So the contest which has been gripping the nation in a fever of excitement has finally been concluded...
Oh wait, Strictly Come Dancing doesn't finish until Saturday! (Come on Alesha!) In the meantime, Nick Clegg has narrowly won the rather less motivating race to become new leader of the Lib Dems.
Here's hoping he has enough time to pack before one of his colleagues does him in....
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
The Empire Strikes Back...
The Empire I am referring to, of course, is the evil one run by Darth Murdoch which has used the dark side of the Force to corrupt our legal system, media and fringe left wing parties to persecute an innocent man.
Certainly, that is how poor Tommy Sheridan, erstwhile MSP and leader of the SSP/Solidarity/Tommy Sheridan Party is stating his case. He has just been accused of perjury following the epic battle he had with the News of the World over the rather racy allegations it made about his personal life, and has been the victim of some police harrassment.
Poor wean!
It has been a strange old case, responsible for destroying the SSP and Tommy losing his place as one of the most charismatic members of the Scottish Parliament. (Although lets not exaggerate this point too much, he didn't have a huge amount of competition!) The whole case has served to demostrate the size of his ego and the pygmy status of those who took up the reins of the SSP once he moved on. I am not a fan of Tommy, but he was acknowledged as one of the most impressive debaters and speakers in the Parliament - Colin Fox and the other SSP MSPs were dull and uninvolving - after the initial excitement of their breakthrough in 2003, the public quickly got fed up of their attention seeking antics and their lack of focus in participating in the work of Parliament to best represent their constituents.
And now we face the renewed situation whereby the press will be temporarily deluged (well, maybe not that much - they'll be lucky if they can summon up the energy to talk to what remains of the SSP) with two groups of the further left slagging each other off as scabs and Murdoch groupies, nailing tightly the coffin of the political aspirations of their respective parties - who ultimately are identical anyway, and therefore only serve to split their vote and kill their own causes.
It is a sad day for the Rainbow Parliament of Scotland, sadly confined to the history books for the foreseeable future. And behind it all lurks the smug figure of Alex Salmond, chuckling in that annoyingly arrogant way of his about the good fortune that has come his way. The SNP won the election in a large part due to their success in taking supporters disillusioned with the SSP/Solidarity rift into their fold, and Wee Eck will know that this is the ideal time to solidify his hold on this group.
Certainly, that is how poor Tommy Sheridan, erstwhile MSP and leader of the SSP/Solidarity/Tommy Sheridan Party is stating his case. He has just been accused of perjury following the epic battle he had with the News of the World over the rather racy allegations it made about his personal life, and has been the victim of some police harrassment.
Poor wean!
It has been a strange old case, responsible for destroying the SSP and Tommy losing his place as one of the most charismatic members of the Scottish Parliament. (Although lets not exaggerate this point too much, he didn't have a huge amount of competition!) The whole case has served to demostrate the size of his ego and the pygmy status of those who took up the reins of the SSP once he moved on. I am not a fan of Tommy, but he was acknowledged as one of the most impressive debaters and speakers in the Parliament - Colin Fox and the other SSP MSPs were dull and uninvolving - after the initial excitement of their breakthrough in 2003, the public quickly got fed up of their attention seeking antics and their lack of focus in participating in the work of Parliament to best represent their constituents.
And now we face the renewed situation whereby the press will be temporarily deluged (well, maybe not that much - they'll be lucky if they can summon up the energy to talk to what remains of the SSP) with two groups of the further left slagging each other off as scabs and Murdoch groupies, nailing tightly the coffin of the political aspirations of their respective parties - who ultimately are identical anyway, and therefore only serve to split their vote and kill their own causes.
It is a sad day for the Rainbow Parliament of Scotland, sadly confined to the history books for the foreseeable future. And behind it all lurks the smug figure of Alex Salmond, chuckling in that annoyingly arrogant way of his about the good fortune that has come his way. The SNP won the election in a large part due to their success in taking supporters disillusioned with the SSP/Solidarity rift into their fold, and Wee Eck will know that this is the ideal time to solidify his hold on this group.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Launch of vital US political broadcast...
It is that time of year where the most important political broadcast from the States is released. I am of course referring to Barney Cam, in which George W Bush's Scottie Barney stars in an uplifting morality tale. This year the focus is on the importance of the National Parks - one of the few areas that many of us would agree on with Bush! Check it out at www.whitehouse.gov - it's well worth the time invested!
To make it even more of a Box Office smash, it has a cameo from our very own Tony Blair. In a show stealing piece, he discusses his own Scottishness, and praises the success of the Bush Scotties as ambassadors for Scotland. Much more poignant than anything Jeremy Paxman would ever have teased out.
To make it even more of a Box Office smash, it has a cameo from our very own Tony Blair. In a show stealing piece, he discusses his own Scottishness, and praises the success of the Bush Scotties as ambassadors for Scotland. Much more poignant than anything Jeremy Paxman would ever have teased out.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
No such thing as bad publicity...
He just couldn't cope with it, could he?
I'm talking about the Beloved Leader of course, His Holiness Alex Salmond. He couldn't cope with the fact that Wendy was getting all the press coverage (even if it was negative!) so sat and thought of something to get the spotlight back on himself. Hmm, what would be successful in this aim - new policy? (As if!) A bold political masterstroke? Streaking at the next football match televised to the Scottish nation?
Thankfully, the last horrific option was rejected at the last minute, and instead he went for a nice cosy lunch with that well known philanthropist, Donald Trump. Happily they sat in a cosy little hotel (I've always wondered who pays for things in that kind of situation - might be kinda awkward when the bill arrives!) and chatted about the world.
Now, Alex Salmond did nothing illegal in his meeting with Trump - he is the Constituency MSP and it is an important matter. However, he is also the First Minister of Scotland and scant hours after his chat the matter was called into Holyrood by his Government.
Of course, he had nothing to do with it and in fact was able to claim with a relatively straight face that "I know nutting." Wee Eck is a canny enough politician to know that it didn't matter in the situation, as the perception the public would be rightly able to take from this is that Salmond is on the side of the wealthy like Trump, and his talk of social democracy and devolution of power to the local level is as empty as the National Conversation that he is having with himself.
We are at the situation now where the convener of the committee who cast the deciding vote is facing strong pressure to be replaced, where the decision of the committee has been effectively ignored (I know, the Govt may uphold the decision, particularly if pressure is applied to them, however I am not going to hold my breath) and the continuing centralisation of all power in Salmond's ample bosum continues at breakneck speed.
But then, is this hugely surprising from a party launched into power by the financial weight of Brian Soutar?
I'm talking about the Beloved Leader of course, His Holiness Alex Salmond. He couldn't cope with the fact that Wendy was getting all the press coverage (even if it was negative!) so sat and thought of something to get the spotlight back on himself. Hmm, what would be successful in this aim - new policy? (As if!) A bold political masterstroke? Streaking at the next football match televised to the Scottish nation?
Thankfully, the last horrific option was rejected at the last minute, and instead he went for a nice cosy lunch with that well known philanthropist, Donald Trump. Happily they sat in a cosy little hotel (I've always wondered who pays for things in that kind of situation - might be kinda awkward when the bill arrives!) and chatted about the world.
Now, Alex Salmond did nothing illegal in his meeting with Trump - he is the Constituency MSP and it is an important matter. However, he is also the First Minister of Scotland and scant hours after his chat the matter was called into Holyrood by his Government.
Of course, he had nothing to do with it and in fact was able to claim with a relatively straight face that "I know nutting." Wee Eck is a canny enough politician to know that it didn't matter in the situation, as the perception the public would be rightly able to take from this is that Salmond is on the side of the wealthy like Trump, and his talk of social democracy and devolution of power to the local level is as empty as the National Conversation that he is having with himself.
We are at the situation now where the convener of the committee who cast the deciding vote is facing strong pressure to be replaced, where the decision of the committee has been effectively ignored (I know, the Govt may uphold the decision, particularly if pressure is applied to them, however I am not going to hold my breath) and the continuing centralisation of all power in Salmond's ample bosum continues at breakneck speed.
But then, is this hugely surprising from a party launched into power by the financial weight of Brian Soutar?
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