Committees less likely now to give ministers ‘a good kicking’, says ex-MSP

Johann Lamont recalled getting a ‘good kicking’ from MSPs when she was a government minister (Danny Lawson/PA)

Holyrood committees are less likely now to give Scottish Government ministers a “right good kicking”, former Labour leader Johann Lamont has claimed.

Ms Lamont, who served as a junior minister in the former Labour and Liberal Democrat coalition at Holyrood, said that while she faced tough questions from her party’s backbenchers, MSPs were now more likely to try to “protect” Government ministers.

Her comments came as former Tory MSP, Professor Adam Tomkins, insisted the Scottish Parliament’s committees are “absolutely lousy” at holding the the government to account.

The two former politicians spoke out as part of an inquiry by the Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee into the effectiveness of Holyrood’s committees.

Ms Lamont, who served as both deputy communities minister and deputy justice minister, recalled appearing before committees as a minister and “getting what I would call a right good kicking”.

But she added: “I don’t think that happens very much now.

“Government backbenchers feel they have a responsibility to protect their minister.

“There was a queue to give us a hard time, and it was our own people that gave us a hard time first.

“I think that is something we have lost and we should go back to in terms of accountability.”

Professor Adam Tomkins also gave evidence to the committee (Andrew Milligan/PA)

Prof Tomkins, who joined the Scottish Parliament as a Conservative MSP in 2016 but stood down at the 2021 election, said: “My view, in very general terms, is that the committees of this Parliament are lousy at helping to hold the Government to account. Absolutely lousy.

“And it is one of the great failings of devolution that we have, after 25 years, a parliament that really doesn’t do that job very well, particularly in comparison with what happens down south.”

Westminster’s system, with elected committee chairs, is regarded by some as providing more effective scrutiny.

Ms Lamont, who also stood down as an MSP in 2021, said she would “probably, on balance, support elected conveners” at Holyrood – but insisted that party leaders should not be able to tell their MSPs how to vote in such elections.

However, she said if this could be brought it in could give MSPs an alternative way of progressing their career.

Currently, political parties at Holyrood determine who the conveners of committees will be, but Ms Lamont said moving to elected conveners would mean MSPs could “build a credibility across the Parliament and then get elected to do a job” instead of having to “keep in” with their own leader.

“You can see how attractive that is,” she said.

Stressing that Scottish Government ministers should not be allowed to vote in such elections, she questioned the current high number of ministers.

Alongside First Minister Humza Yousaf, there are nine cabinet secretaries, and a further 18 ministers – meaning 28 of the Scottish Parliament’s 129 MSPs are part of the Government.

Ms Lamont said: “I think personally the idea that a quarter of all members of this Parliament are Government ministers is laughable, and something that should be looked at somewhere.”