Working from Home

This week has been an unusual treat. Instead of having to trek down to Edinburgh for Parliament, it has come to me in Aberdeen. I have been able to commute from home.

Now it wasn’t just for my benefit this relocation. The Church of Scotland wanted its building back for the week. So it has been King’s College, my old University, for our debates.

The red carpet has been laid out for us. Is that because the Queen came to visit? In part, but the natural hospitality of the North-East is the main reason.

The benefit of sleeping in my own bed each night has been limited. The receptions and meetings have extended well into the evening in an attempt to bring MSPs ‘up to speed’ with our issues and opportunities in a few days – an almost impossible task.

But we have debated transport in the North-East – yes, that means Aberdeen’s non-existent bypass, the poor funding for tackling drug misuse and the oil and gas industry. And the Presiding Officer has selected questions for us to put the First Minister that have a distinct local slant. In my case – and this won’t surprise you – that means prisons.

The best of all is none of that though. Being here gives our folk a chance to see what they have only read about.

Today I was grilled – over a low fire? not quite! – by pupils about what I actually do when I’m away at Parliament. Banff Academy second years have just released me from Lecture Theatre G7 – I’m fairly sure that I used to attend my Logic and Metaphysics lectures there all those years ago.

Like most people who’ve thought about it, they wanted to know how I fill my day. And once I had described a typical week of meetings, briefings, speeches in Parliament, answering letters and phone calls from constituents, the next question was obvious – “When do you get a life?”.

Because I had worked six and a half days out of the last seven. I suppose I should have expected their puzzled looks when I said that was my life. So we had a discussion about choices and they asked what I would do if it wasn’t this.

And that was the most difficult of all. I ended up suggesting that I would like to fly a small Loganair plane on their schedules around the Scottish islands.

And lo and behold it was Air Services which were the next debate in Parliament – and I have now to write my speech. So maybe that’s why that came into my mind.

So what have Parliamentarians thought about their visit? I have not met one who isn’t impressed by the vim and vigour of life in our area. And most have taken on board at least some of the messages about our needs.

More important – what have folk taken from of our visit? Most seem to like the Parliament better now they’ve seen us. Good! It was worthwhile then.