AN MP’s Scottish accent has again led to something of a breakdown in communication in the Commons chamber.
The SNP's David Linden, who represents Glasgow East, dutifully asked about improvements to disability access during House of Commons Commission questions.
But, representing the House authority, former minister Sir Paul Beresford looked puzzled as his brow furrowed.
Twice the Surrey MP asked Mr Linden to repeat himself because he could not understand what he had said.
Conservative Sir Paul, 72, who holds dual New Zealand and British citizenship, told him: "I'm sorry, it must be something to do with my antipodean background. Could you please repeat the question because I didn't follow it?"
Laughter broke out on the green benches as an "oh wow" emanated from the SNP contingent.
Mr Linden despondently noted: "Oh well, I'm very popular today." He then helpfully repeated the question at a slower pace.
But Sir Paul still did not catch on and struggled to understand the refined East End accent and politely asked again for Mr Linden to repeat it once again but this time "more slowly and in antipodean English".
The Deputy Speaker, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, intervened and suggested in his thick Lancastrian twang: “The answer might be helped if he can reply in writing."
Mr Linden gracefully accepted defeat and resorted to sign language across the chamber to confirm to Sir Paul that he would indeed write to his parliamentary colleague.
The 28-year-old politician is not the first Scottish MP to have difficulties making himself understood.
Last year, his SNP colleague Alan Brown, who represents Kilmarnock and Loudoun, revealed ministers had so much trouble understanding his fine Ayrshire tones that he rarely received direct answers to his questions when he spoke in the chamber.
Reporters at Hansard, the official verbatim report of Parliament, struggle with the same problem and pass notes to the SNP backbencher asking him to write out what he said whenever he rises to speak.
Mr Brown explained how the issue has become "a running joke" with colleagues and that, whenever he rose to speak, he noticed the minster due to respond sinks back into their green leather bench and put their ear right up against the speaker embedded in it.
The parliamentary sketch writers are also known to scratch their heads when the backbencher is speaking.
"Sometimes,” said Mr Brown, “Hansard ask what other people say but I make the joke that they must have an Ayrshire translator in now but the Ayrshire translator doesn't understand my colleagues."
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel