The Petitions Committee of the Scottish Parliament is supposed to give ordinary Scots a chance to participate directly with decision-making. It’s the cornerstone of a legislature where citizen participation is supposed to be a reality, not just a buzz phrase.
But recent petitions debated by the committee shows its members appear to have little desire to rock the boat by considering anything that might embarrass the SNP government.
Recent Petitions Under Scrutiny
Last week, MSPs debated whether there should be a national day to celebrate William Wallace. As if the huge stone tower monument in Stirling, plus a prominent statue at Edinburgh Castle, are not enough to honour a warrior who died 721 years ago. Other pressing items included a petition to ban beehives from public spaces until more regulations are in place.
One petition so far not considered is Karen McKeown’s demand for a better mental health service. Her husband Luke took his own life shortly after Christmas in 2017 after begging healthcare professionals for help eight times in the weeks before. Karen had to lead her two traumatised children from the family home with towels covering their faces so they would not see their father’s dead body.
Call for Prioritisation
She has filed a petition to Holyrood for a third time after MSPs ran out of time to consider two past applications. Many Scots will know first-hand the reality of the country’s overstretched mental health services. MSPs should prioritise petitions from Scots which could make a real difference to people’s lives.
Wider Context
A wartime president – Ukraine’s heroic Volodymyr Zelensky – was welcomed on the steps of No. 10 yesterday by Prime Minister Andy Burnham. Zelensky was taking a brief trip away from the hellscape of his home country, battered but unbowed and nearing its fifth year of war with Russia.
The day before, Glaswegian head of MI5, Sir Ken McCallum, warned of the threats we face – from Russia, Iran, far-right terrorists and rogue AI. Amid all this, in a muddy field near Glasgow, British Commandos were digging out an experimental underground hospital.
As you’ll see from our pictures today, their system of trenches looks like something out of World War I. But it’s designed to combat that most modern of weapons – the drone. We live in an increasingly dangerous world, and we are approaching it the right way. Backing our allies, watching our foes, and in case the diplomats and the spies fail, preparing for the worst.
