IT must have been a nerve-racking morning for Humza Yousaf as he prepared to attend his first FMQs as First Minister.
It’s hard to imagine anything more terrifying than being compelled to turn up to a televised roasting from your colleagues only a few days into a new job. His nerves will have been eased only slightly by the fact that the one leading the roasting (the Roaster-in-Chief, if you will) – was Douglas Ross, who isn’t exactly known for his linguistic prowess.
Thanks to the beautifully open and accessible nature of our democratic process, the First Minister was given time to gently acclimatise to his new role through a series of suspensions of business.
Not long after Douglas Ross began asking his first question to the new First Minister (“How dare you appoint a Minister for Independence?” - yawn) a climate protester began an incomprehensible heckle and he was forced to sit back down again. Once the protester was removed from the public gallery questions were able to resume.
Humza Yousaf’s answer was long-winded and full of righteous anger. One of his advisers should remind him that he’s got to do this thing every week from now on.
He’s got to pace himself. You can’t be pulling out the “I’ll take no lectures from the Tories…” line this early on, you’ve got to work up to it.
In response, Douglas Ross quipped that while he was listening to the First Minister’s answer he almost wished for another interruption. At that precise moment, another interruption duly arrived.
And another. And another.
There were chaotic scenes as, with coordination designed to cause maximum annoyance, climate protesters sprung up and business had to be suspended again and again. The Presiding Officer had clearly reached her limit.
This has been going on for months, although Thursday’s tally of five suspensions in 15 minutes was surely a record. These protesters are clearly well-organised, adept at covert operations, and have some free time during the week to spare. Surely Humza could make some space in his new Cabinet for them, to keep them out of trouble?
Minister for the environment, climate justice and annoying Douglas Ross, perhaps?
She regretfully instructed that the public gallery be cleared. The only people who were allowed to stay were a bunch of school kids who were commended for sitting nicely.
I’m not sure that another hour of listening to politicians screaming at each other about development frameworks and fiscal policy is much of a reward for good behaviour, but maybe Gen Z thinks differently.
The rest of the session passed by without a hitch and we got to see how FMQs is going to look with Humza Yousaf at the helm. It was a punchy performance from the new First Minister.
At times, his answers were a bit shouty and loud but he grew more comfortable as the session went on. Let’s hope that next week the volume stays at a more agreeable level, both in the chamber and in the public gallery.
