Getty ImagesA Labour MSP has said the workplace culture in the Scottish Parliament has “deteriorated” in recent years.
Monica Lennon claimed some MSPs had “lost the ability to actively listen to one another” during parliamentary business.
Her comments came in the wake of the resignation of Scottish government minister Jamie Hepburn, who was accused of physically assaulting former Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross.
Ross told the Hepburn has sent him a “personal, reflective and full apology” via email.
Hepburn, who was the minister for parliamentary business, admitted he had “not acted in accordance with [his] own personal code of practice” in a resignation letter to First Minister John Swinney on Friday.
It followed an incident on Wednesday in which Ross alleged Hepburn swore aggressively and grabbed him as he was leaving the chamber following an exchange about “out of control” seagulls.
Lennon, who was first elected to the Scottish Parliament in 2016, said she had noticed “a lot more anger” seeping into the chamber and debates.
She said backbench MSPs – those without formal roles in the government or opposition – already found it difficult to influence the topics up for debate or discussion.
Lennon told Good Morning Scotland Holyrood “should be setting the highest example”.
She said: “I think the culture both in the Scottish Parliament and the political discourse has deteriorated. I think there is a lot more anger.
“In my first term in parliament, it did feel like there was more cross-party working and a willingness for people to at least try and get on.
“It definitely feels more performative in the chamber, there’s a lot of punching down, shouting down.”
She added: “It’s right that the Holyrood chamber is a place for robust debate. But at times, ministers and some MSPs have lost the ability to actively listen to one another.”
PA MediaRoss brought up the incident at the end of First Minister’s Questions on Thursday.
He formally complained about Hepburn’s conduct in a letter to Swinney a day later.
Ross said he had made several attempts to raise a question about a seagull summit – which took place behind closed doors at NatureScot’s headquarters – throughout the week, without success.
He criticised Swinney for “doing nothing” about the subsequent incident but applauded Hepburn for later contacting him to offer a full apology.
PA Media“There’s a difference between robust debate and physically grabbing someone and using language that is not appropriate in any workplace in the country and that was the difference here,” he said.
“But when you start to manhandle someone, when you start to be unable to control your own temper, that causes problems, as it has with Jamie Hepburn in this case.
“I give credit to Jamie Hepburn for reaching out, particularly at a difficult time, he’d just resigned from government. The last 11 years he has served as a minister so it could not have been easy for him but I do appreciate him reaching out in that way.”
The Scottish government has been approached for a response.
