Scottish Lawmaker Defends Publicly Funded Artist Role
SNP MSP Hannah Mary Goodlad defends hiring an artist-in-residence using public funds, aiming to make politics more accessible.
Shetland MSP Hannah Mary Goodlad has defended her decision to hire an "artist in residence" for her constituency using £11,000 of public money. The role, described as a 35-hour-a-week, four-month contract funded by Goodlad's parliamentary staff budget, is intended to engage the community and develop projects reflecting policy priorities.
Goodlad, an SNP public finance minister, is seeking a Shetland-based creative professional of any discipline. She also plans to hire a communications assistant to translate content into the Shetland language. According to Goodlad, these roles are crucial for making politics feel "more accessible" across the islands.
The initiative drew criticism from Reform MSP Max Bannerman, who labeled it as "state-funded propaganda." The Scottish Daily Mail featured the creative roles on its front page, raising concerns about the use of public funds.
Speaking to BBC Scotland, Goodlad dismissed the tabloid's criticism, stating, "I don't take much guidance from the tabloids and I'm pretty sure Shetland listeners don't either." She emphasized her commitment to approaching politics differently and making it more approachable. "So I am very excited to advertise these roles here in Shetland to see what kind of passion we can bring into the team and help communicate our message across Shetland and help us connect with folk across Shetland in a very unique way," she said.
Goodlad also recently hired a communications assistant and asserted that she would not be advertising these roles if they were not necessary. "I wouldn't be hiring for the role if there wasn't a need, this is a very specific role that I want to explore different ways of reaching out across Shetland and connecting with different parts of the population," she explained. "There is a job that needs done in terms of reaching out right across the community and making folk feel like politics is for them. This is why I am bringing in this more artistic role, but also the Shetland language role as well."