David Maddox: The strange habits of MSPs

Dr Ian McKee is a modest, quietly spoken man who was first thrust into the spotlight when he was wheeled out to prove that the SNP are not anti-English because he has an English accent and has made some thoughtful speeches since, mainly in health debates.

But his contribution in a Tory sponsored education debate this morning will live long in the memories of those who heard him, even though many are trying to erase from their minds.

The debate was on a motion calling for the creation of "second chance units" outside schools to deal with classroom troublemakers.

However, Dr McKee wanted to share something else with MSPs instead. He told them how he had spent a long time last night researching corporal punishment on the web.

According to the good doctor, silk handkerchiefs are helpful for reducing the pain of the cane. He also researched the price of a good cane. It may be he hoped to give his opponents a good thrashing.

The mind boggles at the thought of some of the sites he may have been seeking advice from for his contribution, but even the Tories said they felt "disturbed" although he did offer to give Conservative MSP Jackson Carlaw the fruits of his labour.

The Presiding Officer Alex Fergusson, who as an Old Etonian may know a thing or two about corporal punishment, simply suggested that Dr McKee returned to the subject of the debate.

Hamish Macdonell - many questions, double standards

THERE appears to be a clear absence of joined-up thinking from the Nationalists at Holyrood.
Ian McKee has just put down a motion condemning one MSP (Labour's George Foulkes) for putting down so many parliamentary questions.
The Nats believe Lord Foulkes is often mischievous and only asks questions to embarrass the SNP.
Mr McKee reckons that, at a cost of nearly £100 per question, Foulkes has run up a bill of £100,000 so far this session, something he condemns in his motion.
Fair enough, if it wasn't for the fact that the SNP use the device of written questions as a barometer of how well their MPs and MSPs are doing.
The SNP regularly publish graphs showing how many written questions their members have tabled.
Just last month, the SNP press office circulated a table showing the vast number Alex Salmond had asked at Westminster to justify their claims that he was a very hard-working MP.
By the SNP's own calculations, Lord Foulkes is not just a hard-working MSP but probably the hardest working MSP in the parliament.
Surely Mr McKee (and his co-signatories Bill Kidd and Christopher Harvie) should have done some research on the SNP's approach to this issue before condemning it, particularly as the motion ends by saying: we "request all members to consider whether their question is really necessary before incurring yet more public expense".
A great ideal, without a doubt, but have they told Mr Salmond and all their colleagues at Holyrood and Westminster?
ends