MSPs urged to back Bill to unseat politicians who fail to turn up to Holyrood

MSPs have been urged to back a Bill which aims to unseat MSPs convicted of a crime or who do not take part in their parliamentary duties.

Scottish Conservative MSP Graham Simpson has lodged the final proposals of the Removal from Office and Recall Bill which went to consultation earlier this year.

The Central Scotland MSP is now urging politicians from across the political divide to back the Bill which would make it easier to remove an MSP from office.

The proposals aim to bring the Scottish Parliament in live with local authorities, where councillors can be removed if they do not take part in proceedings for six months without a valid reason.

It follows the former finance secretary Derek Mackay’s resignation from the Scottish Government after a number of messages he had sent to a 16-year-old boy were made public.

However, he stayed in his post as an MSP and received a parliamentary salary despite failing to return to Holyrood for more than a year before standing down at the 2021 election.

And the Bill would also ensure that any MSP who is given a prison sentence is automatically removed from office.

The Scottish Conservatives say the proposals come as SNP MSP Bill Walker was not obligated to resign in 2013 after he was convicted on assault and breach of the peace charges.

Current legislation requires an MSP to be sentenced to a year or more in prison to be removed from their post.

Mr Simpson said: “I’m pleased my Bill to ensure that it will be easier to remove MSPs who don’t carry out their duties has now reached this stage.

“The consultation responses were positive and showed a desire among the public for them to have the ability to remove politicians from the Scottish Parliament who are clearly not serving those who put them into that privileged position.

“Taxpayers should not be continuing to subsidise MSPs who do not even turn up to the Parliament, yet can still claim a large salary and expenses.”

A mechanism also exists that allows constituents of Westminster MPs to remove them from office if a recall procedure is launched.

Mr Simpson has said it is time for the Scottish Parliament to get up to speed with legislation across the country.

He said: “It is time the Scottish Parliament caught up and my plans would mean the public can be confident in the future that this would occur with MSPs who have fallen short of the standards expected of them.

“I hope that my fellow MSPs will see that my Recall Bill is common sense and that it will secure cross-party support. I urge all of them to back it.”