After the newly elected SNP MP Phil Boswell gave his first speech in Parliament yesterday, he won praise from Henry Bellingham for a ‘superb maiden speech’. Still, Mr S suspects there is room for improvement.
With rumours abound that an SNP MP made a faux pas in their maiden speech yesterday, Mr S thought Boswell’s effort merited further examination:
Apparently a new SNP MP has described his constituency as having areas of grave "depravity" in maiden speech today…
— Jim Pickard 🐋 (@PickardJE) July 8, 2015
Speaking about the need for greater powers and fewer cuts in Scotland following the Budget announcement, the MP for Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill spoke of the ‘darkness of cuts and social depravity’ which can be found in the lives of those affected:
‘This darkness of cuts and social depravity can be found mostly in the lives of the poor souls affected but also in the soulless lives of those who would impose such evils on the most vulnerable in our society.’
Although Mr S imagines that the SNP might like to think the Tories endorse depraved lifestyles, he suspects Boswell would not go so far as to claim that the hard-up people of Scotland exhibit evil behaviour and bad morals. Instead, it appears he meant to say ‘social deprivation’, as the Hansard entry now states.
While Mr S is still waiting to hear back from Boswell on the apparent faux pas, this wouldn’t be the first time a politician has got the two words confused. In 2010, David Morris made a similar gaffe in his maiden speech:
‘Tourism in this country has declined rapidly over the past 20 years, and in its place there is a lot of depravity.’
Steerpike hopes future MPs will endeavour to avoid this trap – at the very least for the sake of the reputation of their constituents.
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