Over and over again I find myself saying "I don't believe it".
I was amazed by the lack of self-awareness shown by Margaret Curran when she said
has indulged in the most blatant exercise of cynical politics that I have ever witnessed
and she wasn't talking about herself!
I choked on my coffee when Hain said something like
Anyone who knows me knows that I am honest
anyone who has to say that has a reputation problem, methinks.
I laughed a little when Ewan Aitken blogged:
Princes Street. This iconic Edinburgh Street, home not just of shopping but the Gardens, Hogmanay and much more needs a radical face lift but that will take vision, leadership and political will. It also needs real and deep consultation with all of Edinburgh. I and my colleagues have begun to formulate some ideas about what we think might be possible which we will expand on soon
this from the party responsible for the mess that Edinburgh is in today - reserves squandered, staff morale at rock bottom, and the city's assets devalued by decades of mismanagement. Now they're talking about consulting the people in Scotland's capital on a vague plan to restore one street which is about to be scarred by trams. Perhaps if Labour had listened to the voices that were being raised even without formal consultation while they in power in Edinburgh the city wouldn't be in such a mess.
The hob-nob, the chocolate digestive and the Jaffa Cake are all taken by Scotland's smallest wind-farm though. Wendy Alexander on The Politics Show today the transcript isn't up yet, so you'll have to trust me -
the poor, the weak, the dispossessed being left behind.
You would have thought that ten years of Labour government would have sorted that out, eh? Apparently not - and she thinks that's the fault of the new SNP government.
All political parties have had difficulties
she was referring to her 'funding difficulties' and alleging that all political parties have had difficulties this year. Simply not true. It's Labour, buried up to the eyebrows in manure of their own making, their contempt for the law and common decency allied to their lack of distinction between right and wrong indicates a political sociopathy not present in any other party. It's clear from the sheer number of revelations about Labour members that the corruption is systemic within that party.
the big issue is for me to be in Parliament
love the vanity, but it's not quite true, is it? Wendy Alexander is neither indispensable nor one of the great politicians of her generation. She could be replaced easily - I recommend Helen Eadie.
I am confident I will be exonerated of any wrongdoing
That's simply a bizarre statement from a woman who has already admitted to breaking the law. For the sake of Scotland and of Scottish politics, I hope that the wrongdoers are not exonerated.
The moment I was aware a mistake was made I handed it to the Electoral Commission
That's not true either, the Electoral Commission came asking when it was flagged up to them.
I was responsible of no wrongdoing
I forgive her poor command of the language - I'm very forgiving - but this is the "big boy did it and ran away" defence. For the sake of all that is good and righteous - having someone this poor leading the major opposition party in Parliament is embarrassing for Scotland. She has to go.
Just in case anyone is thinking that the paucity of ability on her part only applies to her getting caught breaking the law, she also released an opinion today that the Scottish Government is giving away too much power to councils
"I have no doubt that Labour councillors, indeed Labour councils, have spent their life looking after the homeless, women's aid, all of these poor, weak, vulnerable groups that we came into politics for," she said.
"But I frankly can't have the same confidence that a Conservative-controlled council, or perhaps even an SNP-controlled council or an independent council will, for example, meet our obligation to women suffering domestic violence."
Sneeringly condescending to be sure, a complete lack of grace and a petty tribalism. Far, far worse, though, is the blinkered view of Scotland that implies that the statist solution is always the best because people can't take care of themselves. With opinions like that holding us back for 50 years it's little wonder that Scotland has been struggling economically and socially.
Thank goodness for an SNP Government.
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