Ridiculed MSP says chest infection and lack of sleep led to committee blunder
Scottish MSP Collette Stevenson has attributed a recent committee blunder, where she questioned if Transport Scotland was a charity, to a severe chest infection and sleep deprivation. She has since taken medical leave and criticized the subsequent public reaction as misogynistic bullying.
Why it matters
The incident highlights the pressures on public officials and the intersection of health, performance, and public scrutiny in politics.
Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Transport committee member Collette Stevenson says she suffered a momentary lapse of concentration during a meeting earlier this month
An MSP who faced ridicule over a blunder at a Holyrood committee has said she suffered a "momentary lapse" brought on by lack of sleep and a chest infection.
Collette Stevenson, who has represented East Kilbride for the SNP since 2021 and is a member of the transport committee, was criticised after asking if Transport Scotland was a registered charity.
Transport Scotland director Graeme Cook then explained to her that it was a national agency which was part of the Scottish government.
Posting on Facebook, Stevenson said her illness had affected her concentration, and said she had been subjected to "misogynistic bullying" following the incident.
The 57-year-old added that she later took a week off work, on medical advice, to recuperate.
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