Friday, March 7, 2008

Gordon Brown has lost the plot

Indygal here. I’ve been catching up with the news back home and I was angered although not at all surprised to hear about the stushie the possibility of the SNP getting into power caused amongst the unionists last year. Ming Campbell’s autobiography apparently reveals secret talks with Gordon Brown last year about forming a third Labour-Lib Dem coalition “to stop the SNP”.

Latest revelations are that GB (in a desperate attempt to cling on to GB) ordered the Scottish Labour Party to support a Tory First Minister if necessary - so long as they “kept the SNP out”.

I wonder why. Did they really think the SNP would be that bad at government? Proved them wrong if that’s the case. Don’t think it is though - think it’s the opposite. They obviously thought (knew) the SNP would make such a good job of it that people would wake up and smell the coffee and realise that there is no reason in the world for Scotland not to make its own decisions.

They must be horrified right now at the good deal we’re getting from the SNP government. Scotland doing well? We can’t have that! Stop it now before they give them a referendum - what if the people of Scotland exercise free will, put their brains in gear and actually vote for NORMALITY?!

And that is what’s wrong with these power crazed British politicians in the Unionist parties across the UK - they don’t actually believe in democracy, they believe that they are right but worst of all, they will do anything to deny the people of Scotland the right to decide in a referendum. The idea that Labour would support the Tories in government is abhorrent. All credit to Jack McConnell for refusing but shame on Gordon Brown - he has lost the plot!

Posted by Anne McLaughlin AKA IndyGal at 04:56:38 | Permalink | Comments (3)

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Through a glass darkly

Hi again, Indypal One here.  Still waiting for Indypals Two, Three and Four to show themselves.  Where are you?  I feel like I am hogging the limelight here, which is not in my nature.

I have been pondering how unpredictable politics can be.  Sometimes issues you think are going to take off don’t - and  issues that haven’t really registered with you do.  Who would have thought that planning would be the new political hot potato? I have never taken any interest in planning and it has always appeared to be a rather complex subject that very few people understand.  But it’s become the talk of the steamie, what with the Trump and Aviemore application controversies.

Clearly the Labour/Lib Dem alliance think that the SNP is vulnerable on this front.  I heard Duncan McNeil, Labour’s Witchfinder General, on the radio this morning gleefully listing all the SNP ministers he claimed were having problems with live planning applications.  There must be a reason why they think this is a good line of attack.  My theory is that they reckon  no-one outside the planning community has the faintest idea what the rules are and therefore most of us are not in a position to judge whether they have been broken.   There are signs of a backlash against this tactic, however something tells me it ain’t over yet.

Locally, here in Glasgow, Labour have been gunning for Nicola Sturgeon over her involvement in a planning application in her constituency.  This is quite an interesting tale, so bear with me while I tell it.  The proposal is for a treetop adventure course in an area of woodland in Pollok Park which is in Govan constituency. A public meeting organised by a group of community councils opposed to the planning application attracted a very big turnout and some local publicity to the effect that many people feel the consultation run by the council was  rubbish.  The Executive member responsible wrote a letter to the Herald saying that she thought the consultation process was fine.  Nicola Sturgeon responded with a letter setting out why she disagreed which indicated her own opposition to the application. So far so good.  But then it all went haywire and the next thing we knew Nicola Sturgeon was being accused of breaking the ministerial code of conduct!

That’s a pretty major allegation to throw at a government minister and I was shocked at it.  Surely Nicola could not have made a mistake like that?  Well, no she hadn’t.  Ministers are debarred from taking any part in the decision making process about a planning application in their constituency so there is no conflict of interest and no reason for her not to express her view  - and more importantly to express the views of her constituents.

t took me all of ten minutes to track down and read through the ministerial code of conduct to establish this fact.  It is hard to believe that the Labour councillor who made the accusation couldn’t have managed to do the same thing.  Even if he couldn’t, the Labour Council Group has a policy adviser who could surely have provided that information if he was asked for it.  I am forced to the conclusion that this is more about party politicking than about the integrity of the planning process. That’s a bit worrying because the integrity of the planning process is important for all sorts of reasons.  It would be nice if we could all remember that….

Posted by Anne McLaughlin AKA IndyGal at 17:54:41 | Permalink | No Comments »

Saturday, November 3, 2007

Labour’s “conversion” to Independence

So, David Cairns MP will today tell Scotland that it’s okay, we ARE capable of being Independent after all. Oh well then - thanks very much David! But tell me, why the change of heart? Until now your party has spent its time telling us that it would be folly to go it alone. That we, alone amongst the countries of the world, were incapable of running our own affairs. Indeed you spent a fair bit of money on producing some horrific images of the “nightmare” we’d be living if we had the temerity to make our own decisions. So the turnaround can only be down to one of two options. Either:

*You are a very slow learner, and I mean VERY slow

or

*You knew all along that Scotland was no different to the rest of the world and was more than capable of running her own affairs.

If the former, that’s not your fault, we’re born with the intelligence that we’re born with - but maybe it’s best you find a new job as we need fast learners when it comes to running countries.

If the latter, you lied and THAT really would be your fault. It wasn’t a little lie, not even a white lie, it was a huge lie that has been perpetuated by the likes of you on the people of your country for decades. We don’t just need fast learners, we need honest people running our country.

I realise you didn’t intend this to happen but I hope and believe your endorsement of Independence will accelerate the process and before long, our SNP Government  will lead us to full Independence and we can continue to govern with integrity, with honesty and ALWAYS for the people of Scotland.

Posted by Anne McLaughlin AKA IndyGal at 09:59:41 | Permalink | Comments (6)

Thursday, September 27, 2007

Gordon Brown: make your mind up time

I am convinced we are going to hear shortly that Gordon Brown has chosen 2007 for the Westminster election. I will never understand why an individual gets a “honeymoon” period when they’ve been an integral part of the government for a decade, but they do. And he’s still on his. If he’s any sense, he’ll not wait for the voters to figure out that he’s no different to Tony Blair and he’ll go now. Yes if he hangs on now, he could hang on for 3 years or so but he’ll always have the question of the election hanging over his head. If he goes now and wins he has five years and he personally has a mandate to rule Britannia. David Cameron’s honeymoon period has been over for a while so the Tories are unlikely to be a huge threat. But as all weddeds know, the magic can always be recreated given a little time. No, I think GB is not stupid, I reckon he’ll go for it now and win. He can then move forward without the distraction of an election. My money’s always been on this autumn / winter. All may be revealed later …
Posted by Anne McLaughlin AKA IndyGal at 14:59:33 | Permalink | No Comments »

Friday, April 27, 2007

Kick Kerr into touch

Shame on Andy Kerr and shame on the Labour Party for their disgraceful abuse of nurses. As Health Minister for this country, Mr Kerr was accused of blatant electioneering when he suddenly changed his mind and decided to give the nurses their well deserved payrise straight away. Just before an election! He’d previously said “we’re only Scotland, we can’t do that” or words to that effect. Today however, we’re told that in actual fact the nurses will not be getting their payrise in this month’s pay packet as promised.

So Labour get their “hit” and the nurses get slapped in the face. My suggestion? Kick Andy Kerr and his bunch of shameless charlatans into touch next Thursday and elect a government that will follow words with action!

http://news.scotsman.com/politics.cfm?id=647662007

Posted by Anne McLaughlin AKA IndyGal at 09:30:12 | Permalink | Comments (1) »