Credit where credit’s due
Alert readers may have noticed a certain undercurrent of cynicism about the Scottish political media in this blog on occasion. But now and again you have to put all sarcasm aside and take your hat off to a professional who bangs the nail straight in with one swing of the hammer. Today it’s Iain Macwhirter in the Herald, who thankfully seems to be returning to form after his Murdoch-inspired red mist of recent weeks.
“‘It’s the big question of separation,’ said the Stirling Labour group leader, Corrie McChord, when asked why he was unable to form a coalition with the SNP – a party which he accepted had almost identical social policies to Labour.
Now, I may be missing something here, but I wasn’t aware that Stirling Council was in danger of separating from the United Kingdom. Why the independence referendum should have had such a decisive bearing on who runs council refuse and leisure services in Stirling is not entirely clear. Perhaps Labour believe the Nats will put something in the water or plant separatist propaganda in the wheelie bins.
Whatever, it seems that Labour think they have more in common with the party that wants to privatise most council services than the party that wants to use them as a bulwark against the austerity plans of, er, the Conservative-led Coalition in Westminster.”
We couldn’t have put it better, or more concisely. As Labour chum up with the Tories across the country (Edinburgh looking like being the sole honourable exception), and the Glasgow party prepares (as widely rumoured by SNP supporters a couple of days beforehand) to set the Orange Order loose on the city’s streets in gratitude for their help, we can’t help but ask the hundreds of Labour activists whose efforts secured the party its better-than-expected result last week: “Is this what you worked so hard for?”
Religion should play no part in government. This flirting witht he Orange Order is a dangerous precident to set and I am not convinced that it is not intentional to stir up racial tensions and divide unity of purpose.
MacWhirter then returns to base with ” The cybernats are hunting the blogosphere for ("Quizmaster" - Ed)s and fifth columnists to blame for duping the Scots into voting to remain under the heel of the English jackboot.”
The meds must have been wearing off at that point.
“Is this what you worked so hard for?”
And, sadly, I suspect that very many of them would be jubilant because they had seen off the SNP.
Nice to see Labour councillors following the “instructions” from that nice wee fella Willie Bain.
“Anyone but the SNP!”
Nice to know that the newly elected councillors are working FOR the community and NOT for themselves……….. AYE RIGHT!
Maybe Labour should reflect on what happened to the last lot that cast their lot in with the Tories…
What were they called again…the Liverpool Demagogues or something of that nature?
Once you get enmeshed in Tory policies in Scotland, you might as well pack up and take up DIY…
A box of uncounted votes found in Glasgow
Mr MacWhirter certainly seems free enough with his opinions on people he’s never met. Still I suppose that’s his job to comment and offer opinion. But that’s all it is, opinion.
Most folks I’ve met on threads of whatever background are decent, mannered and polite. Almost certainly all are motivated and passionate about their corner of the debate and politics in general. There are a number on both sides who get carried away with their argument and use language which they themselves ultimately regret and thankfully there are precious few who are indeed poisonous and seem hell bent on sewing as much strife as they can.
That is a most unfortunate turn of phrase from Iain MacWhirter, a commentator I had some time for. Still, I did have a read at the rest of his piece in today’s Herald and as Rev points out he’s taken a swing at some stand out council politicking.
@ Juteman
You jest?
MajorBloodnok says: @ Juteman – You jest?
Nope. Langside Ward: Registration Report counts 6952 votes.
Valid Votes 6480 + Spoilt 88 = 6568.
Took GCC 6 days to notice.
May reslut in Green seat becoming SNP.
@MajorBloodnok
link to bbc.co.uk
Evidently not!
Oh dear, that’ll annoy Lallans Peat Worrier after all the hard work he did.
“Oh dear, that’ll annoy Lallans Peat Worrier after all the hard work he did.”
He says that it is just a matter of inputting the new value, and luckily it is only one ward (That we know of).
Sorry Major it must be true even the BBC are reporting it so it must be true.
link to bbc.co.uk
OOPS!
Of course now that this “missing” ballot box has turned up 6 days late I wonder if………… Nah shoorley not!
Just a wee aside folks.
NNS is back up. That is for those of you who are able to put up posts. Unfortunately I still have to wait until the mods have had their tea before any of mine get up. Still the “naughty step” is kinda getting nice and warm these days.
Just come across this.
link to facebook.com
Just wondering, was the picture taken BEFORE or AFTER Mr Matheson’s “wee chat” with the Orange Order before last week’s election?
My other half has just pointed out that Archie Graham, elected a Labour member in the Langside ward, is Johann Lamont’s husband. Interesting.
That IS interesting.
Any chance he’ll challenge that very nice Mr Matheson for the Leadership of GCC by any chance?
I’m sure that very nice Ms. Lamont would give him her full backing.
Strange that Mr MacWhirters journalism has returned to more objective commentary now that the election is over. Odd that!
“As Labour chum up with the Tories across the country (Edinburgh looking like being the sole honourable exception)”
Not for the want of trying.
One source said “you wouldn’t believe” how much the SNP were offering the Conservatives to try to bring them on board, adding: “Steve Cardownie still wants to be Lord Provost. He has been away to the Tories offering them anything and everything.”
A senior Tory confirmed the SNP had originally made “some fairly serious offers” if the Conservatives were willing to go into coalition but that the party had held out for a deal with Labour.
link to scotsman.com
Stage 8 Cardownie says: “And I would have gotten away with it, if only I’d remembered to put the jumbo box of wagon wheels in the boot.”
An awful lot of anonymous sources in that article. You need so many pinches of salt you might as well just take it with a whole bag.
@Jen
Strange that Mr MacWhirters journalism has returned to more objective commentary now that the election is over. Odd that!
Nothing strange about it at all. Because he always remained objective. Or as objective as you can be short of being a robot.
Yes, he’s pretty fair and balanced, with the exception of the gigantic bee in his bonnet about Murdoch. Hence “returning to form”.
@Langshonker
Not that I’m an AI specialist or anything (I know some though), I didn’t realise that robots were inherently objective. I’m sure Karel ?apek would have mentioned it.