It’s not just the hospitality sector struggling to recruit this summer. Steerpike has been amused to see a number of job postings appear on the ‘Working for an MP’ website in recent months for the exciting opportunity to work for the member for Rutherglen and Hamilton West, Margaret Ferrier.
Ferrier of course has been suspended from the SNP since October after she admitted travelling down to London, having developed Covid symptoms. Not only did the MP fail to stay at home to prevent potentially spending the disease, she also decided to speak in Parliament, and then decided to travel back to Scotland on the train after receiving a positive Covid test.
The subsequent scorn and opprobrium directed at Ferrier have failed to induce the whipless MP to resign, despite a court appearance after she was charged with culpable and reckless conduct. Police Scotland told Mr S today that – more than seven months on – they had nothing to add to their last statement of 4 January in which they confirmed a report would be sent to the procurator fiscal.
Unsurprisingly, it appears that few hardy souls are now willing to work for the Scottish nationalist for fear of being of being tainted by association. At present there are no listings that appear under Ferrier’s name in the parliamentary register of interests of members’ secretaries and research assistants with four adverts in nine weeks being posted online for positions in Ferrier’s office this summer.
One application window for a parliamentary assistant closed on 25 June and then seems to have been re-opened just three days later – presumably due to a lack of applicants. Another for a ‘chief of staff’ closed on August 6 but was reposted on August 9. An outside company – Hive – is running the application process for Ferrier, at potential further cost to her taxpayers via IPSA.
Mr S was nevertheless intrigued to learn what qualities Ferrier is looking for in her staff. For her parliamentary assistant she seeks a ‘strong team-player’ – something her ex SNP comrades will know all about – with a ‘keen attention to detail’ required for ‘proactively identifying opportunities.’ Sadly there is no mention of whether experience in booking travel arrangements is needed.
Her chief of staff meanwhile is needed to ‘lead a highly professional administrative support function’ and ‘engage professionally, confidentially and with care and integrity with members of the public.’ Presumably this extends to not infecting the nation with Covid. They will be paid up to £46,008 – kerching! – and must ‘demonstrate good political nous’ and have ‘a genuine interest in helping constituents.’
Steerpike was therefore interested to see how a previous holder of the post has regarded Ferrier’s efforts on this front. Her former staffer Derec Thompson has said she is ‘hell bent on doing the wrong thing’ by remaining in post, adding ‘by hanging on to her highly-paid position, Margaret continues to fail her constituents, her staff, her colleagues.’
Hardly a ringing endorsement then but Steerpike thought he’d try to learn the reasons for this hiring spree by going straight to the MP directly. Sadly, however, no one in Ferrier’s office returned a request for comment.
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