SSP Research, Policy & Media Unit
Press Release: 29/04/04

'Despicable' Brankin slammed in Parliament canteen tantrum.

In an astonishing outburst in the Scottish Parliament's posh upmarket 'canteen', Labour MSP for Midlothian Rhona Brankin demanded that Scottish Socialist Party MSP Carolyn Leckie throw out her striking nursery nurses guests. Among the delicacies on offer in the politicians subsidised canteen today were Grilled Salmon Fillet with cous cous for £3.00 and Passion Fruit Fool served with Kumquats, a snip at 70 pence. The under pressure Labour MSP huffily demanded that MSP Leckie throw out the visiting nursery nurses for supposedly breaking an unheard of rule that visitors are not allowed to eat in the high class, low price restaurant.

Carolyn said;

"I am horrified that a Labour MSP would attempt to deny food to workers who have been on strike for nine weeks with the claim that rules bar them from the restaurant. "She clearly has her plate full with the nursery nurses dispute. "Ms Brankin, like all other MSP's, has guests join her at her table in the restaurant for lunch. "The real reason is that she is ashamed of New Labour's backstairs manoeuvres to starve the nursery nurses back to work. "I find her attitude quite despicable and wonder what the many former miners in her coalfield constituency who received this kind of treatment from Margaret Thatcher think of their MSP"

The Herald: Canteen clash over nursery nurses