Kiss and Make-Up

A 'stramash' is a old-fashioned Scottish word for a bust up, an unholy row - or in the case of football - an untidy, sometimes messy, collision involving opposing players.

And a stramash seems to have broken out in the Mother of Parliaments at Westminster - where one MP - Dr Elidh Whiteford - has accused another - Ian Davidson - of unseemly behaviour on the field of play.

Now Dr Whiteford and Mr Davidson come from opposing teams - she is an SNP MP from Banff and Buchan - while he is a Labour MP from Glasgow.

But the two MPs are not getting on very well.

Dr Whiteford has made an official complaint to the House of Commons authorities - and has withdrawn from a parliamentary committee - over allegations that she was theatened by its Labour chairman, Mr Davidson.

According to the BBC Dr Whiteford's complaint is about who said what to whom - at a meeting of the Scottish Affairs Select Committee which took place last week - but in private session.

Dr Whiteford alleges that Ian Davidson told her - he would give her "a doing" if the discussions were leaked to the media.

A 'doing' - for readers outside Scotland - is another colloquial Scottish word which means a 'beating' - or a 'whipping'.

So relations appear to be at a very low ebb - and I imagine the two MPs have crossed each other off their respective Christmas card lists. 

Ian Davidson hit the headlines recently for describing the nationalists behaviour as 'neo-facist' - at times - so there is considerable bad blood between the two parties.

Speaking personally I have never found Ian Davidson to be the most endearing of characters - he comes across to me as the classic 'angry wee man' - and one who bears an uncanny resemblance to Homer Simpson.

But I can honestly say he has never threatened me with - a doing.

So I hope the two MPs 'kiss and make up' soon.

Politics is a rough old business sometimes - and people who earn their living that way need to know how to handle these difficult situations - without blowing them up out of all proportion.

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