Quoted for truth #5
An unnamed SNP spokesman on STV News:
“We have no wish to comment on Cllr Matheson’s private life. The issues which are important to the city are Labour’s scandalous £500,000 pay-off to a supposed anti-poverty boss which has been condemned by the charity regulator, the closure of day centres for adults with learning disabilities without consultation, and their incompetence over plans to redevelop George Square.”
Still, we’re sure that free wi-fi will be along any day now.
Had it been an SNP chappie I suspect the coverage might have been more extensive.
Sorry for being caught is like an Armstrong apology.
Can anyone imagine Labour being able to resist such an easy opportunity for a dig if it had been an SNP council leader that had been exposed as having a good old “moment of madness”? If Matheson goes, it should be for the financial scandals (including selling off land for a fraction of its cost, apparently – no shock there, they did the exact same thing in Aberdeen), not because he was caught cheating on his partner in a public car park.
Maybe we should wait for the full truth to come out though – maybe the guy he’s been having an affair with is an installation engineer from TalkTalk?
“I can hook you up for free WiFi if you like…”
Well said, that unnamed SNP spokesman.
Mr Matheson can deal with his partner when he gets home.
Why do the people of Glasgow put up with the other crap; are they really that disinterested?
Off topic but I was offered a free Record today in the newsagent which I refused, is this a nationwide promotion and is it a sign of how bad the paper is that they cannot even give it away!!
His “affairs” are between him and his partner. They cost the taxpayer nothing.
His misspending of public funds is our business. They cost millions.
I, too, wonder if he’d been with the SNP would the Record or the Herald have printed such sympathetic reports? And would Labour have managed the restraint shown by the SNP spokesman?
As others have said, his sexuality should play no part in his vilification. He is simply not a nice person, and has shown that he shouldn’t be trusted in his private, as well as his public, life.
OT
There’s a tweet from BBC’s Douglas Fraser a couple of minutes ago
“I’ve just recorded a 30-min interview with Blair Jenkins of Yes Scotland, answering readers’ questions. Online within c 2 hours.
Thats interesting Elizabeth, I presume the interview must be about the economy otherwise the political editor should have been conducting the piece.
I would expect a few ‘planted’ questions from Fraser’s pals at the Fraser of Allander Institute and John ‘Oh the burden of Oil !‘ MacLaren
People (including SNP supporters) try to pretend they think the SNP is an “ok” goverment so that Union supporters won’t think they are fanatics or braveheart nationalists. However when you read this (along with so many other examples), you realise they’re just they type of goverment almost any country in the world would wish for. It has nothing to do with the independence debate, they have done an excelent job (with some mistakes along the way like anyone) and there´s few evidence to rebuke that.
I could’nt give a damn about his sexuality, but if you are leader of the majority party in power for the Glasgow Council, the largest city in Scotland and you are dumb enough to get caught doing a sexual act in a car in a public place with someone who is not your partner, then you will get everything you deserve.
Because you are a complete numpty, and Glasgow deserves to have better as head of its council.
I would rather Matheson be removed from representing Glasgow on the world stage.
Common Wealth Games ?
His behavior in full view of the public was outrages and totally un acceptable for a high profile Public servant.
He has to go.
I hope the un named receiver of Mathesons full blown attention will do a Monika Lewenski.
I just wish they would stop referring to him ‘performing’ a sex act. It makes it sound like a piece of street theatre where there was an appreciative Glasgow audience.
I don’t know, is juggling balls not a street performance?
I’m not sure if his remaining in place is tenable, although what he gets up to in his private life should be just that, private.
Annoyingly, if its this that he does end up resigning for, it paints a pretty poor picture of GCC and Scottish Labour more generally.
So many jokes though… Perhaps he seen the light and is coming over to the yes, yes ,YES Scotland team?
Will folk start telling ‘black’ jokes next?
‘Labour’s scandalous £500,000 pay-off‘
It is worth noting that Labour’s generosity to Mr Saez doesn’t end there. Once Ronnie left GERA with just £500,000 to get him by he set up his own company. Can you guess which city council has it’s logo proudly displayed on his clients page? Also interesting to note that GRA (the successor to GERA) are also listed as a client.
link to divercities.org.uk
I feel that Freedom of Information urge coming on me again. Let’s find out just how much public money our Mr Saez has been pocketing at for what.
I had caught onto this story when It broke last evening, and decided to have a bit of fun with it..
link to auldacquaintance.wordpress.com
To be honest I was gobsmacked that the sleazy little tosspot was getting any sex at all………………………..
It’s stupid that in Glasgow you get in more political bother for going on your knees in a car than for going on your knees begging the Orange Order for votes.
BBC Scotlandshire has went straight to the jugular over the Matheson affair lol!
@tartanfever
re Douglas Fraser interview with Blair Jenkins. Looking for it on the BBC website (not there yet), I came across a page (politics page) dated 14th January “Put your Referendum questions to Blair Jenkins”….it says “Mr Jenkins will be grilled on these issues and more during the half-hour interview, which will be published on BBC Scotland’s politics website”
Presumably this is the same interview. .
I’d far rather he’d got done for the corruption running amok in Glasgow chambers. How much of an embarrassing disaster he makes of his private life is down to him.
I do not care for Mathieson, but if the only people who saw this incident were cops patrolling with entrapment in mind, well, do we really need them doing that? You can get into a hell of a lot of trouble for having a piss in a public place too. Ever been caught up a lane having a piss by a cop? It is a henious crime to give into bodily necessities, so it is.
Not that that has happened to me, oh no, honest guv.
There’s no doubt that this was a bad blow for Labour.
Matheson must be really fed up that it’s all over the papers and probably all over the broad sheets as well.
What is it with Glasgow Labour that they are so keen on having homosexual council leaders? And when will they get to the bottom of it?
Where’s Finbarr Saunders when you need him?
Seriously though, if he’s been caught with his hand in his mum’s purse, so to speak, I hope the full weight of the law comes down on him, without any outside considerations being taken in to account.
Had Mr Matheson been straight and was doing his own missus in a car park in the south side, he would, quite probably, STILL have been arrested and charged with the same offence. Remember Gillain Taylforth from Eastenders and the way the press hounded her? Worth bearing in mind. He broke the law, and that is always a serious indictment for a public official.
As has been said, his cosy alliance with the orange order is of far more concern to the folks of Glasgow than his boring, if not inconsequential sexual escapades.
Ysabelle says:
“I just wish they would stop referring to him ‘performing’ a sex act. It makes it sound like a piece of street theatre where there was an appreciative Glasgow audience.”
Trust me, Ysabelle, for many of us any sex act IS a piece of street theatre, especially as one ages.
Playing devil’s advocate here for a minute . . .
Would it be too crass to suggest that the unnamed SNP spokesman should be sacked along with whoever else had a hand in this announcement?
When your enemy hands you a bat, hit him over the head with it! Exploit every weakness he has. If he presents no weaknesses – invent some.
This is how Labour, the Tories, the Liberals, the press, and broadcast media, think when targeting the First Minister and others in the Scottish Government.
What do you think would have happened had Salmond been the one in that car? He would be toast.
By all means, profess your disdain for the publicity this sordid peccadillo has generated, then use surrogates to do the dirty.
@ Christian Wright
I wouldn’t like to meet you in a dark alley. I still think there is plenty of opportunity to let the Unionists hoist themselves on their own petard. Then put the boot in, gouge the eyes, etc.