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By Tony Grew - 11th April 2010
A departing MP has said the House of Commons has declined "in an extraordinary fashion over the last two decades".
Alex Salmond, first minister of Scotland and leader of the SNP, has been an MP since 1987.
"This coming Monday I stand down as a Member of Parliament after 23 years as an MP for Banff and Buchan," he said in a You Tube broadcast recorded outside the Scottish parliament.
"When I went there at first, when you went into the chamber of the House of Commons there were folk worth listening to, Tony Benn, John Biffen, people of principle.
"People who disagreed, but were arguing out a principled position of politics from a different standpoint - you get none of that now, none of it at all.
"But even more seriously, the reputation of the House of Commons has never been lower.
"It is like the 90s and John Major and all that back to basics stuff amplified 10 times over.
"Not only do you have the cabs for hire, the former Labour ministers selling their services to lobbying companies quite openly, you have also got this whole issue of expenses."
He said all three of the main party leaders, who have "excluded" him from the televised leader debates, had to pay money back.
Salmond has said his party could win up to 20 seats in Scotland and hold the balance of power in the event of a hung parliament.
"If we get a group, a squad, a bloc of SNP MPs put into Westminster, hopefully in a balanced parliament situation, then they will be able to get Scotland up the priority list, but not just gain things for Scotland and protect Scottish spending.
"Also articulate the concerns of the people to be genuine local and national champions for Scotland."
The SNP has entered into an electoral alliance with Welsh nationalist party Plaid Cymru.
Article Comments
Alex Salmond is clearly one of the best political leaders in the UK. He looks likely to lead Scotland out of that very UK and to be her first Prime Minister.
JohnMcDonald
11th Apr 2010 at 9:37 pm
The SNP is inclusive and visionary, as is Plaid Cymru in Wales.
Its a shame that England can't produce a decent, principled party to hold a candle to either - just the usual rag-tag bag of British nationalists who think the world owes them a living and they are somehow superior.
Yes, there are a few non-establishment parties in Westminster, while Plaid and the SNP are there, but the real action for the next generation is going to be in Edinburgh and Cardiff, no doubt about it. Freedom calls!
Nick Robertson
11th Apr 2010 at 9:35 pm
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