A Day in the Life of an MSP

Iain Gray gives us the Lowdown

“Getting into politics is easy, and the important thing is getting involved with what you believe in before you think about trying to be elected!”





Whether it’s door-to-door campaigning, local fundraising or “Big Brother Is Watching You”-styled posters, all of us have some vague idea of who our local MSP is and what their job entails. Or so we believe…





I recently sat down with Iain Gray, Labour MSP for East Lothian, to discuss his role within the Scottish Parliament and what it is truly like to work as an MSP. We discussed his day-to-day routine, thoughts on Prime Minister’s Question Time, as well as what skills he most values in his job. This is a day in the life of a Member of Scottish Parliament.





Iain Gray has held a number of political roles throughout his career. In 2007 he was elected MSP for East Lothian, a position for which he was re-elected in 2011 and 2016. Between the 13th of September 2008 and the 17th of December 2011, Mr Gray was elected as Acting Leader of the Scottish Labour Party. On top of all this, Mr Gray was the Minister for Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning between May 2002 and May 2003. Mr Gray has undoubtedly had a wealth of experience within the political world.





I begin by asking specifically how he got into the role of MSP.





“Getting into politics is easy, and the important thing is getting involved with what you believe in before you think about trying to be elected. Getting selected and then elected can be difficult, and often involves luck and timing. I was fortunate in that I entered full time politics as a result of the creation of the Scottish parliament, which did, of course, create opportunities which had not previously existed”.





As Mr Gray mentions, there are a number of ways to enter politics without dabbling in the trickier game of the electorate. These positions can vary from campaigning to administration jobs, to becoming involved in debating clubs and youth parliaments; anything immerses you in the nitty gritty of community, or national, concerns.





Mr Gray’s experience with political life is not simply luck, however.





“I did have to do it [re-apply for election] all over again after losing my seat in 2003. So it is certainly not the easiest of careers”.





Mr Gray’s political website (http://www.iaingraymsp.co.uk/about/) states that he “stood for Scottish Parliament because he believed that it represented the best opportunity to make his own country fairer and more successful”. I ask Mr Gray where he experienced the injustices which inspired him to enter politics.





“I spent 12 years working for Oxfam, campaigning against global injustice and poverty”, he tells me. “I had also worked as a teacher in Scotland, and lived in Wester Hailes and Pilton, so I knew that there was unfairness, inequality and injustice here at home too”.





I continue by asking Mr Gray what he has done to try and combat the inequalities Scotland faces.





“Over the years I have been able to help many individual constituents with their personal circumstances, and that is probably the most direct difference I have made. In government terms, one thing I am proud of was a transformational change in how we support people with learning disabilities, which [helped] finally close long stay hospitals and has made it possible for most people to live independently in the community”.





I ask Iain what he believes the necessary steps are for Scotland to continue down this fairer path.





“Right now I believe that the challenge is to use the new powers of the Scottish Parliament to end austerity, and begin investing in services and communities again”.





I ask Mr Gray more about his job: what are the hours like and what are his day-to-day activities?





“Of all the jobs I have done MSP has the longest hours, with considerable evening and weekend work”, he says. “One of the attractions of this job is that no two days are the same. You can be fielding questions from a lively P6 class in the morning, asking the First Minister a question in the afternoon, and going round knocking on doors in the evening.”





One of the core concerns being an MSP is listening to, and acting upon, the needs of an entire constituency. I ask Mr Gray how he approaches this.









“I like to think that I know what is happening, and what is important, in East Lothian. For that I depend on my councillor colleagues, and local Labour party members who are deeply involved in their communities. It also helps that I live in East Lothian, and am active in non-political things too. I stay in touch with a very wide range of community organisations, who, over the years, I think have come to feel that I will listen to them”.





What about the more difficult problems?





“The most difficult matters to deal with are those where constituents, and sometimes communities, are divided. Clearly you cannot please everyone in those circumstances”.





I move on to ask Mr Gray what the favourite thing about his job is.





“The variety of topics I have to deal with, and the fact that every day is different”, he tells me simply.





I ask Mr Gray about First Minister’s Questions, the weekly session where MSP’s hold the Government and First Minster to account, whilst raising many important issues. I wonder what Mr Gray’s views are on the perceived farcical nature of the meeting, as well as what it is like to participate.





“There is no doubt that First Minister’s Questions has an element of theatre about it, and everyone involved puts on a performance. But serious issues are raised; the First Minister is put under pressure, and it is an important aspect of our democracy that she has to face that scrutiny. It can feel frustrating, in that successive First Ministers have proved adept at dodging the question, and sometimes the issue, altogether. I would like to see the Presiding Officer be stronger with them on that score”.





Finally, I conclude the interview by asking Mr Gray which skills he transferred from a teaching position into politics, and which three skills he most values overall.





“I suppose that there are communication skills learned as teacher which have served me well in politics. I also speak for Labour on education and science now, so I think I gain some credibility from having been a physics teacher”.





In terms of three most valued skills, he tells me:





“Others have to judge whether I have them, but I am going to say; empathy, cool headedness and the ability to communicate clearly”.





by Dylan Blyth