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macnumpty · Posted: Thu Jul 05, 2007 1:15 pm Post subject: The Whips' Report

Now that Holyrood is in recess, I thought I'd look at the voting records of the parties.

Firstly, the MSPs most likely to miss a vote: Helen Eadie (Lab, Dunfermline East) has missed the most votes of any MSP, having missed 14 divisions. Frank McAveety (Lab, Glasgow Shettleston) has missed 10. Tavish Scott (LibDem, Shetland) has missed 8 and George Foulkes (Lab, Lothians) has missed five. Three MSPs have missed three divisions: Cathie Craigie (Lab, Cumbernauld & Kilsyth), Liam McArthur (LibDem, Orkney) and Margaret Smith (LibDem, Edinburgh West).

SNP

42 of the 47 MSPs have made every division since the Election, and the five that have not have only missed one vote each. They are Bill Kidd (Glasgow), Michael Matheson (Falkirk West), Gil Paterson (West of Scotland), Shona Robison (Dundee East) and Dave Thompson (Highlands & Islands). Also, there have been no rebellions.

Labour

It will be a point of concern to the Whips that four of the top seven absentees are Labour members. But in total, 17 Labour MSPs have missed at least one division. In addition to the four I already mentioned, three MSPs have missed two votes: Charlie Gordon (Glasgow Cathcart), John Park (Mid Scotland & Fife) and David Stewart (Highlands & Islands). A further ten have missed one: Wendy Alexander (Paisley North), Claire Baker (Mid Scotland & Fife), Rhona Brankin (Midlothian), Iain Gray (East Lothian), Ken Mcintosh (Eastwood), Michael McMahon (Hamilton North & Bellshill), Peter Peacock (Highlands & Islands), Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland & Fife), Elaine Smith (Coatbridge & Chryston) and David Whitton (Strathkelvin & Bearsden).

A more serious problem is the lack of discipline. Labour have suffered six rebellions, though one was accidental, and the other was Helen Eadie's Committee-related strop. Twelve MSPs rebelled in one vote on the Olympics, including four frontbenchers and the Convener of the Labour Group. Iain Gray, the Shadow Enterprise Minister, rebelled twice over Trident, while Andy Kerr, the Shadow Health Secretary rebelled once, as did Hugh Henry, the Shadow Education Secretary. Kerr voted to oppose a Tory amendment on Trident rather than abstain as the others in the Group did, Henry did the same on the LibDem amendment, while Gray did so on both. On the actual motion regarding Trident, five MSPs rebelled. This is the biggest threat to Jack McConnell's Leadership.

Conservatives

Only five of the Tory Group have voted in every division, so I'll name them rather than the absentees: Bill Aitken (Glasgow), Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland), Alex Johnstone (North East Scotland), John Scott (Ayr) and Elizabeth Smith (Mid Scotland & Fife). The rest have missed one vote, with the exception of Ted Brocklebank (Mid Scotland & Fife), who has missed two.

Liberal Democrats

While Labour supply us with four of our top seven absentees, the LibDems provide us with the other three. In addition to those already named, Mike Pringle (Edinburgh West) and Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland & Easter Ross) have been absent twice, and five LibDem MSPs have missed one vote: Ross Finnie (West of Scotland), Jim Hume (South of Scotland), John Farquhar Munro (Ross, Skye and Inverness West), Nicol Stephen (Aberdeen South, and the Party's Leader for now) and Jim Tolson (Dunfermline West).

Greens

Both Greens have missed one vote, while the two MSPs differed on one vote. Much has been made about the Greens being serial abstainers, but in this case, Robin Harper has only abstained four times, and Patrick Harvie five. It has been Labour Party policy to abstain on six occasions (though Iain Gray only abstained on four, while several only abstained on five), and Margo MacDonald has abstained sixteen times!

Margo MacDonald

Or "Margo MacDonald-Abstained" as she ought to be called. She has missed two votes, but the abstain button on her keypad probably needs replacing.

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SLG · Posted: Fri Jul 06, 2007 4:41 pm Post subject:

Will Helen Eadie not be due some sort of party discipline over her record on top of her refusal to chair that committee?

I also remember reading the other day that Jamie Stone received some harsh words from the PO for actually missing his own slot to speak in a debate.

Pretty disappointing stuff from Margo as well. Not really the strong voice that the people of Edinburgh voted for is it?

macnumpty · Posted: Fri Jul 06, 2007 6:03 pm Post subject:

Not sure about Huffy Helen... I don't suppose there's much they can actually do short of getting her de-selected for 2011. They could withdraw the whip from her but isn't that more damaging to them in the event of a close vote?

As for Margo, she abstained completely on the Olympic Games debate, and abstained on Labour's amendment to the Tories' motion on Council Tax. She abstained on a successful LibDem amendment to the Trident motion, but then supported the motion as amended. She abstained on every amendment to the Carbon Offsetting motion, but then voted for the motion, which had been amended. She abstained on the Tories' amendment to an SNP amendment to a Labour motion on Public Transport, then voted against the amended amendment, and the amended motion.

You're right, not much of a strong voice when she seemingly has nothing to say.
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^ ^ This is Bunny. Bunny wishes that he was on the electoral roll in Glenrothes, so he could vote for Peter Grant. He also reminds you to read the Our Scotland Blog.

SLG · Posted: Fri Jul 06, 2007 6:42 pm Post subject:

Could be wrong, but it looks to me like Margo would be backing the SNP on most of these votes, but her issues with certain members of the SNP prevent her from doing that. She has used her column to comment on the Olympic and local income tax issues and her arguments were very spurious - looked like she was looking for an excuse not to back the SNP on them.