliament. This principle having been established, the committee’s squabbles were confined to the length of that suspension, not its necessity.
However, Honest John was determined to stand by his pal. He was not just first minister but the only member of the parliament who had voted for its establishment. He cares “deeply” about its integrity. He is the father of the nation, you know.
And, come on, his chum had already “suffered significant reputational damage” as a result of mistakenly claiming £11,000 of expenses to which he was not entitled, and then being less than candid about the circumstances in which he had done so.
When viewed correctly, any fair-minded person would appreciate that Matheson made a small mistake but was now the victim of an “unfair process”. Douglas Ross and Anas Sarwar might hoot and holler all they liked but Matheson is the injured party here. It is very important to remember this. To err is human, to forgive divine.
Alas, politics is an Old Testament game, not a place for New Testament charity. It was hard to banish the thought that the Good Book has firm views on these matters. “Thou shalt not bear false witness”, for instance, and “Thou shalt not steal”. Except, of course, when parliamentary arithmetic requires every SNP MSP to be present for every vote.
