A definitive position
Here’s some more from Johann Lamont’s recent BBC interview (18m 20s).
BRIAN TAYLOR: Will a Labour government repeal the bedroom tax?
JOHANN LAMONT: Well, what we’ve been very clear about is that this is, em, deeply damaging to very many families. I’ve had examples of young people with learning disabilities living in supported accommodation who are now paying more. That is simply unacceptable.
As answers go we suppose it’s not exactly “Yes” or “No”, but it definitely sounds like we’ve got a firm and specific commitment coming up any second now, readers!
BT: I’m not hearing an answer yet to [the] question – will a Labour government repeal the bedroom tax?
JL: Well, I, we certainly will not have, eh, legislation in this form. I think there is an issue about under-occupancy, we need to look at that, but this is expensive, it, em, and it is is unfair. And I’m… know that Ed Miliband and Ed Balls have talked about how they will recast, they will recast, the welfare, eh, reform in a way that actually doesn’t address [something] vulnerable people.
BT: So that’s not repeal, that’s rewrite the bedroom tax?
JL: Well, I’m absolutely sure that Ed Miliband, who has prosecuted the case against the way in which the bedroom tax would operate, would not have welfare reform that meant people living in supported accommodation are paying more out of their benefits because, because, the issue of under-occupancy’s supposed to be addressed and it doesn’t, isn’t addressed.
Well, thank heavens we got that cleared up, eh?
Remember, folks – according to the readers of Scotland on Sunday, allegedly, this is a “credible candidate” to be the next First Minister of Scotland you’re listening to.
Whats that bizarre hand gesture? If she wants to indicate “forked tongue” its a V sign pointing down. If she’s trying to say “FOAD” then its a V sign pointing up. And if she’s been listening to too much heavy metal then its this: \m/ \m/
Must be some arcane, gnostic significance to this…
Could it be she was signing “here’s the church and here’s the steeple, open the doors and here’s all the people falling out into private rented accommodation.”
James, I think she is saying that we and the tory party will be joining together.
It must have taken a supehuman effort of will for Scottish Labour to find a leader who has even less credibility than Miliband.
Someone should remind Lamont that it was the neoliberal policies of New Labour, under the war criminal Blair, that paved the way for an SNP landslide. She’s no chance of winning an election while she remains committed to that hateful Thatcherite agenda.
Damn, she cannot even get the Tommy Walls ice cream sign right. You form a W with your fingers dopey! ( a recall for those of us old enough).
It could also serve as a sign that: We – need an honest debate;We -will not return the money;Wee Eck;We- as a mother;We – as a former teacher; – are all in this together;I need a wee.
Using the W sign would give her something to do with her hands. Give her time to think. Would be a change from the right hand thumb, index, and middle finger cluster and extended pinkie favoured by the Labour “presentation to the telly” finishing school for big hustlers.
I like the fact we’re only getting little bits of the interview. Any longer and we’d all fall into a coma with boredom. This woman is a disgrace, however she’s only there because of the arrogance of the Labour party in Scotland who didn’t put their ‘best’ people at the top of the regional lists in the 2011 election. After all, the people of Scotland wouldn’t vote out Labour, would it? And if they’d done that, Scotland wouldn’t have to tolerate her droning on and on.
O/T Any doubts that Michael McMahon was not playing the sectarian card over the Green Brigade issue seem to have been ended by this article in the Scotsman. SLAB’s increasing ties with the Orange Order are continuing.
link to scotsman.com
Is she saying ” Tell me again, what is Superglue?”
Is it some mysterious Klingon sign language – Klingons are reputed to have no honour, snaggled teeth and have a vocabulary of less than 2000 words?
What an absolute shocking disgrace Lamont is. She cant give a straight answer to anything, from trident to the bedroom tax, yet she wants to hold office as First Minister. She is definetely have a laugh but it wont be at my expense i can assure her that. When is any one of the Scottish Unionist journalists or presenters going to call her out on her failing to give an answer. What a bunch of crawling inept biased cowards they are. A really poor excuse for a msm. All they are doing is showing the people that the media are colluding with the Unionist parties and the NO campaign. Its became very obvious as i know of people apolotical are now commenting on whats going on.
She has proven again beyond any reasonable doubt that she isnt fit to serve the Scottish people. Lamont wouldnt know the truth if it tapped on her windae.. What an absolute fraud she has shown herself to be. She still hasnt dealt with the ”Donorgate” Scandal. Its no wonder the public are rejecting her party in ever bigger numbers.
She’s no chance of winning an election while she remains committed to that hateful Thatcherite agenda.
I think she’s resigned to the fact that there’s only one vote she’s supposed to win, after which her position will become redundant.
The thing that’s so bad about this, is we all know that politicians are briefed before they go into interviews, so that they have a number of pre-prepared responses to any difficult questions.
However it’s looking increasingly like Johann forgets what she is supposed to say, and ends up with these erm um “what I am saying is” things that she does, as she wrings her hands and hunches on the end of her chair nervously.
She is simply stalling for time until she remembers what she is supposed to say when asked certain questions.
It’s not her fault, but she is simply not quick enough intelectualy for difficult political interviews, so should never ever have been voted the leader of any Political party.
The question is why did she get elected as the leader of the party in Scotland, when she clearly lacked the skills needed for interveiws?
We know that the rank and file of Labour voted overwhelmingly for Ken Mc Intosh, but a couple of union leaders used their block vote to get Johann in.
Tom Whatsisname the other MP candidate for the leadership contest, mentioned in an article after he was heaved out at the first vote, that as part of the leadership contest all condenders had an interview with a panel of union leaders.
He was asked by the panel what he would do for the unions if he became leader and in the article he said that he didn’t think the union leaders liked his response and that this was why he was the first on to get the heave.
The question is WHY did they vote for Johann? what did she offer them for them to ignore her obvious failings and shoe her into the role?
Not that I’m too worried about it, cos of all the possible leaders I wanted Johann, as she was clearly the person who would be of most benefit to the Yes campaign.
Ha ha,
You have got to see this from Scotland on Sunday. Found out again !
link to facebook.com
Ed Balls told her that if she started to lose her way during questioning, placing her fingers together just so would jump start her brain.
It didn’t work.
I saw an excellent photo of Lamont serving at a supermarket till on BBcScotlandshire, that photo sticks with me ,it was a good laugh and it still is.!
So, the bedroom tax stays under Labour. Got it. Thanks
Labour abstained on the bedroom tax twice at Westminster so to abandon it now would look bad, right?
I often have dreams that one day, a journalist or broadcaster, having struggled to get an answer from a blundering blustering politician, gestures to his/her apparatchiks/spin doctors, invites them into the shot, sits them down and asks them “Well if this stuttering numpty can’t answer my question, maybe you guys can! What has he/she been told to say or not say?”
A flight of fancy, I know…..
This woman is such a hollow vessel – she probably wants a debate about what day it is….
@muttley79
Maybe you are NOT off topic – maybe that hand gesture has some masonic significance, like warning Mr Taylor ‘Your lodge is watching you…’ lol
“However it’s looking increasingly like Johann forgets what she is supposed to say”
I think her briefings are aimed at making her acutely aware of what she must not say, and that is what freezes her into a stammering zombie. Imagine the coaching; you must sound as if you oppose the Bedroom Tax, but you must never say actually you oppose it. Unfortunately what the poor creature means is tattooed across her forehead in 48-point bold for all to see: Labour will not repeal the Bedroom Tax.
She’s abstaining from answering a straight question.
Caption: “Ruth Davidson and I are like that.”
It would be pretty difficult for Mr Miliband to work out whether he agrees with her or not.
Caption :- The Torys and us are like this on that.
It makes me glad that I dont have TV and all credit to the Rev for sifting through the waste to give us the nuggets.
Patrick Roden says:
The question is why did she get elected as the leader of the party in Scotland, when she clearly lacked the skills needed for interveiws?
– the Union vote rather than the rank and file members.
So, she has no position on anything until there is a “debate on the matter” and she has “tested the evidence”.
Taylor did a reasonable job considering he works for the BBC in Scotland, and I think I detected a growing frustration at times. Is the lad for turning?
@Patrick Roden
Interesting comments about the unions block vote getting Lamont in. Could there perhaps have been some mischief involved from pro-independence unions/union leaders?
I think the MSM are starting to get a bit fed up with SLAB and BT. They’ve now given both of them a whole year to swipe the SNP away and make their case. They haven’t done that, no policies, no vision and only stuck to the fear and smear. It’s obvious the MSM are trying their best to accommodate Lamont but she is the architect of her own downfall with no idea what direction she or SLAB are going in (because she hasn’t been told from London!). Lamont and Darling are being set up for an almighty fall by their own party (and the Tories) as Ed and London Labour will distance themselves quickly enough if it looks like the referendum is lost.
Interesting comments about the unions block vote getting Lamont in. Could there perhaps have been some mischief involved from pro-independence unions/union leaders?
There was certainly some involved by an individual union member
If I remember correctly Johann Lamont held positions within the Union for years before becoming a councillor/msp
Perhaps she’s confused and thinks she’s on Give Us a Clue?
Is it a TV show Johann?
D’ye know, ah widnae send that wummin tae the shope furra hauf loaf.
Well the Unions have started flexing some muscle, with the vieled threat that Labour couldn’t rely on them for their support in the Independence campaign.
I work with people who require supported accomodation, the suggestion that they would have to pay more as a result of the bedroom tax is garbage.
The whole point of Supported accomodation is that the person isn’t able to live independantly so needs staff support.
this is done in shared accomodation and the individual will usually have their own room but share kitchens toilets etc, a bit like students sharing a house at uni.
If Johann has indeed found someone with learning disability paying more as a result of the bedroom tax, it will have been a unique short lived situation, not anything like the norm.
Saying that Ed Milliband and Ed Balls would not allow legislation that would result in this situation to occur, is another lie by Johann Lamont that needs to be exposed.
I suggest the ‘Truth Team’ get on the case right away, as we wouldn’t want them to be exposed as frauds this early in their campaign for truth and honesty. eh?
I’m afraid I am not going to please some here, but please consider giving Johann a break. I mean, how can you defend the indefensible and retain consistency? Especially when the position you have been instructed to present, could be described as willful schizophrenia.
Right, had enough time to consider giving Johann a break? Naw, I’m not that forgiving either.
What an f’ing disgrace! Perhaps Johann might want to let go of trying to guide a country (snigger), and focus on herself and family for a while. Trying to string out a lie that is publicly a lie, must be quite a strain on the psyche.
Vote Yes in 2014, for serious politicians.
Re. Johann’s background and competence. I hear that university brings out all the capabilities, including incapability.
The hand sign she is making is a visualisation trick to counter stressful moments in her otherwise mundane, and thought free lifestyle, if you look carefully at the shape she is projecting, you will note the striking similarity to the structure of Westminster Palace, with the obvious exception that the building turns at the spire and doesn’t carry straight forward, but the fact she got the basic shape right will be pleasing her therapist no end.
I have to express my sincere gratitude to WoS for having the patience to transcribe her witterings, no mean feat by any stretch of the imagination, and the fact that I no longer have to superglue the parts of my laptop, that aren’t embedded in the wall, back together is a real bonus too!
She come across as a wee small minded wifie in the wash house. The sort of neighbour you would do your damdest to avoid. You would take your tea with out suger before you would chap her door.
Helen Curran was asked the same question and she slipped sideways too saying it was about more than just one thing and that they would have review all social security provision. In short the party line appears to be not to commit to scrapping the bedroom tax.
@muttley79
Thanks for that link. Gold dust in my persuasion of my extended family in North Lanarkshire.
I think the hand gesture is her trying to she how much labour is ideologically different from the Tories. In regard to the SoS vote you have to remember that some Labour Party people get as much as 5 votes for these things