The Daily Record have continued to run Kezia Dugdale’s weekly column despite her resignation as Scottish Labour branch office manager (North British division), and this week we were interested to note her assessment of the devolution years, which could be summarised neatly as “Labour devolution good, SNP devolution bad”.
We raised an especially quizzical eyebrow at the claim that the 1999-2007 Labour/Lib Dem administrations had apparently ended homelessness. So we thought we’d do that thing we do when Kezia Dugdale claims something.
We hadn’t been planning to talk any more about the curious case of Claire Austin, the suddenly publicity-shy Edinburgh nurse who – how can we put this? – seemed a rather ill-chosen figurehead for the good cause of getting more pay for a group of people who are rightly well-regarded by the public.
But yesterday, the release of a letter from Scottish Labour branch manager Kezia Dugdale re-opened political hostilities after last week’s hiatus for the Manchester terror attack by shoving the now-reticent Ms Austin right back into the spotlight.
It’s the holidays, so the papers are desperate to fill space and the political parties are all trying to help out by sending them helpful press releases which can be slotted directly onto pages, titled “PARTY X CONTINUES TO SUPPORT POLICY Z WHICH IT HAS ALWAYS SUPPORTED. ALSO, THE OTHER PARTIES ARE BAD”.
Scottish Labour’s contribution is a piece in most papers today reiterating their demand for the Scottish Government to hike the top rate of income tax – a policy on which Labour stood at the last Westminster and Holyrood elections and which was quite stupendously comprehensively rejected by voters, but which Labour inexplicably feel the SNP should implement anyway.
And that’s all very well and good, because Kezia Dugdale gets paid the best part of £80,000 a year by taxpayers and she’s got to say something all day to justify it. The trouble, as we’ve noted at great length on this site, is that so many of the things she says aren’t actually true.
It reveals that the party’s income from donations plunged from £600,000 in 2015 to £100,000 last year, which in the article is blamed on Jeremy Corbyn’s UK leadership (even though Dugdale opposed him in the leadership election).
But there were a few comments in the piece that we thought needed scrutiny.
Kezia Dugdale talking to Gordon Brewer on BBC Scotland today:
“I’m astonished that you’ve spent 10 minutes in this interview talking about independence and Trident when almost 50% of the poorest kids in the country can’t read […] I’m sure you’d be shocked to know that 50% of the poorest kids leave our schools unable to read.”
We suspect he would too. Because it’s total cobblers.
Young Lochinvar on The Wage Thief: “Well Gloriana; I’ve asked you similar before but you keep replaying the same broken record. If the SNP is done…” Dec 11, 07:26
Hatey McHateface on The Wage Thief: “I understand where you’re coming from. Thing is, if I waste an evening watching TV, whether it’s news, entertainment or…” Dec 11, 06:52
Robert Matthews on The Wage Thief: “Skrewdriver : I Don’t Like You. 1-2-3-4, I don’t like you! Get out on the job in the morning Time…” Dec 11, 02:41
Campbell Clansman on The Wage Thief: “Alf, you are aware, aren’t you, that the UN maintains a list of “colonies” (they call them NSGTs) and Scotland…” Dec 11, 02:31
Robert Matthews on The Wage Thief: “Of “days that will never come”.” Dec 11, 01:15
Robert Matthews on The Wage Thief: “Beach Boys – Sloop John B alternative version.” Dec 11, 01:12
Mac on The Wage Thief: “2014-2024 www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AHCfZTRGiI&list=PLm90JTuh4xFuWAEmfd1Y2ogMKLvOVDGmJ&index=43&ab_channel=JohnnyCashVEVO” Dec 10, 23:35
Mark Beggan on The Wage Thief: “I’m Glasgow we’d call her a back stabbing bastard.” Dec 10, 23:04
gregor on The Wage Thief: “Dear anti-people/power, Who/what are you ? Don’t you wanna be part of our undisputed winning team ?? We’ll be thinking…” Dec 10, 23:02
Mark Beggan on The Wage Thief: “They will go back to what they are. Nobodys.” Dec 10, 22:49
Mac on The Wage Thief: “So am I the only one working their way through the We Are Not The Same playlist thingy? www.youtube.com/watch?v=4p4snj33BHg&list=PLm90JTuh4xFuWAEmfd1Y2ogMKLvOVDGmJ&index=32&ab_channel=ManicStreetPreachers-Topic Not…” Dec 10, 22:47
gregor on The Wage Thief: “Bryn X Malone: Loser Love (feat. Mo-cee & IAM Q): “(I_am_Q) Lost love Lost love Fantasy (fantasy) Yea I guess…” Dec 10, 22:18
James Gardner on The Wage Thief: “Memoirs of a Betrayer will be available in Charity shops one week after it’s general release…….” Dec 10, 22:15
Mark Beggan on The Wage Thief: “The ‘Fuck You’ vote is on the menu.” Dec 10, 22:15
James Gardner on The Wage Thief: “Lima Bravo…” Dec 10, 22:07
Michael Laing on The Wage Thief: “Much as I despise the SNP for the absolute shambles they’ve made of everything, I do believe the blame for…” Dec 10, 22:01
Mark Beggan on The Wage Thief: “If you thought the DFL, SNP and those other clowns are cretins then wait till you meet the Reform candidate…” Dec 10, 21:57
PacMan on The Wage Thief: “I practice the same thing myself and it’s a tough one as this silence is allowing the likes of Reform…” Dec 10, 21:56
Campbell Clansman on The Wage Thief: “All the polls since May 17, have shown Indy support at 38%, 41, 46, 37, 44, 34, 37, 45, 40,…” Dec 10, 21:41
Mark Beggan on The Wage Thief: “Best thing is just don’t talk to them. It works for me.” Dec 10, 21:32
Mac on The Wage Thief: “Oh yeah. And reading Wings twitter, it is one of that fucked up couple, that played an instrumental role in…” Dec 10, 21:29
Marie on The Wage Thief: “Try Rhumble (without the h)” Dec 10, 21:29
Mike D on The Wage Thief: “A vile woman whose party i was a member of and contributed to from 2018 till 2020, until my mum…” Dec 10, 21:29
Campbell Clansman on The Wage Thief: “SNP not an Indy Party, according to you. The “true” Indy Party (Alba, ISP, whatever this week’s “movement” is labeled)…” Dec 10, 21:27
gregor on The Wage Thief: “Empire Of The Sun: We Are The People: “We are the people that rule the world A force running in…” Dec 10, 21:27
Mac on The Wage Thief: “For some reason people in Scotland find it hard to believe that they are surrounded by them same as the…” Dec 10, 21:26
Captain Caveman on The Wage Thief: “Another day, another trolling and goading. You really are a useless waste of space pal. Cretin.” Dec 10, 21:23
Campbell Clansman on The Wage Thief: “So you can’t explain how Indy has stalled, despite this overwhelming (sarc) support? Thought so.” Dec 10, 21:22
Hatey McHateface on The Wage Thief: “That’s an opinion you are entitled to be most humble about. I read a lot about the Opium Wars. I’m…” Dec 10, 21:21
Mike D on The Wage Thief: “Or a female stakeknife” Dec 10, 21:13
