Former Labour Equality Minister in Gingerphobic Attack

There was always one chant I always felt uncomfortable with in the stands at Scottish football stands. It was the one attacking the poor unfortunate ginger player on the opposition team, and how his natural colouring was unacceptable. The reason being that being in Scotland there were plenty of ginger fans in our own section, heck the majority of what are now my grey hairs on head or in beard once were ginger.

Therefore to stand at your parties Scottish conference and make a ginger gibe can't not have gone down too well, one of the people sat on the platform looks rather uncomfortable as she applauds, the former Women and Equalities Minister, for it is her. She went futher and called him a rodent. Actually seeing a beavers are rodents and stem the torrent of resources washing away maybe we should use that. Danny Alexander Chief Dambuilder to the Treasury.

There is one other thing, my Lib Dem colleagues in Scotland haven't mutated into Tories and more than they mutated in Labourites during eight years of coalition Government in Scotland. Harriet in Scotland the people understand coalition is the coming together for a common cause, it does not take away from either party what makes them fundamentally themselves.

When will Labour start to talk policy rather than hurl insults? If they want to win seats they have to say what they will do, rather than merely saying, "Oh no! You can't be doing that."

Grow up Labour. Get back into politics and out of the playground name calling.

Update: Here is the Twitter comeback from Danny Alexander:

"I am proud to be ginger and rodents do valuable work cleaning up mess others leave behind. Red squirrel deserves to survive, unlike Labour"

Danny Alexander

I'm back at work today after a long weekend as are our politicians. I fully expect that the Times today will be getting a request for the original of Peter Brookes cartoon from the Treasury.

People in the public eye used to say that if Spitting Image didn't have a puppet of you you'd yet to make it. So the cartoon (I'll not link as I'm sticking to refusing to link to future pay-walled site) has George Osborne shoes off feet kicking behind him on the chair, having crayoned in with primary colours 'BUDGET' at the top of a blank sheet. Danny Alexander peeking over the table is asking "Are we allowed to use the sharp scissors?".

It is a play on the fact that the two of them in the treasury are young, but that doesn't mean that the new Chief Secretary to the Treasury doesn't have the gravitas or experience for the job. He was the man who was Nick Clegg's aide and the author of the first Liberal Democrat manifesto to have planks put into a UK-wide programme of government. He was part of the negotiating team that struck the deal, and impressed his Tory opposite numbers.

If he hadn't impressed Osborne also part of those negotiations I doubt he would have been the replacement for David Laws. Of course in his 18 days Laws did make a mighty big impression from the off. Danny is going to have to do the same there is a budget coming up and he's going to have to carry on the work that David had started.

U is for Unfair

A continuing series of spelling out Conservative plans part 9.

Today Danny Alexander MP for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey and Nick Clegg's chief of staff highlights how unfair David Cameron's marriage tax breaks will be by highlighting a few examples that we are all aware of that shows it inherent unfairness. I've emboldened some of the key phrases within his statement.

"David Cameron didn't just mess up because he blundered in an interview, he messed up because his policy is incoherent and fundamentally unfair.

"It is unfair because it gives tax breaks to married couples where one person can afford to stay at home, but does nothing for couples who both work.

"It is unfair because a family that loses one parent will have their tragedy compounded by an effective tax rise.

"And it is unfair because ultimately it takes money from the pockets of poorer families and gives it to rich ones.

"When the country is mired in recession and public finances are in a dire state, this is a mess that we cannot afford.

"Labour has failed to deliver fairness and the Tories can't be trusted to make the country fairer. Only the Liberal Democrats will build a fairer Britain."

Compare that with the far promises on tax that Nick Clegg has recently be laying out that are Lib Dem policy.

"Our plan would mean that the first £10,000 you earn would be free of income tax. This would be paid for by taxing income and capital at the same rate, phasing out special pension subsidies for highest-rate earners, switching tax from income to pollution and introducing a mansion tax on the value of homes above £2 million."

Everyone would benefit from the lift from just over £6,500 to £10,000 of the tax threshold.

With capital being taxed at the same rate as income tax the rich will not be able to avoid paying what is their due by shifting income into capital to gain the lower rate up to the margin.

Aiming for a greener way of taxing so that as we pollute we pay. We know there are some in our remotest areas who have no option but to drive and we are also looking at ways to be fair to them too.

While Cameron in looking to give the super rich a nice handout through his proposed reforms of the inheritance tax at the top end, we realise that the super rich, who can afford to buy and to run £2m houses, can afford to pay an progressive tax as a result to again help out the poorest who pay proportionately more income in tax, and that would increase under the Tories.

Compare the tax policies for fairness. Shouldn't a progressive Britain (one of Dave's favourite phrases just now) have progressive and fair taxation? If so, then the Lib Dems are the way to go.

Lib Demming Across the Universe

Who says Glee Club is a waste of time? It certainly seems to inspire the songwriters amongst us Lib Dems. You may have read my posting from last night, this one is buried by anonymous commenter on Jennie Rigg's blog, I feel it needs a wider audience. Whoever wrote this is a genius, though as Jennie says 'has WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY too much typing time'.

Lib Demmin' across the universe,
On the Starship Libbyduck under Captain Clegg.
Lib Demmin' across the universe,
No longer coming third because Labour's polling worse.

Lt. Swinson, report.
There's defectors on the starboard bow, starboard bow, starboard bow;
there's defectors on the starboard bow, starboard bow, Nick.

Analysis, Mr. Huhne.
It's P.R., Nick, but not as we know it, not as we know it, not as we know it;
it's P.R., Nick, but not as we know it, not as we know it, Captain.

There's defectors on the starboard bow, starboard bow, starboard bow;
there's defectors on the starboard bow, starboard bow, Nick.

Lib Demmin' across the universe,
On the Starship Libbyduck under Captain Clegg.
Lib Demmin' across the universe,
Only going forward, still can't find reverse.

Polling update, Mr. Davey.
It's worse than that, we're stuffed, Nick, stuffed, Nick, stuffed, Nick;
it's worse than that, we're stuffed, Nick, stuffed, Nick, stuffed.

It's P.R., Nick, but not as we know it, not as we know it, not as we know it;
it's P.R., Nick, but not as we know it, not as we know it, Captain.

There's defectors on the starboard bow, starboard bow, starboard bow;
there's defectors on the starboard bow, starboard bow, Nick.

Gunnery officer, Hilary Stephenson:
Ah! We come in peace, Focus to kill, Focus to kill, Focus to kill;
we come in peace, Focus to kill, Focus to kill, men.

It's worse than that, we're stuffed, Nick, stuffed, Nick, stuffed, Nick;
it's worse than that, we're stuffed, Nick, stuffed, Nick, stuffed.

Well, it's P.R., Nick, but not as we know it, not as we know it, not as we know it;
it's P.R., Nick, but not as we know it, not as we know it, Captain.

There's defectors on the starboard bow, starboard bow, starboard bow;
there's defectors on the starboard bow, scrape 'em off, Nick.

Lib Demmin' across the universe,
On the Starship Libbyduck under Captain Clegg.
Lib Demmin' across the universe,
Only going forward, and things are getting worse!

Engineer, Mr. Alexander:
Ye cannot change the manifesto, manifesto, manifesto;
ye cannot change the manifesto, manifesto, Nick.

Ah! We come in peace, Focus to kill, Focus to kill, Focus to kill;
we come in peace, Focus to kill; Hilary, beam me up!

It's worse than that, we're stuffed, Nick, stuffed, Nick, stuffed, Nick;
it's worse than that, we're stuffed, Nick, stuffed, Nick, stuffed.

Well, it's P.R., Nick, but not as we know it, not as we know it, not as we know it;
it's P.R., Nick, but not as we know it, not as we know it, Captain.

There's defectors on the starboard bow, starboard bow, starboard bow;
there's defectors on the starboard bow, better calm down!

Ye cannot change the script Nick.
Och, #!*& Nicky.

It's worse than that, it's national swing, Nick.

Bridge to engine room, deploy Cable.

Och, if I give it any more she'll blow, Cap'n!

Lib Demmin' across the universe,
On the Starship Libbyduck under Captain Clegg.
Lib Demmin' across the universe,
No longer coming third because Labour's polling worse.

Lib Demmin' across the universe,
On the Starship Libbyduck under Captain Clegg.
Lib Demmin' across the universe,
Never passed a policy the leader can't reverse.