The Scottish Parliament has been described as a ‘numpty nursery’ and a ‘second-rate student union’ due to recent actions by both SNP and Green politicians. These incidents have led to accusations that the parliament is becoming ‘detached from the real world’.
One notable event involved SNP backbencher Collette Stevenson, a member of the transport committee, who appeared to mistake Transport Scotland for a charity during a committee meeting. When questioned by Graeme Cook, director of rail delivery for Transport Scotland, Stevenson asked if the agency was a registered charity. Cook clarified that Transport Scotland is a non-departmental government body.
Further confusion arose when Stevenson inquired about the transfer of Transport Scotland staff under TUPE legislation as part of plans to reintegrate the agency into the Scottish Government. Mr. Cook explained that Transport Scotland staff are already part of the civil service and would not see changes in employment terms, as the agency is the same legal entity as the Scottish Government.
Energy minister Stephen Gethins acknowledged that it is reasonable to expect MSPs on the transport committee to understand Transport Scotland's operations, but he declined to prejudge the situation without having witnessed it himself. He described Stevenson as a ‘really good colleague and fantastic local advocate’.
In a separate incident, Green MSPs called for a boycott of companies linked to Israel. During a debate, Green MSP Kate Nevens, wearing a keffiyeh, questioned the parliament’s use of HP and Microsoft technology, citing their provision of services to Israeli authorities. She also questioned the use of Barclaycard for MSP credit cards.
Another Green MSP, Holly Bruce, raised concerns about Barclays' involvement in trading Israeli government bonds. Bruce asserted that a stringent human rights due diligence process should be implemented to prevent companies like Barclays, which she deemed complicit, from benefiting from Scottish companies.
Broadcaster Andrew Neil voiced his criticism, sharing clips of Stevenson's apparent misunderstanding and commenting on the Green MSPs' demands. He remarked, 'And you wonder why I call Holyrood the Numpty Nursery? Away with it.' Neil also likened the situation to a ‘second-rate student union’ taking over a parliament.
Former Tory MSP Jamie Halcro Johnston commented on the increasing volume of ‘performative nonsense’ at Holyrood. Scottish Conservative deputy leader Rachael Hamilton stated that these incidents exemplify why many Scots feel politicians at Holyrood are out of touch with reality. She emphasized that the public expects politicians to focus on pressing issues such as reducing living costs and improving public services.
Hamilton concluded that these widely shared incidents present the Scottish Parliament in a ‘very poor light’.