Monday

My main business of the day was the All-Parliamentary Group (APPG) on commercial sexual exploitation as we were talking to Baroness Bertin. She is working on a report addressing pornography. The APPG has already done some work and we will be sharing our findings with her. I responded to a statement in the House on antisemitism. The war in Gaza has resulted in an increase of hate crimes in the UK, most are as a result of ignorance or intolerance. A very few are religious extremism. All hate crimes should be prosecuted but my opinion is that the government’s statement was strong on criminality but weak on education. Racism and bigotry must be educated out of people. Locking people up doesn’t historically change their prejudices.

Tuesday

I forwent my select committee to attend the Inverclyde Taskforce via Zoom. Sometimes it’s hard to see what such a wide-ranging taskforce can achieve and the decision was made to construct something more targeted to address the situation that exists at BT/EE. Tomorrow the SNP-led debates will be on a ceasefire in Gaza and then Green Energy Investment. Both very worthy but complicated topics. The rumour mill, fuelled by the media, is wild with amendments and alliances but we won’t know the truth until tomorrow when The Speaker dictates the business of the day.

Wednesday

Today I woke to a very rainy cloudy London. The pavements were soaking and dark clouds hung over Westminster. People scurried for cover under umbrellas and raincoats. It was miserable and oppressive. Which was a fitting mood as the main business of the day was the vote to have an immediate ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas. Business elsewhere does not stop and I was happy to have the opportunity to drop in to hear from the All Party Parliamentary Group on children, teenagers and young adults with cancer. It’s a sad state of affairs that when someone is diagnosed with cancer their life becomes more expensive to live and while treatment pathways will be explained and their route to recovery understood, the financial signposting is still poor and in some cases non-existent.

I didn’t think I would ever be pleased to hear Teresa Coffey speak but after 15 minutes of spurious points of order from Labour trying to delay the SNP opposition day debate which called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, Teresa’s ten-minute rule was called which meant an end to the delays. Or so I thought. And then Labour’s Chris Bryant spoke in opposition to a completely benign bill that is going nowhere. It was pathetic. And then of course they pushed it to a vote. All of this nonsense was to delay the SNP motion for a ceasefire being debated.

During this time the Speaker was in conversation with Keir Starmer. And then all hell let loose. I thought I had seen it all at Westminster but today The Speaker Lindsay Hoyle set a new precedent, or maybe a new low, by accepting an amendment to an opposition motion from an opposition party when there was already a government amendment proposed. This rides roughshod over everything and the place was in turmoil as he twisted and turned to try and explain what he had done.

It did head off a Labour Party revolt over the debate so therefore many suspect that’s why he did it. The outcome may actually be that he loses his job! The Labour amendment completely replaced the SNP motion and therefore the SNP opposition debate became a Labour opposition debate. Since the SNP last used an opposition day debate to vote on a ceasefire in Gaza, Labour have had eight opportunities to use their days to do the same but have not. The last Labour debate was on ministerial severance pay.

As tempers got heated and the House of Commons descended into a fiasco, the SNP MPs left and went to the voting lobby. We fully expected to back the Labour motion, despite all the nonsense because it was in the circumstances the right thing to do, but instead the deputy speaker waved it through as unopposed. It was an appalling situation.

Thursday

Back to the good folk of Inverclyde and door knocking in Branchton to hear about local issues. Interrupted to hear The Speaker make a sorry not sorry statement about the mess he created yesterday. I then had a peaceful trip to Mind Mosaic. It’s nice to be able to discuss things with adults in an adult way and not have bullies trying to shout you down. And of course, the right to reply and be heard. Regrettably too many people in politics make excuses for loud, arrogant, aggressive behaviour towards others and write it off as robust political discourse. It isn’t. It shouldn’t be tolerated in any workplace. And if it is, it’s a sign of weakness. I had a call from the Secretary of State for DCMS as she wanted to give me the heads up on a report being published on Friday. She is under absolutely no obligation to do this but she appreciates the time and effort I have put into gambling related harm and her gesture was greatly appreciated.

Friday

I visited the Muirshiel visitor centre and country park to meet with the peatland restoration team. This is a large project and part of it falls into Inverclyde. It was great to meet everyone and gain a better understanding of the task in hand and the timescales. It’s been a few years now since I first introduced Inverclyde Council to the Yearn Stane project and now with NatureScot and Glasgow Clyde Valley involved the project is on good hands. It ticks so many environmental and sustainable leisure boxes.

I stopped off in Kilmacolm to check up on an environmental health issue I reported to the council last week. And then I did my second radio broadcast for Clyde Coast Radio. It’s a great way to spend my Friday lunchtime. Good music, great people. In the evening, I attended the local Gaza group's light show event in Gourock.