Holyrood no more: MSPs quitting over burnout and ‘toxic culture’ at Scottish Parliament

Why are so many MSPs standing down at next year’s Scottish Parliament election – and should we care?

The number of politicians ­announcing they will not seek re-election has now stretched into the dozens and there is still plenty of time for it to swell further before parties announce their candidates.

Such an exodus has some senior figures questioning whether something is rotten within the walls of Holyrood – and whether a loss of young talented politicians could see a diminished parliament in years to come.

Insiders believe frustration over “system failure” in Scottish politics is forcing burnt-out parliamentarians to abandon their roles and ask what – if anything – they have achieved.

Some of those who have announced they are stepping down have not been a surprise.

Former First Ministers Nicola Sturgeon and Humza Yousaf will, as many before them have done, clear the decks for fresh faces after occupying the top job.

© Robert Perry/PA Wire

Others including Finance Secretary Shona Robison, Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop and former Health Secretary Michael Matheson have been around since the ­parliament opened in 1999.

However, other announcements have come as more of a shock.

Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon, 39, children’s minister Natalie Don-Innes, 36, and Tories Oliver Mundell, 35, and Maurice Golden, 45, are among the most striking examples of capable young MSPs who have decided to step away.

Enduring torrents of abuse

Typically, younger MSPs are expected to move up and fill the spots of retiring senior figures, but the large number abandoning ship next year has leaders concerned.

First Minister John Swinney admitted last week that he is losing colleagues he would rather not lose because many are “not ­prepared to endure” the level of abuse ­politicians now receive.

Last year it was revealed hundreds of social media posts sent to MSPs were so threatening that they were passed to Police Scotland.

The abuse is so relentless that SNP MSP Jackie Dunbar said she has to disassociate from her political persona and think of it as “brand” to help cope with the comments.

We reported previously how some of Holyrood’s most experienced figures believe there is also a toxic culture inside the parliament, blocking meaningful change and forcing talented young politicians to 
quit early.

Mid Scotland and Fife MSP Alex Rowley, who is stepping down for health reasons next year, revealed he tried to persuade his daughter – 35-year-old former Labour MP Danielle Rowley – against seeking election to Holyrood.

Rowley said that after 11 years in the job, he finds himself struggling to answer what has been achieved.

Meanwhile, veteran SNP MSP Fergus Ewing warned of “system failure” at the ­parliament, with bureaucracy growing so out of control on his own party’s watch that “no one can really do anything”.

Following that article, The Sunday Post was inundated with messages from current and former Holyrood insiders.

Many pointed to systems designed to impose checks and balances on the powers of government, such as Holyrood committees, completely failing.

This could be seen in full during the government’s disastrous deposit return scheme plan for single-use drinks containers.

It has since been delayed by a row with Westminster over recycling glass but was able to make its way through the Holyrood system despite repeated warnings from industry that the legislation was damaging and unworkable in its current state.

The result was a huge bill for taxpayers and frustrated MSPs who spent countless wasted hours on the proposal.

Founding MSPs would be horrified

One former politician who is now working for a lobbying firm said the parliament’s “founding parents” would be horrified by its current state.

She warned of committees neutered by the government, legislation being passed despite MSPs knowing it goes beyond the powers granted to the parliament and time wasted with pat-on-the-back questions from backbenchers.

In one recent committee meeting, an MSP appeared to be reading from a sheet of paper handed to them by a government aide ­without even taking the time to consider its contents beforehand.

One Holyrood staffer added: “You can see the system not working when looking at the sheer number of consultations, few of which leave the public feeling consulted at all.”

The SNP has repeatedly been accused of “government by consultation”, where politicians outsource decision-making to lengthy consultation processes that seek out the views of the public but delay progress by months or even years.

MSP Jamie Greene – who quit the Tories last week to join the Lib Dems – told us Holyrood “needs a shake-up for everyone’s sake, whatever your political views”.

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Eddie Barnes, who is now director of Glasgow University’s John Smith Centre, led the Conservatives’ media operation at Holyrood during Ruth Davidson’s leadership.

He said: “I think there is a sense that Holyrood has been quite good at dealing with small issues, but not big ones.

“If you look at some of the big issues like how you sustain a health service in the face of an ageing population or how you reform the education system for a new era, it feels to me like nothing much has really happened.”

Barnes points to a relentless schedule that draws the attention of politicians away from long-term goals and collaborative working.

Not an environment for long-term thinking

During his seven years at Parliament, he experienced six major electoral events, including the Scottish independence referendum, the Brexit vote, three general elections and a Scottish Parliament election.

MSPs are often asked by their ­parties to step away from day-to-day work at Holyrood to join the campaign trail during Westminster elections or referendums. This can include travelling to other parts of the country to promote candidates.

Barnes describes the environment as a “constant election battleground laid on top of a fraught constitutional contest, which is not conducive to thinking long term or dreaming big”.

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While politicians may feel they should have done more, there is little doubt there have been landmark moments at Holyrood, including major infrastructure projects, the legalisation of same-sex marriage, and minimum unit pricing for alcohol.

MSPs say they often find the best opportunities to get things done are away from the grandstanding and political point-scoring of the debating chamber.

North East MSP Maurice Golden announced this week he will not seek re-election to the Scottish Parliament next year. He understands the frustrations of his colleagues after spending four years working to get his members’ bill in front of a committee.

Golden was so keen to reform the broken system at Holyrood that he tried to convince a former presiding officer to hold a debate on banning MSPs from reading out pieces of paper in the chamber.

He hoped this would prevent politicians from simply reading out soundbites handed to them by party advisers and force them to listen more closely to the substance of discussions.

The former Tory chief whip said he found that away from the chamber, ministers are more receptive to working with opposition parties.

© Richard Gardner/Shutterstock

Golden said: “Throughout most of my time at parliament, the approach from ­government ministers has been excellent.

“Maybe we haven’t always been doing the sort of big things that make headlines, but I’ve been able to speak to them and make changes.”

He points to the example of Monica Lennon’s members’ bill on period poverty, which gained government support after ministers observed how it had won over other MSPs.

Golden says this approach fell away during the Bute House Agreement, where the SNP-Green power-sharing deal meant government “appeared closed”.

But he is hopeful that the next government will be more open to working with other parties to make the parliament more productive.

“Every vote was lost no matter what argument was made by the opposition,” he said.

“But I think outwith that period, there have actually been lots of opportunities to engage and make changes.

“I can completely understand the frustrations of people who are leaving but there are definitely still opportunities to make changes, and I hope that will continue in the next parliament with whoever comes in.”