First week back at parliament

What a week it's been. Because I kept working during recess, I forgot how different it is to be in parliament. It's not that you necessarily do more hours, it's just that those hours are more intense. This week I had my two committees which meant reading 20 odd petitions and all the responses from various bodies to them and digesting a number of audit reports. After that of course you have to actually attend the meetings and make your contribution. So this week I have a far greater understanding of things like difficulties imposed on gypsy travellers, and the wide variation in the cost of replacement hips used by different health boards!

And of course the debating chamber was in full throttle this week with Alex Salmond presenting the programme for government and the debate about the bills that will be laid before parliament between now and next May.

I spoke in the next debate (on Thursday) on the Independent Budget Review. I focussed on the cheek of Glasgow City Council who are wasting so much of our money and yet, want Glaswegians to be the only people in the country not to benefit from the council tax freeze. You can read my contribution here but you can't watch it online yet because they've only put half the debate up!

I also set up a Facebook Group which you can join here if you agree with me that Glasgow City Council ought to get their act together and stop wasting our money.

I also had 2 SNP meetings at night and various receptions and discussions so my head is spinning!

So that's it, back in the swing of things. Got today off and then heading over to Arran on Sunday and Monday for a petitions committee meeting. And so it begins again. The start of the week felt like going back to school but it's so busy and so intense that you get used to it again very quickly.

I'm really keen to speed up my blogging and to make it a routine part of my job because I think it's important you know what you're paying me to do. In the meantime if you'd like to receive my fortnightly E newsletter just send me your email address and I'll add you on.