Ayr by-election 2000

'Why should Shaun Woodward fight a byelection? It makes a nice change to have a New Labour MP who actually stood for election as a Tory.'
Neil Hickman, in the Guardian, 20 th December 1999.

A loss to Holyrood

Resignation may reflect a wider malaise

Herald Editorial

It is sad that Mr Ian Welsh no longer feels able to carry out his duties as an MSP at Holyrood. This is not just a conventional expression of regret, for in his 46 years Mr Welsh as led a very full life. He has been a teacher, a senior manager at Prestwick Airport, chief executive of Kilmarnock FC, and leader of South Ayrshire council until the Scottish Parliament elections in May of this year. His breadth of experience is considerable, as is his independence of mind. It has been noticeable that on the Parliament's Education, Culture and Sport Committee his contributions have been vigorous and not always to the taste of the Labour leadership. He has supported special educational needs children and traditional music and argued in favour of Tory proposals for a national theatre when some of his Labour colleagues sat silent.

He is, therefore, something of an independent soul and it is interesting to hear that his principal reason for resigning is that he has found it 'difficult to adjust to a back-bench role'. Labour colleagues prefer his secondary reason, which centres on the strains of travelling every day to Edinburgh and the demands of family life (he has a child with special needs), but he is to be congratulated for having the courage to put his first reason first. Is there more to his resignation than back-bench boredom?

Almost certainly there is. Mr Welsh is probably too talented to sit for ever on the Labour back benchers but, as in every party and governing administration, there are only so many jobs to go around. This is understood by most MPs at Westminster and it is a lesson which is also being absorbed at Holyrood. But Mr Welsh must have known that this situation was likely to arise when he stood for Ayr. It is very possible that his resignation is a reflection of wider malaise within the ranks of Labour MSPs at Holyrood. There have been mutterings about a lack of communication between the party leadership in Holyrood and the back benchers. When Labour MSPs gathered to hear Mr Dewar speak in the aftermath of the Rafferty affair more than one spoke about the need for better communication. Some of the more experienced and independent-minded MSPs have also shown unhappiness at merely being told how they are to react and vote. This was not what they hoped for when they were recruited to the new politics. Mr Welsh, then, is a loss to Holyrood politics. The compensation will be watching the redoubtable Mr Phil Gallie wondering whether to resign as a list MP in order to challenge for the constituency seat.

21 st December 1999

Return to home page