The Scottish Independence debate sparks fierce emotion on both sides of the camp and the colour of your rosette aside, strong support can be found on Twitter and Facebook from across the political spectrum. This isn't a half baked lecture on why I support independence for Scotland or how I believe an independent Scotland will be better off standing on her own two feet... no... this is the reaction to the idiotic comments of a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP's).
As the wind was howling outside my bedroom window a political storm was brewing on Twitter with comments of condemnation flooding across the 'tinternet destined for the inbox of Christina McKelvie MSP, a so-called honourable member of the Scottish legislature.
One would be forgiven for thinking that on day one of the job members of legislatures across the world are handed a book on how to tell lies, shirk all responsibility, avoid answering questions and of course, how to insult as many people as quickly as possible. What is the problem I hear you ask? What has she done now? Well, on Tuesday the MSP for Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse Christina McKelvie proudly tweeted 'I'm #YES Positive! And I've got the Scottish Virus' along with a link to a badge bearing the words 'I'm yes positive'. Yes, this did happen, I wasn't dreaming and I have a screen shot to prove it.
Against the backdrop of a 58% increase in those receiving specialist HIV treatment in the UK over the past decade, McKelvie's comments are insulting and at best misguided and completely distasteful and had the MSP held up her hands and admitted she was in the wrong, apologised and retracted her comments; then this would be old news and could be chalked up on the 'what not to say in politics' board. Sadly, rather than doing this, the MSP has decided to try and defend her statement by suggesting it is her Twitter followers who are in the wrong for making a connection between her tweet announcing her 'having a virus' and being 'positive' and HIV. In addition to the refusal to accept responsibility for her idiocy, McKelvie tweeted that Johann Lamont MSP (the leader of the Scottish Labour party) should apologise for her speech at the Scottish Labour conference during which she called nationalism a virus and suggested that people should be similarly pressing her for an apology.
This is all about context here, 'No-Laughs Lamont' didn't tweet her followers declaring that she was '#YES Positive!' and that she has got 'the Scottish Virus', she made comments at a party conference during which she referred to nationalism as a virus... not HIV!
Christina McKelvie's comments and subsequent behaviour show how out of touch some politicians are. Rather than opening up her mouth and letting her stomach rumble, Christina should be apologising and with her tail between her legs retreating to think more carefully about the type of drivel she tweets in the future. It is embarrassing, with the eyes of the international media increasingly fixing on Scotland in preparation for the referendum, our politicians should be setting an example instead of behaving like children.