Christine Grahame is SNP MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale

Boris and the Law

So the Supreme Court has upheld the judgement of the Inner House of the Court of Session (our highest civil court) that proroguing the Westminster parliament was unlawful. You couldn’t make it up and would think you were watching some TV drama. Where are we now? If it tells us one thing it is that the UK government is in meltdown and further that the British State has run its course. Will Boris resign? Of course not. Time for the Scottish Parliament to take its rightful place representing Scotland as an Independent nation in Europe.

Meanwhile

Here, it is business as usual: debates continue, Minsters and the First Minister take questions, votes are taken, committees sit and hold government to account. In the meantime, schools teach, hospitals treat, houses are built, courts adjudicate, buses and trains run (mostly on time) and Scotland proceeds on its daily business. What does this tell us about the missing Mother of all Parliaments? It’s not sitting and it has not made a wheen of difference to life in Scotland. Time to ditch it. While I am on the topic let me turn my fire on the House of Lords. With some 800 Lordships and Ladyships many shipped in having lost their parliamentary seats at a cost to the taxpayer of £67.9 million. The average 'peer' costs £83,000 with £300 per day if they just turn up? Big fact: the House of Lords is the second largest legislative assembly in the world after the National People’s Congress of China. Why on earth do we let it continue? At least the Scottish National Party refuses to take places on it. Yet the Tories have 234 members, Labour 179 and the Lib Dems 94! Take the Lib Dems, for example, with only 18 MPs (many of them carpet-baggers from Labour and the Tory ranks) way behind the SNP with 35 MPs – 18 MPs, 94 in the Lords, yes indeedy the Lib Dem upholders of democracy and Labour with 179, truly the opposition to privilege!

Meantime

Autumn is here, my favourite time of the year (I am a September baby). The Virginia creeper which hasn’t half crept is turning to coppers and bronze, bulbs for spring are being planted, nights by the fire with curtains drawn early and Mr Smokey is moulting and part from that, what’s not to like?