Imagine it. The Members of Parliament have found themselves in disrepute. Expenses scandals, failure to keep their promises and electoral disaster for all the main political parties.

Yet there is a young lady, on the Island of Canna, her dream, to become a Member of the Scottish Parliament. Not only that, but to quote her she “may even become First Ministeress!” All is revealed below. So here are some questions.

“Why are most MSPs boys?” and “Will MSPs stop the rubbish washing up on my island?” were just two of the pertinent questions Mary Scanlon MSP for Highlands and Islands answered when she was recently quizzed by school children on the islands of Muck, Eigg, Rum and Canna.

The whistlestop one-day visit by the MSP was part of the Scottish Parliament’s educational outreach programme. The programme aims to take learning about the Parliament into the heart of local communities right across Scotland with visits by MSPs and the educational outreach team to schools.

Mary Scanlon said “It was fascinating to learn about the different way of life for the schoolchildren on the Small Isles and the fact that the school really is the heart of the island community”.

Eilidh Soe-Paing, teacher at Canna Primary School with a school roll of four children said: “I think it is great that an MSP bothers to come to the islands because it helps both the children and the adults feel part of the bigger picture that is the Scottish political scene. It makes us feel that our views are just as important as people on the mainland”.

Anwen Baker, a primary 2 pupil at Canna Primary School said: “After today’s visit by the Parliament to our school I am undoubtedly going to become an MSP and may even become First Ministeress!” Archie Fichter-Irvine, a primary 3 pupil at Muck Primary School, which has a school roll of five pupils, said: “It has been great having Mary (Scanlon MSP) visit us today to talk about the Parliament because when we vote we will know about the Scottish Parliament and the parties we will vote for”.

Article by Charles Litster