I HAVE been for many years a viewer of PMQs and have often been unimpressed by rude, juvenile and unparliamentary behaviour of members of both Labour and Conservative parties when their political opponents are speaking or rather attempting to speak.
I believe Mr Speaker fails to prevent the frequent and worst abuses of members, to the extent that any visitor in the public gallery can only be disenchanted at the jeering, braying, paper-rustling and other unacceptable habits of those elected to represent us. Do they think this is in any way edifying? Obviously Mr Speaker is often out of his depth, but party leaders seem quite content to witness, even encourage, such tactics. They should mend their ways!
It is noticeable that the members of the Scottish National Party are particularly singled out for such treatment. This must be deprecated by the public and outlawed by party leaders. If not, and it continues, one can judge only that it is prompted by more than political disagreement. Is this in their DNA, together with a puerile dislike of all things Scottish?
J Hamilton
Bearsden
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