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Bureau of opportunity

• Brian Taylor
• 9 May 07, 05:08 PM

Amid the miasma of speculation at Holyrood, here's something vaguely approaching a fact.

We've found out the members of the new Business Bureau. What do you mean you couldn't care less?

The Business Bureau runs things at Holyrood. In a hung Parliament (and this one isn't so much hung as permanently suspended), the folk who run things are important.

The Bureau decides the timetabling of business - in essence, what's brought forward and when. Parties with at least five members (tough luck, you Greens) are entitled to sit on the bureau.

Their voting clout there reflects the strength they have in the chamber.

The new Bureau will comprise - David McLetchie for the Conservatives; Cathy Jamieson for Labour; Tavish Scott for the Liberal Democrats; and Alasdair Morgan for the SNP. Big league, all.

Former Tory leader, two Cabinet Ministers and a very senior SNP front-bencher. T. Scott and A. Morgan are there on a temporary basis.

Just one snag. They don't have anyone yet to take the chair at their meetings - because that's the Presiding Officer. We should know that name on Monday. If I hear it before, you'll learn it very shortly afterwards.