Formality and informality

Watching the Scottish parliament this afternoon, it became clear that the conventions of address are all over the shop. At one stage, the First Minister was addressing backbenchers by their first names: Kenny this and Margo that. It needs to be sorted out.

Westminster takes formality too far. But it does offer the clear understanding that MPs and Ministers do not address each other directly. Thus, for example, questions are formally directed to the Speaker ('Will the Prime Minister list his engagements etc') and Ministerial answers are similarly addressed ('The hon Member is talking a lot of tosh etc'). This seems to me to be sensible. Where Westminster goes too far is with all this 'hon Member for Castorbridge' stuff as it is not permitted to refer to MPs by their names (unless you are the Speaker). Equally absurd are the references to hon and learned Members (QCs), the hon and gallant Members (ex-officers in the armed services) and rt hon Members (privy counsellors).

But Holyrood cannot make its mind up. Most MSPs begin by addressing the Presiding Officer but quickly relapse into addressing Ministers or their opponents directly. Nor do they restrict themselves to Mr or Ms So-and-so. As I have noted, the First Minister addressed at least two MSPs by their first names; he also referred on at least two occasions to 'Jack McConnell'. He also referred to one MSP as 'the Member for Glasgow'. This is not a criticism of Mr Salmond - all the MSPs are in the same muddle. And it seems rather too informal for MSPs to be referred to by first names.

At the risk of being an old fart, I recommend that Presiding Officer Fergusson puts his foot down and insists that all speeches and remarks in parliament should be addressed directly to him. If members are referred to, then they should be Mr or Ms Bloggs, not Joe or Jane.

Respec', bro!