Plenary, 30 Jun 2005
Meeting date: Thursday, June 30, 2005
Official Report
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Presiding Officer's Ruling
What we witnessed earlier from some members of the Scottish Socialist Party was an absolute disgrace. For elected members to act in such a grossly undemocratic fashion shows an absolute contempt for Parliament. Those members have compounded that contempt by refusing to leave the chamber. They cannot hope to be simultaneously on the barricades and on the benches of this Parliament.
My powers as Presiding Officer are limited to suspending the offending members up to the end of the next sitting day. I so now suspend them. It may be that Parliament judges that penalty to be insufficient, given the gravity of the offence. I shall convene the Parliamentary Bureau and invite my colleagues to consider sanctions that will make it very clear that the business of democracy will continue in this place without let, without hindrance and without disorder.
This is a matter of democracy. Those who claim to speak for others should never deny that right and that privilege to other elected members. [Applause.]