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An ideal day for Margaret Mitchell would be a snowy day round
the Aga (that's a big cooker that stores heat to the uninitiated!)
at home with her husband, a chartered accountant, and their two
West Highland terriers, Bill and Ben. "It's the contrast between
the warmth of the Aga and the cold outside," she explains, though
it doesn't mean she's the world's greatest cook, she hastens to
add.
Margaret Mitchell is one of the Parliament's new crop of MSPs, a
former primary school teacher and Justice of the Peace. She may be
a new MSP but she's no political innocent, having several years'
experience of being a local councillor - and, as the only Tory,
leader of the Conservative group. Before her election she also
operated as a special adviser to David McLetchie and Lord James
Douglas-Hamilton.
Politics is "in your blood" she says. Growing up, she was
concerned at what she perceived to be a paternalistic style of 'the
state knows best' government characterised by what she felt was
excessive power exerted by Trade Unions. It seemed she says, a
"case of the 'tail wagging the dog'". She joined the Conservative
Party in her teens, convinced that there should be 'less
government', with bureaucracy kept to a minimum and the state
playing an enabling role. She is angered when people are 'given the
run around' and are not having their views heard. A further bête
noire for the Central Scotland MSP is the dogma of "that's they way
we've always done things". "Politicians should be mature enough to
welcome and give credit to good ideas," she argues.
Drug dealers are a subject on which she feels very strongly, and
she advocates imposing maximum sentences on those convicted. Drug
misuse causes "so much misery in so many forms to their own
families and to the wider community through the crime they commit
to feed their habit" notes the Tories' Deputy Spokesperson on
Justice & Home Affairs.
The biggest surprise upon entering parliament has been just how
fast moving the environment is - even in terms of how much the
process of voting is speeded up by electronic means. The volume of
mail - both postal and email - is another shock; most MSPs receive
emails in their hundreds each day. Asked if being a woman in
politics has any influence on how she operates, she says "I've
never really thought about it". She muses that perhaps women are
more used to juggling several competing demands at once which can
be helpful in managing competing demands in politics. Working at
the 'chalk face' in a primary school in Airdrie, Lanarkshire, where
many of the children came from very deprived areas, was a useful
training ground for entering politics, she feels, as was her time
as a JP. Some of the same children she taught she later saw in
court, and youth crime is a problem she clearly feels is one of the
biggest issues facing the country. There was, she says, often an
automatic antagonism from some of the young people towards those in
authority, which frequently stemmed from the home. Teaching
parenting skills could, she believes, help some parents cope better
with bringing up their children - "even basic skills like managing
budgets".
Mitchell's choice of Norman Tebbit (now Lord Tebbit, former Tory
party chairman and Trade and Industry Secretary) as 'political
hero', she knows might surprise some people. Famously remembered
for telling the unemployed to "get on your bike" and find work,
reviled by those on the left of the political spectrum, and
regarded as somewhat of an anachronism by the modernisers in the
Conservative party, he has, Mitchell thinks, often been
misinterpreted. "He had a very logical way of thinking and wasn't
scared of what others thought of him" she insists. He was no 'Tory
grandee', she goes on, but from a very ordinary background who
"made it on his own abilities" and "in his personal life had to
overcome quite harrowing personal tragedy". He is, she feels,
an example of a politician motivated by conviction and principle -
"the greatest Prime Minister we never had".
This admiration does seem a little incongruous with Mitchell's
own softly spoken manner. Closer to home, she drew inspiration from
David Williamson, a former Tory councillor at Hamilton District
Council who was something of a mentor to her during her time as the
only Conservative at the Council.
When asked what can be done to re-engage the Scottish people
with politics she sees work done at a local level as key, citing as
an example the reaction to the proposed closure of Earnock High
School in Hamilton. Two anti-closure candidates managed to overturn
substantial Labour majorities to win council seats in a powerful
campaign of opposition to the plans. She noticed how local people
were energised by fighting an issue which they felt strongly was
relevant to them and their community. Nevertheless, Mitchell has
some concerns about independent candidates who she fears do not
offer the voters breadth of issue coverage that party candidates
can.
She hopes for a successful Scotland at ease with itself within
the United Kingdom; there are "very many positive aspects which
need to be emphasised" she says. In terms of the churches' role in
Scottish political life, Mitchell believes there isn't sufficient
recognition of their full potential. Although her own Christian
faith is for her largely a private matter, she advocates a greater
Christian focus in religious education in schools. It's a concern
for her that children today learn about other cultures and faiths
while many people are not all familiar with the Bible, and she
would like to see the balance redressed.
To wind down from politics, she has recently taken up sailing,
and plays golf - badly, she says. She also loves listening to music
- particularly classical chillout music, which mixes classical
music with more contemporary sounds. Current favourites are
soundtracks from the Deer Hunter and Gallipoli, as well as the more
contemporary Queen symphony.
As anti-social behaviour looks set to dominate the political
agenda, a relaxing time is unlikely for Margaret Mitchell as the
Tories' Deputy Justice spokesperson; perhaps the Justice 1
Committee is in for some tough talking in the Tebbit tradition.