PA MediaHolyrood’s presiding officer says he will not tolerate the chamber being used for “stunts” after Reform UK MSPs walked out when an independence debate was not cancelled.
On Wednesday evening, Kenneth Gibson reiterated his surprise when Reform UK Scotland’s leader Lord Malcolm Offord led his MSPs out of the chamber on Tuesday, decrying the debate as a “farce”.
Mr Gibson has now set out his own expectations relating to future chamber debates.
At Decision Time on Wednesday, he said there are no constraints on topics up for debate in the chamber, and that he expects MSPs to behave in good faith regarding parliamentary business.
He added: “I consider the actions of Reform UK in leaving the Chamber during yesterday’s debate, given they had said not a word against the proposed motion at Bureau or in the Chamber – and, indeed, even lodged an amendment to the motion for debate the previous day – to be a gross discourtesy to everyone in Parliament and deeply disappointing.
“I expect parties and Members to express any objections they may have to debating or statement topics through the procedural mechanisms available to them, rather than engaging in the behaviour we saw yesterday.
“I therefore want to make clear that I will not tolerate this chamber being used for such stunts.
“Anyone choosing to do so will find the likelihood of being called or have amendments selected greatly diminished.”
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