Exit, pursued by a bear
Posted on
April 21, 2013 by
Rev. Stuart Campbell
In a shock development surprising absolutely nobody on Earth, the Sunday Times today reports that “Scottish Labour plans to hand the Scottish parliament full control over income tax are expected to be shelved after a backlash from some of the party’s most senior figures.”
The writing’s been on the wall for Johann Lamont’s policy brainwave all weekend, as Labour MPs and MSPs – even those who were actually members of the devolution commission which came up with the proposal – queued up on TV to conspicuously NOT give their backing to the idea of devolving control of income tax to Holyrood. You can see the rest of the Times piece below.
In a shock development surprising absolutely nobody on Earth, the Sunday Times today reports that “Scottish Labour plans to hand the Scottish parliament full control over income tax are expected to be shelved after a backlash from some of the party’s most senior figures.”
Does this mean that Labour are lying AGAIN?
It is fascinating watching Labour implode. I do wonder whether Joanne Lamont read the job description before taking on the Labour Party in Scotland leadership gig:
i) “An ability to herd fat cats is a pre-requisite.”
ii) “Pretending that we have any policies whatsoever is verboten.”
It seems that ‘Flipper’ Darling is right. Dive around on stage and leap up to get the fish that Westminster feeds you. Now that is a real Labour policy.
Seems people think Darling is a serious politician. Frankly, he is up there with George Galloway as a snake oil salesman, and Galloway is better at it than he is.
Frankly, it gets a bit dull watching Labour, a bit like clowns in a circus. Funny when you are three years old, and then a bit shit.
Just sayin’
Well, that didn’t take long at all, did it?
And it starkly shows that any claims of extra powers for Scotland after a ‘No’ vote are, quite frankly, mince.
Quelle surprise.
Well, glad that whole ‘more powers if you vote No’ thing can be forgotten now and it’s a case of vote no get naff all.
Must admit I thought it would be the Tories who would broadcast that to the nation rather than Labour. Obviously I credited Labour with too much intelligence.
a feel sorry fur at wee wummin ,,,,Rab C
Apologies for repeating myself.
However, Peter Curran has spelled it out for me.
Never mind no extra powers – Vote No and we’ll actually get “Devo Minus”
Now here is the strange thing. Why are Johann’s speech writers/spin doctors not trying to save her from these egg-on-face pratfalls? Surely the hacks at Scottish Labour HQ must have known that they would have to get Westminster Labour’s permission before coming out with such curved balls as “devolving income tax”? And why, therefore, not ensure that they had it in the bag before allowing Johann to make these pronouncements which are then pooh-poohed by the Labour MPs? It’s almost as if she’s been stitched up, and deliberately made to look foolish and out-of-her-depth. (I mean, even more than she normally does).
But by whom? And why? Is it simply a case of stupidity, and plain lack of foresight, or is there actual skulduggery involved?
U gotta laugh,this hapless lot who have the audacity to nark the SG over, well, anything they can think of, whether it is true or not.
Yet,they can’t even get right something the have been working on for a long time.
They are an absolute sham, and day by day are being outed.
Oh I do hope they keep this up!!
Fitch downgrades UK to AA+
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-22219382
I have a distant recollection that this was once considered important.
http://wingsoverscotland.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/bettertogetheraaa.jpg
Exit, pursued by three bears.
As leader of Labour in Scotland she will do exactly as she is told by Labour MPs
I cannot believe these people are in a position of power. It’s genuinely frightening. I would not be surprised if Johann Lamont could do herself an injury in a padded cell.
Did anyone see the Yes campaign in Irvine on Saturday?
I wanted to see them (I was actually hoping they might have some car stickers) but according to a friend they’d already gone by early afternoon. I know the patch they were using and it’s slap bang in the middle of a lot of congestion (which makes it a splendid spot for any campaigning, leafleting etc) – I’m wondering if they were moved on by workmen and/or police.
I don’t know if the Yes campaign briefs supporters on the law insofar as it affects them when out on the streets, but if not then perhaps they should – it does vary slightly across different council areas, and the police always have a lot of discretion, but the fundamental law is that if you’re not selling anything or causing an obstruction, you can stand your ground.
Works foremen in Irvine tried to get us shifted from that spot (this was a SSP stall, late last year) – we refused. By ‘coincidence’ a young police officer turned up, said she wasn’t happy, asked our names etc, then went off to check with the council whether or not we were out of order. She never came back, and no other cops, before or since, have ever looked at us twice, except to bid us good-day.
Doing street stalls can be a bit hairy if you’ve not done it before, but it’s great fun when you get used to it – just make sure you know where you stand legally, and don’t let anyone intimidate you with threats to call the police etc.
Can she tie her own laces and do you think that her pupils in the schools she taught have a legal claim for damages.
After 2015 she can always go back to the chalkboard unless the SNP require a new test and certificate of competence?
If anyone doubted why Salmond made so much of the more powers option, particularly from May 2011 to the signing of the Edinburgh Agreement in October 2012, then they surely know now. He has played an absolute blinder. All Salmond needed to do was put the ball in their court, and they would do the rest for him. He would have known they would reject it in a knee jerk manner. Not only that but they have now demonstrated to voters in Scotland that a No vote is either the status quo or worse. This message has been delivered by Lamont and Sarwar in train wreck interviews, and by the MSM today. In other words the Yes campaign’s opponents have done Salmond’s bidding, while he has the weekend off at Bute House.
The No campaign have completely backed themselves into a corner, they have nothing to offer Devo Max supporters, other than the usual fear and scaremongering. Even the leadership of the unions’ are asking them to be positive, but they have just closed off their last chance to offer anything positive. They only have scare stories, which have a law of diminishing returns.
douglas clark says:
21 April, 2013 at 7:18 pm
It is fascinating watching Labour implode.
It used to be fascinating two (or was it three?) leaders ago when it was something new and shiny. Now it’s worse than watching paint dry yet with the same qualities as watching someone as they’re about to walk into a pane-glass door, you want to look away, you want to warn them, but it’s too late and you know it’s going to hurt, and even as time seems to slow down in anticipation of the event you just know that there is nothing, nothing on gods green earth or in heaven above, that will stop it before it’s too late.
It’s like that … but somehow actually just a bit worse.
Handandshrimp.
“As leader of Labour in Scotland she will do exactly as she is told by Labour MPs.”
Well, either she has no idea how to build a consensus within her own party, or she never knew that that would be a good idea. Frankly, there is no possibility of a consensus on change in her party. They, her party colleagues, have flushed the toilet and they are heading for extinction.
I hope the left survives the death of the Labour Party. In an independent Scotland we need someone to speak for the working class. It is certainly not the currant buns in the Labour Party.
I almost feel sorry for her. She is being manipulated by a bunch of self serving careerists, not least Alisdair Darling, MP and expenses cheat.
Running away from your own ideas, whether good or bad, is not really very bright.
alasdair,
As someone who sometimes watches paint dry for a living – no, really – I agree with you.
It has moved, as you say, in slo-mo, from sad to tragic.
I despair of my fellow man sometimes.
FM offers innocuous congratulations to Celtic for winning the SPL
immediately bampots from both sides of the football sectarian divide have at him. Jesus H. Christ
Sorry Johann, but you’ve found out what Ed’s ‘One Nation’ Labour is all about. Like your script, decisions and policies are coming from London whether you like it or not. Power retained, devolution ignored is the Westminster way and the Scottish Lab MPs won’t give up their trough for you.
Better Together are busted, it’s only extreme rhetoric from the loons now. Fear and smear headed by a red Tory who can only lie to try and save his job. Labour have backed themselves into a Westminster corner, they can only fight one battle effectively and that is in the South East. By next May if the Tories are polling strong then Ed won’t win the GE2015. There are splits forming within the Labour party north and south, but they’ll only put their heads in the sand and pretend all is well in North Britain by keep attacking Salmond. Time is running out pretty fast for Labour in Scotland and that is even before the SNP launch their White Paper on Independence. Even the MSM are getting fed up, there is no more meat on the unionist bone, fear and smear only goes so far, but what they need is vision and workable policies to report on too. So fragile are Better Together that they can’t even avoid scandal and dirty tricks. That proved that BT are a political campaign first, a citizens movement second.
The Independence Movement has a solid grassroots core from across all walks of life and that is what is attracted to a positive campaign, one that is growing, more Labour/Liberal supporters, Soft Nos and Don’t Knows will continue to join the movement as the Tories get nastier and Better Together stand beside them. If YES are polling 40-45% by next May then the referendum is won, a positive campaign will only have a swing in it’s favour at the last minute. It now remains to be seen how far the Tories in government will damage Better Together even further as London Labour tries to appease the Middle England vote.
This is a link to the Al Jazeera film I mentioned last week.
With Taylorgate in mind, it’s powerful stuff.
http://m.aljazeera.com/story/201344105231487582
Never mind. Any minute now they’ll appoint a commission to come up with Super-Dooper-Double-Good-Cool-Really-Awesome-Good-Hooray Devolution. Which will be better. And this one will happen. Honest.
The only thing missing from yon photie above is a Tommy Cooper fez! Oh that I could Photoshop?
Sorry, too late to change …
… a positive campaign will always have a swing in its favour at the last minute.
Johann forgot the first general rule of devolution:
1. The scope and detail of devolution is decided in Westminster.
And the second particular rule of devolution:
2. For any given party, their devolution policy is decided at a UK level.
There is a strong possibility that she approved the devolution report in the mistaken belief that she was actually given the brief to write it for the Labour party and that the Scottish region of Labour has some influence within the Labour party.
So devolving income tax was just pure mince?
It is interesting, is it not?
I have quite enjoyed ianbrotherhoods posts on here. Frankly – frankly seems to be my word for the night – I would probably consider voting for him.
And that is because he seems to me to be an honourable man.
It is folk like him that we need stuffing the opposition benches in a free Scotland. Not the Labour Party……
McHaggis
Pure, dead mince.
@Hen Broon-
Souvenir sellers at Giza can identify ‘English’ tourists because, upon seeing fezzes for sale, they instantly perform Tommy Cooper impersonations – the jutting chin, daft grin, splayed fingers stabbing the air, the throaty huhr-huhr-huhr-hurh-hurh, ‘just like that, just like that’ etc.
The thing is – the locals haven’t the faintest idea who Tommy Cooper is/was, and ascribe this peculiar behaviour to some incomprehensible cultural ‘difference’.
Not dissimilar to trying to pay a London cabbie with a BOS twenty.
National Collective getting their revenge with humour
http://nationalcollective.com/2013/04/21/better-together-and-the-thoroughly-reputable-campaign-donor/
I am really at a loss as to why she is reported as being an able sparring opponent with the First Minister, or having eloquently described X, Y, or Z, because when you see this supposed ex English teacher, she mumbles and fumbles her way through everything.
This is a classic which should have been spotted way before she made any sort of announcements. Are none of those high ranking Slabs on the phone to Central Office in London before they try to devise party policy? Surely they are aware that they have to run EVERYTHING past the Party Leader and the high heid yins?
This must either illustrate massive incompetence on the part of Johann and her assistants, or total disdain by the paymasters from down south who are showing their true feelings for Scotland and their hopeful leaders (from a Labour POV).
Frankly, it gets a bit dull watching Labour, a bit like clowns in a circus. Funny when you are three years old
When I was three, clowns scared me. So, yes, they do seem to be trying to be like clowns in a circus. But I’m not three any more.
Lamont must be a Trojan Horse, cunningly deployed by the SNP to torpedo any chance of Labour ever being elected again.
Why would any party chose someone who has difficulty articulating a sentence, never mind forming a policy idea, as a leader ?
Jiggsbro,
You are quite right, clowns are universally shite. Especially at three.
What was I thinking of?
I apologise.
Soooo launched on what? Wednesday, Thursday? Stopped dead in its tracks Sunday.
And the comedy never stops. 😀
When I heard that the Labour ‘Commission’ announcing their support for the devolution of income tax, my immediate reaction was “is that it?”. I mean, even the waste of time that was the Calman Commission proposed devolving half of it. What about giving the Scottish Parliament access to the rest of Scotland’s resources. What about responsibility for everything except for defence and foreign affairs?
That Lamont cannot even secure responsibility for income tax is lamentable.
@douglas clark-
Cheers mister – so far that’s, well, that’s one potential vote in the bag.
If I ever do enter the political arena it will be because I would like to spend less time with my family.
Oh, and it’d give me a chance to get close to Jackie ‘Spacehopper’ Baillie. She has been taking over my thoughts lately – anything which gives me the opportunity to bounce her across a carpeted space is worth considering, and the Scottish Parliament has as nice a carpet as any.
Slab are providing great material for a musical – Calamity Johann!
@Macart
Soooo launched on what? Wednesday, Thursday? Stopped dead in its tracks Sunday.
And the comedy never stops. 😀
I see the chair of the Scottish Co-operative Party (that is SLAB is it not?), Mary Lockhart, has said she is thinking about voting Yes. Presuambly not impressed with SLAB’s recent efforts… 😀
Surely this latest episode of the Lamont show MUST move her into prime position to win Comedian of the Year at this years comedy awards. 😆
“The No campaign have completely backed themselves into a corner, they have nothing to offer Devo Max supporters, other than the usual fear and scaremongering.”
I think it’s even worse than that. The campaign is stuffed with Tories – of the blue and red variety, as well as UKIP types. Whenever any more devolution is mentioned on their pages, even as transparent jam tomorrow rubbish, half the folk on the pages rip into them for “appeasing the SNP” and say there should be less devolution. Both Labour Hame and Tory Hoos (Christ I can’t wait for independence to get rid of such cringe-worthy attempts at Scottish names from London parties!) ran the same article about no more devolution: http://www.labourhame.com/archives/3349
They are now effectively speaking for that small minority in Scotland who want the status quo or less devolution. They have nothing to offer those who want more devolution. I suspect a lot of people who aren’t that political have a knee-jerk attachment to the status quo, or to more gradual change. But the polls tend to show that when asked about specifics, the powers people actually want are far greater than any ever suggested even by devo-maxxers. People want full tax powers, welfare and, if they think about it, probably control of resources, the ability to get rid of Trident.
Better Together can’t offer that, or anything remotely close. What this weekend has shown is that, even the smallest, most useless extra “powers” which actually are useless for Scotland, are met with opposition, even from Labour.
@muttley 79
I don’t believe she’s just pondering anymore.
http://www.scotsman.com/scotland-on-sunday/opinion/comment/socialism-will-work-better-in-independent-scotland-1-2903981
“On the 20 March, I awoke with a sense of hope, and with new resolve.
A resolve to vote Yes in the referendum for Scottish independence. It won’t deliver Utopia. But it will deliver the chance for socialists to help shape a Scotland which reflects the identity of its people.”
That’ll leave a mark. 🙂
a reduction in the number of MPs at Westminster
This,of course,is what the issue is about for MPs.Not whether it might be a good thing for Scotland or not but where is my next pay check/expenses claim coming from.
Haw, thurs a man at the door askin’ fur Johann
Is it ma taxi?
Naw, it’s a tumbril.
Exits stage right pursued by mob
Ianbrotherhood,
once you’ve mastered the carpet, please call me before you go for the big one….. bouncing her all the way down that big central, concrete, top lit stairway that they hold the tv interviews on. I will wait at the bottom for youse with the Cremola foam and bottle of IrnBru.
If Ian Taylor is working, I may even be tempted to join in.
@Braco-
Splendid suggestion. (Thank god you didn’t suggest bouncing her up the stairs – that would be a bridge too far.)
I’ll try to time it so that it’s just after FMQs, and hopefully Brian Taylor will be standing there, too busy toodleoothenooing to see us heading straight for him, three steps at a time.
BOING!
Poor Johann, she must have actually believed them when they said she was the overall boss of Labour in Scotland. mind you she was the only one!
I’m convinced AD is getting plummier every time I hear him speak. Either that he is chewing a Mars bars most of the time. I would not trust him to go down the shops for a pint of milk. I have never heard anyone master doublespeak meaningless rhetoric like him.
@ Quinie frae Angus at 08.06.
It makes no sense, except when you realise you are witnessing an internal ‘civil war’ in the Labour Party that pits MP’s from Westminster against Hollyrood MSP’s, It’s all a power game, with the Labour MSP’s trying to flex their muscles.
It’ll all end in tears soon enough.
Ianbrotherhood,
Come, come Ian, you are too modest. Once you get that rhythm going, such a man as yourself should surely be able to bounce her on, over and off any parliamentary surface you desire.
Oh and up too! Obviously.