Dorset MP: Prime Minister's Questions too rowdy and intimidating
"The boo-yah I just find a bit crazy," Ms Slade said."Sometimes the atmosphere in there can be really quite unpleasant not really conducive to getting the outcomes that you want."You want answers to your questions - you want to hold people to account - you want to hear what's being delivered. Sometimes that's just not possible."It was daunting coming in the first time, it remains daunting and it remains overwhelming."For me, turn down the boisterousness, tone down the braying, that's not for me at all. I want to achieve stuff up here. I don't want to be boo-yah. That's not my thing".
Jessica Toale was elected as Labour MP for Bournemouth West last July, having previously served for several years on Westminster Council."I think it's important as elected representatives that we model the behaviour we'd like to see in society," she said."The chamber itself - I'd love to see it be a bit more respectful, supporting our colleagues. "We've got something unique here. It's really unusual to have the opportunity to ask questions directly of the Prime Minister."And yes bringing the tone down and making sure that answers are heard, making sure we are supportive of colleagues and not necessarily boisterous would definitely not only help to improve people's experience of it but also ours in the chamber as well."
Simon Hoare has been the Conservative MP for North Dorset since 2015. He said battling against rowdy behaviour in the chamber can make MPs become better communicators and speakers."Parliament is supposed to be a battle of ideas. And those ideas and principles should be passionately held," he said."The noise of the House of Commons reflects the mood of the House of Commons - the seriousness of the issue - and the command of the house that individual members have."You can't sit there like mummified Trappist monks with gaffer tape over our mouths, unable to express anything, it would debase parliament to a point of unendurability."
The Commons Modernisation Committee is still gathering evidence from MPs about their experiences in the chamber and what they'd like to see reformed. It is due to publish its findings and recommendations later this year.
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If there are difficulties for a backbencher, as Ms Ross was, in finding a decent balance between working and caring duties, these challenges intensify for someone in government, who in addition to all their responsibilities as an MSP, also has the huge demands of being a minister or a cabinet minister. And of course the pressure rises still further for anyone in the role of Deputy First Minister or First Minister. I was struck by a comment by John Swinney last week when he told Donald Trump that he likes to caddy for his son Matthew, who is 14. My immediate thought was 'that's a really nice thing to do but how does the First Minister find time to caddy for his son?' Clearly the FM must do a lot of diary juggling to find time to spend this quality time with his teenager. It reflects the situation that few of Scotland's First Ministers have been parents of young children while in office. 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No doubt her young daughter and her wider family will be delighted to see more of her. But it is a sad state of affairs that we expect so much of a sacrifice from our politicians that they feel they cannot be both successful MSPs and even senior ministers and also contented and nurturing parents.
