Keep talking until you’re right
Alert readers may recall that five weeks ago we pointed out a whole bunch of Scottish media outlets reporting as fact that Jim Murphy would definitely stand for the East Renfrewshire seat at May’s general election – despite Murphy having actually made no such announcement, just repeating his weeks-old fudge that he was currently the selected candidate.
Guess what’s happened today, folks?
We suspect that most of you got that one first try. The Scottish Sun, the Herald, the Daily Record, the BBC, STV and Radio Clyde all have prominent stories this morning promising that THIS time they’re not just crying wolf and Murphy really IS definitely standing. So we’ve had a clear, unambiguous official statement from the Scottish Labour branch office leader, presumably?
Oh. Not so much. “I want to contribute” to keeping the Tories out could mean just about anything. The paragraphs above are in fact exactly what Murphy’s been saying over and over since December. The words “As I have said many times before” seem to be something of a hint that this is NOT in fact a new development.
But when you’re the Scottish media and you’re desperate to get some sort of Jim Murphy story into your paper every day, anything will do. If they keep repeating it every couple of weeks, maybe eventually it’ll become the truth. When it does, and not before, we’ll report it to you, folks.
So her is the selected candidate as that was before the last GE and they haven’t convened to chose their candidate for this GE.
Disengenous Murphy?
Naw
Lying toad
Aye
I’d rather wait for the article about him losing the seat in May!
I thought his constituents were to be the first to know? I’m appalled that I have found this out via Bath.
Of course the problem they have now created (given that we know it’s the headline that does the influencing) is that the faithfull readers will have accepted that he defiantly is standing. Therefore if he doesn’t that’ll be seen as a change of mind/climbdown rather than a decision. so essentially, he has to stand or lose credability (even though that’s not justified.
Well done media, keep it up!
Murphy could always boost his Scottish “credentials” by releasing a press release stating. “Maybees aye, maybees naw!” That would get him an extra couple of days on the front pages.
Haud on. Maybe I’m giving him ideas. 🙁
When is a story not a story? When it comes from MSM’s own agenda to get Murphy on the front page every day-even if they have to make up quotes like this to do it.
All supposed to make him look like the all conquering hero But it’s not quite going to plan, is it Jim?
Roll on 7th May 😉
Well done Stu. As usual – right on the ball.
You are perfect for the work you are doing.
Congratulations an another sucessful crowdfunding,
and more power to your elbow –
a very underrated weapon I might add.
More ‘doublespeak’ from the discredited media in Scotland.
How are they all going to cope in May?.
Dear Media,
You’re mostly shite.
Yours insincerely
Every dictator, who takes himself as a serious state ruler, all over the world uses this tactic of endlessly repeating the same old words. Until his people do no more listen what he says and just voting for him. I hope, this does not happen here in Record Valley (sorry, in greater Glasgow).
If Murphy stands and is defeated, he can no longer be the Leader of Labour in Scotland till be either becomes an MSP or an MEP. Oh! The delicious smell of that outcome. He could be out of politics for ever.
This is a definite statement, although his use of present tense for future events is a little odd: “I am the Labour candidate for East Renfrewshire against the Tories in May and Labour’s candidate for First Minister in 2016”
If the present tense is intended to convey unchangeable fact about a deterministic universe, it’s a firm statement that Jim Murphy will be standing in East Ren on a platform of “only going to be here for a year to collect more expenses, then fuck you guys.”
If it’s intended to be slippery, like “this is the plan for now, but I’m not promising what will happen in the future”, then it’s not new information. If he loses in East Ren, which is not as inconceivable as it would have been before Better Together burned all Labour’s credibility, we already knew he’d be seeking a safe list seat for 2016.
The “tories with more seats” bullshit is apparently not going away any time soon. I look forward to the SNP voting down David Cameron’s attempt to form a “most seats” minority government. Then in the immediately following election, we get to say “Vote SNP to keep the Tories out AGAIN”
It is like watching some of the old movies which had subliminal advertising,urging you to buy refreshments at the interval.The mass media are trying the same tactic with the population,by inserting Murphys name at every opportunity.
mogabee
Short, incisive & oh so good 🙂
Correct me if I am wrong but dont MPs get a nice wee golden handshake if they are voted out and bugger all if they resign their seat?
Just sayin like!
I love the boy Paton and his “become the media” stance. He is a wonderful young man, with great insight.
If only the meainstream media could stop running with the idea that, while they are the media (but that changes) they make the news, and if they can’t they will repeat something till it goes from story to truthiness to de facto fact, because so many people believe it and sometimes even resulting in political decision (or some variant) based on accepted popular belief.
It is really very worrying as a persistent trend.
The unionists’ messiah? Not so much the second coming as the second humming and hawing.
And my chum in the Mearns definitely is not interested in someone who wants to represent her for up to a year, and then a by election when there’s a Holyrood election too. She wants an MP for a five year term. One that serves the constituents.
Dan Huil says:
‘The unionists’ messiah? Not so much the second coming as the second humming and hawing.’
Or maybe the second ‘umming’? 😉
O/T (sorry)
Setting the scene, make it look like lots of tactical voting took place when smurph keeps his seat. I know, “conspiracy theory”, “no proof”, “we really did lose the referendum with no cheating”. The whole thing stinks to me of preparing the stage, setting up the reason for the SNP not winning as many seat as it should have. For goodness sake, the church of england has now come out and basicly said, it is you duty to god and country to get out and vote against anything to do with the SNP. Once you call on “god” for help, it means you really are in desperate straights. I for one know what westminster is about to lose, and so do they.
It’s on the BBC News website, so it must be true, as it only reproduces word-for-word, what it receives from it’s Imperial Masters.
Hopefully, if we put enough effort into the E Renfrewshire campaign, the Accountancy Unit will be looking for a new hot-air fan in May,
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28 February, 2015 at 12:05 am
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[…] Alert readers may recall that five weeks ago we pointed out a whole bunch of Scottish media outlets reporting as fact that Jim Murphy would definitely stand for the East Renfrewshire seat at May’s general election – despite Murphy having actually made no such announcement, just repeating his weeks-old fudge that he was currently the selected candidate. […]
Will he wont he?
link to youtube.com
Ooh er missus
Of course, it should not be discounted that in the twisted democratic world where Murphy and McTernan operate, Murphy will seek to denude the Scottish Parliament of any relevant powers to end up with no more than Tony Blair’s ‘Parish Council’ status.
And if he believes something deeply enough and keeps his eyes tightly shut, Murphy can achieve anything – he thinks!
Heaven preserve us – we don’t deserve such abuse – we Scots have given this world so much – not to mention being on the rapacious receiving end of the UK Establishment’s whim and fancy.
Delighted to see the Rev smash through the 75,000Barrier
There’s apparently a Populus opinion poll getting done this week in E Renfrewshire. Probably an internal Labour one. A commentee over on the Scot Goes Pop blog was polled this week.
This is more than keeping the tories out.We need a high SNP contingent, to cancel out the UKIP effect.
A large UKIP contingent will have more of a negative efect on Scotland than the other two parties put together.
a2 says:
Of course the problem they have now created (given that we know it’s the headline that does the influencing) is that the faithfull readers will have accepted that he defiantly is standing..
Agreed, it’s so widely publicised, that he would have to issue an immediate denial if it wasn’t actually true this time.
SNP needs to get the results of that recent constituency poll all over this area.
Showing a 3-way seat, with the SNP in second place, just behind Labour.
No need to vote tactically, when the SNP has a good chance to win here.
2010 results are irrelevant. The referendum changed everything.
And who wants an part-time MP that treats the seat as a short-term,disposable job ??
Don’t know if you guys saw it, but its been reported that Murphy had been trying to get one of Labours MSP’s in a safer seat, to step aside for him, but none of them would do it!
He also looked into doing a swap with Ken McIntosh, where Jim would take Kens seat and Ken would get to contest Jims seat, but it seems that Ken wasn’t too confident that the SNP wont take Renfrewshire!
That’s what all the humming and erming has been about, Jim Murphy wanted to become an MSP and thought that he would be able to walk into one of the safer seats, but he got told to do one from them, so has been desperately trying to lean on them or possibly offer some sweeteners, but they haven’t been swayed.
All is not well with the relationship between Jim Murphy and Labour MSP’s in Scotland.
[…] Keep talking until you’re right […]
If he is standing I really hope there are folk to follow all the ballot boxes from East Ren, then again I wonder what percentage of postal vote application East Ren will have…. oh shit hatred and paranoia strike again… 😀
link to dailyrecord.co.uk is funny given the implication that no one is willing to let Murphy in at Holyrood.
link to en.wikipedia.org
Kind of shows that due to the way list SMPs are replaced if a single one of Labour’s stood down and every other candidate refused his position Murphy could be parachuted in tomorrow.
Of course if he doesn’t stand for Westminster it’s up to Labour whether he gets to continue as leader or not.
Assuming there’s no rule that says someone who’s at present a Westminster MP can’t stand for Holyrood the next question is whether he stands at a constituency level only or is also first in the Labour list.
Not much fussed whether Mr Murphy stands or not.
The only headline I’m interested in is the one on the morning after the vote which declares a much deserved Labour electoral catastrophe.
Won’t Murphy loose his seat, if he doesn’t stand and no longer be an MP. He would then have to wait for the Hollrood elections to stand again or become a list MSP.
Very good summation by Patrick Roden.
What makes it all the more amusing is that we all remember Eggman Murphy hummed and hawed over standing as leader in the first place with some priceless comedy as Labour announced their leadership contest with nobody wanting to stand for days.
So it’s hardly a surprise Labour MSPs are less than keen to hand him a safe seat on a plate when it looks increasingly likely there will be utter carnage for Labour in May with all sorts of uncertanties arising from that. Not least of which could be Eggman Murphy changing his mind yet again.
So there has been no moment that Jim announced he was standing – he was always the candidate. Except I recall seeing him squirm when grilled on this by Andrew Neil. When did he make a decision and inform the electorate in East Renfrewshire?
He clearly must have done so before now as his comments above suggest he had already done so.
Jim seems to be trying to be too clever and try these wierd spin tactics on everything. He must think he has to try and outwit and confound the press, the SNP and electorate by performing these strange stunts. It appears to be arrogance but I think it betrays a deep lack of confidence. Here is a man walking a tightrope with his eyes transfixed on the chasm below.
I don’t wish him well but if I did I would be telling him to sack all his backroom staff and just start being honest and straightforward with the electorate.
These hoodwinking tactics he is endlessly deploying are getting plenty of exposure but people vote for politicians they can trust and they respect. At the moment Jim is not such a politician.
If he stands and loses doesn’t he get around £30k resettlement pay off? So he would stand no matter what, can’t expect such a master trougher to pass on that amount of money.
The amount might be wrong though.
I don’t blame any Labour MSP for not standing aside for Murphy. He wouldn’t do it for any of them so why should they even consider it? They stand to lose a heck of a lot of money if they walk away. If they get voted out, as is likely to happen in 2016 Scot Parl elections, they will have had at least 12 months notice & therefore have plenty of time to start saving the pennies in readiness for that great day 🙂
I did say in a post in the last 4 weeks that the majority of the SLAB MSP’s were conspicuous by their absence in the press, on Twitter or Facebook. It appears as if only a small group will carry out Murphy’s bidding & that’s probably just as well if they want to hang on to their seats next year.
After all, Scots waking up has it’s downside for SLAB-voters memories are improving as part of that awakening.
Good isn’t it 🙂
It would appear then that all is not well within Labour North British branch. No one wants to move over and let Jimbo in.
Great to be so popular within your own ranks.
By the way, I understood Labour rules stated that the leader of the accountancy unit North Britain, had to be either an MSP or an MP. What happens if Jimbo gets turfed out on his ear from Westminster. He then can’t be leader up here then, can he?
Or mibies they’ll change the rules for their wonderfully popular Jimbo. Come oan guys it’s Labour, rule changing and breakin is nothing new to them.
Re my previous post found this which explains it better. I think he was just stalling for time as Patrick said. Expecting him as a list MSP in 2016.
Found on Wikipedia:
Resettlement Grant
The Resettlement Grant is the name given to the MPs severance pay package. It may be claimed to help former MPs with the costs of adjusting to nonparliamentary life. It is payable to any Member who ceases to be an MP at a General Election. The amount is based on age and length of service, and varies between 50% and 100% of the annual salary payable to a Member of Parliament at the time of the Dissolution.[8]
In the UK the first £30,000 of severance pay is tax free. The amount retiring MPs, or those who lose their seats receive depends on how old they are and how long they have served in the House. Example. An MP who stays in office for one term (say 5 years) and then leaves office will currently receive tax-free severance pay of 50% of his current salary, or £32,383 at current rates – equivalent to an annual salary increment of over £12,000 at current tax rates and pay scales.[9]
For the 2010-2015 Parliament, only MPs defeated in their attempt to be re-elected will get one month’s salary for each year served, up to a maximum of six months or over £33,000. From the start of the 2015 Parliament, it will be replaced by a “Loss of Office Payment”, at double the statutory redundancy payment. “For the ‘average’ MP, who leaves office with 11 years’ service, this may lead to a payment of around £14,850.”[10]
The Smurph has become so disillusioned that he has begun believing his own Bullshit media coverage.
He has developed a soft spoken man of the cloth voice, and I’m sure he will test his ability to walk on water just before applying to be the next Pope.
I can hear him now_ The Church is in Crisis, they don’t have the funds for good works, I will comfort the poor, etc.
The man is a parasite filling his expenses forms in at double speed and looking after the Smurphs plan for to become the next £millionair Blair and Brown on the back of lying to socialists.
Smurph says SNHS in crisis?
No its not! Not from an SNP Government!
It has ever increasing demands on its resources and ever decreasing budget thanks to both Red and Blue Tories.
Our Health Service is the most demanding with more rural issues to support, the worst diet, worst area of deprivation, and yet
we perform a great deal better than the Labour Controlled Welsh NHS, and at least on a par with NHS England who has privitised much of it to keep up with us.
Smurph! You and your party are lying, cheating, deceiving,
profiteers looking after the wealthy by misleading the working classes.
When is the final day for candidate selection , surely he will have to declare in or out before then in case a new candidate is needed, or is there a backup ready to step in and have the locals voted for said backup.
Just passed £76,000 and showing no signs of stopping. We’re close to breaking the 171% funded watermark from last year. The number of items for dispatch has already rocketed past the Wee Blue Book appeal’s record of 350, and is heading for the 500 mark at high speed.
Wingers rock 🙂
Is it any wonder that Jim Murphy has had to stand again as MP for East Renfrewshire, he has been trying to ease existing MSPs out of safe seats by foul means or fair and has not succedded. Remember when elected Scottish “Leader” he promised to get rid of all the useless Labour MSPs at the next Holyrood elections.
It is well know in Holyrood circles that he has very little support amongst Labour MSPs.
Tam Jardine @ 1.26
There is plenty of documented evidence of Smurphs lies and arrogance, a lot of it shared on here.
I doubt very much if he takes advice from any back room staff on presentation. He is a self made turd.
What is different this time round for him and others is the referendum effect, where words and actions are scrutinised, shared etc. This was previously lacking in the past, hence people will tell you some seats have remained Labour for 100 years, and they are just inherited.
We are hopefully leaving that era behind.
I expect Murphy’s official statement that he is standing to sit in the house will be on the same day the SNP launch their manifesto.
Guess which of these will be the front page story?
As cyberniall said, i thought we in East ren would be good first? What happened to THAT “vow”?
@Dr Jim,
From previous thread.
I was witness to what you speak of.
At the count of the postals I noticed batches of No votes from the Moray coast, Banff area which had around 24 ballots in a row with very obvious “shaky” looking X’s as though drawn by the same hand.
I pointed this out to the counting agent who refused to stop the count.
Everyone knew Smueph was going to stand as the East Renfrew candidate! It was never in any doubt!
Fud had only to imagine not being able to fill in his Westminster expenses form and losing all that lovely free lolly to reach a decision.
The only impact would be to string along the local electorate for months on end, and the cost an inconvenience of another by-election, if he stood down in favour of becoming an MSP.
I also read it as him subconscious knowing that he had better stand for as many jobs as possible, as he is likely to become unemployable in the very near future.
Failed MP, Failed MSP, Failed North British Accounting Unit Leader! Failed human being!
Re Effigy comment about Smurphy. I find him bland and utterly boring would put you to sleep with the monotonous tone of voice trying to imitate Maggie. He sounds and looks like an undertaker but reminds me of Lurch. Could also be a secret way of hypnosis to subtle suggestion putting slabber propaganda vote slabber into your subconscious.
The Murphssiah has been hedging for months – they’ll be looking at internal canvas returns and ensuring he retains the right to bail if it looks like Kirsten Oswald is closing in on the seat. He simply cannot afford to lose – if he does his career is over. It is that simple.
So Jim Morphy is standing in 2016 for Holyrood because he expects to lose in 2015 for Westminster. Have I got that right or am I on another chameleon trip? Better go and have a drink at a football stadium to clear my head.
“The necessity of the many far outweighs the needs of one”
Josh Woodward – Nincompoop*
link to youtube.com
*(engineered by Jim Murphy, honest – this moonlighting is getting right out of hand. 🙂 )
I’d say it would be political suicide if he were to withdraw at this late stage. And make no mistake, whatever other equivocations are contained in the statement above, not to stand WOULD be a withdrawal. And with the wide and forelock-tugging coverage this non-statement has received if Murphy ducks it not even Malcolm Tucker on steroids could spin this as anything other than a blowhard whose bluff has been called.
Notwithstanding, the word in East Renfrewshire is his private polling is not returning good news. I think there is genuine trepidation in the Murphy camp that he might lose the seat, if not to the SNP then to the Tories. Remember this was originally gerrymandered during former SWP firebrand Michael Forsyth’s tenure to be the Tories’ safest bastion in Scotland.
It may be Murphy’s minions will persuade sufficient Tories in Eastwood and Newton Mearns to vote tactically, but I worked the area during the referendum and strongly suspect there’s an awful lot of old Conservative and Unionist voters dormant these 18 years or more who are just desperate for a Tory gain in Scotland. No doubt that would be spun as “the SNP letting the Tories in” but that would ring more hollow than Murphy’s wooden heid.
Interesting times. And kudos to you, Stu, for playing such an important role in the awakening of the Scottish people. I will contribute to your coffers as soon as I get paid.
This is the last Westminster election where losing MPs get generous resettlement payoffs: there’s no chance of Murphy risking out on losing that.
I actually wonder whether some ScotLab MPs will be ‘not trying very hard’ to save their seats.
Carmichael was supposed to be standing down, along with the rest of them, for more generous pension settlements . An article was reporting he would not fancy himself as leader, ie late man standing. Can a one trick pony party, have a leader from the House of Lords? The holiday camp for retired troughers, to pick up even more freebees.
Perhaps Murphy has done a wee bit of research and finally twigged that according to,
link to electoralcommission.org.uk
link to legislation.gov.uk
and
link to electoralcommission.org.uk
You can be a member of both Wesminster and Holyrood at the same time. The only thing you can’t be is a Westminster MP and stay in the EU parliament so it’d be interesting to see how soon Farage stands down if he does win a seat.
I was out for a couple jars this afternoon and took a quick poll of the 7 of us(all East Ren voters) 2 were long term SNP voters, 3 were Labour pre-ref but now will vote SNP, 2 would still vote Labour but will vote SNP purely on the back of not wanting Spud as their MP. A new word was invented in the process to describe him, he is ‘fakeriotic’
what would be worse for him to stand down from selection or stand and lose, what would be his biggest embarrassment?
Smurphy’s only interest is his own personal gain. He hasn’t committed to Holyrood because he has been holding off to see if British Labour had any chance of forming next Westminster Gov. and hence a ministerial post which to all unionist labour mps is the holy grail of their political careers. To him Holyrood would be below his status. Mind during the referendum his 100 day tour was to save his own job within Westminster and the labour party. They obviously still think they have a good chance of achieving this as polls still close down South.
Yeah noticed BBC Scotland giving this big licks. Its not new news. How many already selected candidates get this unchallenged regurgitated publicity, particularly when it is an insult to the electorate as “Vote for me and I will give up my seat if selected as after 12 Months if I get high enough up the the Scottish Parliament Regional list”
And the supine pro Labour Scottish press / BBC lets this go unchallenged.
Standing and being defeated would force Labour to change the rules if he was to continue as their Scottish leader. Deliberately not standing would allow them to change their rules with some preparation. However if Labour are heading for a melt down there’s a danger of being seen as a rat deserting a sinking ship if he doesn’t stand and the seat is lost. If, however, he does stand and the seat is kept there’s a remote possibility that that might be portrayed as him making a tactical move in order to limit damage to his party.
Of course a melt down in Scottish Labour at Westminster must have an impact on the balance of power between their MPs and SMPs. Whilst probably not as bad as it is with the Conservatives even if Murphy did retain his seat he’d be seen as at least partially responsible. We’re talking about a party that changed it’s leader after what most people might regard as a victory.If no ones is prepared to give up a seat for him now why would that change after the GE?
@joe – what would be his biggest embarrassment?
I think standing and losing would defo be it can you imagine his big stinkin coupon trying to hide the disappointment and we could all ask “Jim why the long face?” 😀
There was a suggestion today at the save our steps demonstration in Glasgow that approving the planning application was a publicity stunt by the labour run council – to create public outcry and then for dim smurphy to ride into town and save the day by having the decision reversed. Would any of us be surprised if this was to happen?
The Spud was out canvassing in the Auchenback scheme (no, I’m not going to call it a housing estate. It’s a scheme) this afternoon – a traditionally Labour area. After giving his rep short shrift (for he seemed not to be approaching any doors himself..) I learned anecdotally, that he had not fared well in other pairts. Happy days!
“The choice facing voters in East Renfrewshire is much the same as the one facing the rest of Scotland – it’s between Labour and the Tories.”
Absolutely appalling ignorance.
The very same ignorance that has dragged Labour down to the gutter so very fast.
And he’s too stupid to pick up on this one crucial trait.
He sounds like that old lady who phoned into the Natalie Bennett LBC a few days ago…although that was a welcome distraction given the circumstances.
What would be Smurphy’s greatest loss…….?any scenario where loss of career opportunity loss of prestige loss of earnings (is he still renting out his 2nd home in London? The one we’ve paid for) Smurph is out to look out after number one but any loss of earnings would hurt this guy the most it means more than anything to him. Remember this guy will do anything he has already sold his soul don’t be surprised to any lies dirty tricks miss information he comes out with hell do it for the Smurph survival.
Imagine a wee blue dvd!
Piece in SH this morning where the Smurph refuses to state whether he will serve full- term as MP. The Smurph has never been interested in Scottish Politics so why has he went out of his way to become Scottish Labour branch Manager? Was it because Milliband wanted him out of the way for being useless or was it that his ego has been fuelled by the fact he has been told he is the big political beast and saviour to prevent Labour Electoral Disaster in Scotland?
naw this guy is edging his bets. If he succeeds in preventing labour melt down hero worship awaits and ministerial job as thanks. If he fails he has the runner up prize of trying for 1st Minister. You cant keep a shroud political careerist down. All planned all calculated.