"In 1992 he joined George Galloway and other leftwing pro-devolution MPs who blocked the removal of the Commons mace in protest against the proposed privatisation of the water industry. The protest was designed to stop the Commons rising for the summer recess, signified by the mace being put away.And where is Lord Mike Watson today? He is in jail for deliberately starting a fire in a reception room after a political awards dinner, apparently after being rude to staff who refused to give him more wine. (His "fire raising" all caught on closed circuit television.)
A backbencher throughout his time in the Commons, his seat was axed under boundary changes just before Labour's landslide victory in 1997. He was then ennobled and in 1999 elected as MSP for Glasgow Cathcart. He served as Scotland's tourism, culture and sport minister from 2001 to 2003.
From a union thug to a Peer of the realm to a convict in the U.K., Mike Watson was famous for his stint as the Scottish Tourism, Culture and Sport Minister where he was to promote tourism to a newly-devolved Scotland where he was best known for taking his vacations -- abroad. (At a time when tourism was suffering badly from the post- 9/11 slowdown in travel.)
This is what I mean about Way Down Market.
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