The SNP

 I have been watching and listening to the Scottish National Party's annual conference.

The mass influx of SNP parliamentarians into Westminster, 54 in number, now present a phalanx of parliamentary opposition which is united in its opposition as much as the Labour Party seem disunited.

There has always been a tendency of people in England to be high minded about the Welsh, the Scots and the Irish. It's as if these nations are seen as pesky children who should hold their tongues  when the parent is around. 

Of course the financial/manufacturing strength has always been in England. The ruling authority resided in London. Initially the King and now Parliament, saw Scotland, Wales and Ireland as countries initially won with force of arms and subsequently  amalgamated into the parliamentary system. Recently with the further loosening of power devolved parliaments have come into being in each country's.

From the English position of an imaginary parent, it's been difficult to let go.  We are always reminding these recalcitrant children of where their pocket-money comes from.

Watching and listening to the various parties one is struck by the much more down to earth approach when the SNP come together. The stiff structure of Westminster is shown up for what it is, an anachronism. 

In England we place such high regard on the traditional nature of our 'unwritten constitution', with common law based on  incremental evidence, gathered over time. Decisions come, not from fundamental belief, set down in a Constitutions such as in America and latterly South Africa but rather we prefer to bumble along, piece meal with a sticking plaster here and a band-aid there.

Listening to a female SNP MP describing the situation when she attended a committee meeting with her young children and, when the youngest full asleep, she naturally picked the child up to comfort it on her knee. Up leapt a "functionary"and said "it was not allowed".

Apparently the child was ok to be in the meeting but the moment the child required  physical support it broke a rule which denies "strangers" access to the member when they are taking part in a meeting. One would have thought that a woman's child could hardly be called a stranger but in the terms of Parliamentary rules it seem it was. 

How ridiculous and how real and relative it made the SNP parliamentarians seem to the procedure witnessed coming from the Speakers Chair and the arcane way that business is processed through the chamber. 

As a show it has merit, as a method of holding government to account, I wonder ?