Other SNP Luminaries Speak - Tam Smith

I've been quiet all week, not able to keep an eye on t'internet. So I've only just checked on Tam Smith the SNP candidate for Linlithgow and East Falkirk's website. Since one of my last posts before the crash was looking at Tam's propensity to speak the talk of other SNP luminaries I'm pleased to see other's are now speaking on his blog.

In the last week he appears to have learnt the lesson and is quoting Angus Robertson from this news story. I'm glad to see that honesty has finally come to the SNP candidates website about just who is saying what. I hope that this is a sign of integrity in his campaigning techniques over the coming months.

Although he doesn't seem to have used the quoted in the story that says that Glasgow can end 74 years of Labour neglect that was posted on the SNP site on Wednesday.

"In the last few days Labour’s campaign has collapsed as revelation after revelation has shown up Labour’s hypocrisy.

"In the last four days it has emerged that Labour are planning 4000 job cuts in the city, slashed 300 teaching posts, are withholding £300 million of funding from the Glasgow Commonwealth and are cutting more than 40% of seats on a vital rail link into the city.

"In contrast, the SNP is winning support as we offer a fresh start for the constituency with a strong voice to speak up for Glasgow North East and to stand by the people of this area"

So if the SNP where gaining support and Labour were collapsing, just how bad were they this time last week? After all the end result was a 3:1 difference in support on the night. Was it 4:1, 5:1 just how bad were their canvas returns looking. One has to wonder just what the figures in Alec Neill's pocket were in the STV studio on Thursday night. I witnessed how far off their prediction was at first hand in Glenrothes, remember their similar quotes before Dunfermline and West Fife. Of course in fairness I also saw Labour appear to have got it wrong first hand in Livingston, I'd never seen such faces as long as Lurgan spades from the Labour mob in West Lothian before that night, and that was before the boxes started to arrive.

First Minister's Admission of Cockiness

Yes in today's Times there is an admission from Alex Salmond that he was "too cocky" during the Glenrothes by-election. That was the election that everybody it seemed, except for those of doing the Lib Dem box counts, thought was too close to call even as the ballots were being counted.

The announcement came that Salmond who personally spent 11 days in Glenrothes said he would be taking a lower profile approach this time around. Considering only last autumn he was basically braying for Gordon Brown to come up and get involved in the fight. But he now states that his too much of a hands on approach cost the SNP the election this is a strange u-Turn for the party that two years ago on their list candidates for Holyrood had 'Alex Salmond for First Minister' rather than the party name.

Maybe as John Curtis, Strathclyde University's Professor of Politics points out this isn't so much about an admission of the First Minister's cockiness, but an admission of defeat.

"If you don't think you are going to win, taking a less visible part in the contest would be the sensible strategy. You don't want to be associated with something which could be regarded as failure but I don't accept that Alex Salmond lost them Glenrothes. They lost because the SNP was out-campaigned by Labour and did not take enough notice of Labour's attacks."

Another admission from a friend is also interesting, stating that he doesn't want to overshadow the candidate former BBC journalist David Kerr, and that "He is mindful that he is not the candidate". Interesting comment in that is he mindful that he is also not a candidate in the Westminster elections coming up next year where he insists on being in on the leadership debates.

Tory Clean Fight Deja Vu

I see that the Conservatives like the SNP have selected a former BBC journalist as their PPC for Glasgow North East, in Ruth Davidson. However, with echoes of Chloe Smith in Norwich North she went straight for the "fight a clean and honest campaign" sound bite. As Norfolk Blogger, Nich Starling, points out the Green who insitigated that pledge and the Tory who signed it have both proven to be less honest, clean and open than they pledged to be.

So is it just me or does having to say I'm looking for a clean and honest campaign out in the public domain, rather that doing what she also said she woud do and focus on the issues. The fact that the Tory leaders David Cameron and Annabel Goldie both feel the need to emphasis the point I think says more about Tory Parliamentarians than anything about that campaign. I have so far heard all three candidates and leaders over the word honest. It's a little like the cockney spiv saying 'onest Gov, innit?

I hope that my initial reaction is proven to me wrong, but for this to be the first step and so overly played at that, it does make one wonder, sadly.

Abusive Conversation

First Witch: All hail, Salmond! Hail to thee, Thane of Banff and
Buchan!
Second Witch: All hail, Salmond! Hail to thee, Thane of
Gordon!
Third Witch: All hail, Salmond! That shalt be King thereafter?!?

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II recently moved the timing of an event in Norwich so as not to make it appear political in nature. Not so much by her turning up, but no doubt to stop many of the candidates looking for a photo opportunity with her.

However, there are no such qualms with the man who would want to be the next King of Scotland. On September 1 there has now been arranged a new leg of the National 'Conversation' roadshow in Molendinar Community Centre.

So what you may ask? Well the location is slap bang in Glasgow North East, the scene of the next Westminster by election. So a taxpayer funded event highlighting one of the key policy differences of one of the parties is to take place during the period between the MP standing down and the writ being moved for the by election.

The National Conversation has been a soliloquy in the best Shakespearean traditions, all of Scotland's a stage and all the men and women merely listen to what the Nats have to say. The initial website was a hive for cybernats who quickly quashed out any overtly pro-union voice swiftly by diversionary posting. The currently tour taking the message out to the people is very much pro-independence and has cost the tax payer almost £500,000 last year, £341,356 on staff and Civil Service costs and £55,000 on publishing publicity materials.

The SNP are claiming that this decision to hold this here was made before Mr Martin took the decision to stand down. Yet there no advanced publicity of any kind, not even through National Conversation sources to point this upcoming event, which has only appeared recently on timetables.

Nats are also claiming that the timing and location of such meetings were made by officials. Officials had advised against moving a ministerial announcement to Glenrothes during last years by election, but the SNP Government went ahead anyway.

So already there is some doubt to be cast over the cover up that the party of Government in Scotland is making that they are not abusing taxpayers money in the run up to a by election.

You can almost imagine the Lady Sturgeon in the Ladies' bathroom at Holyrood wringing her hands:

Out, damned plot. Out I say!

Footnote: Of course as ever at the Edinburgh Fringe that is great deal of Shakespeare, or homages, on show including the Scottish play.

Lib Dem Eileen Baxendale to Stand in Glasgow North East

As Andrew and Caron have already told you, if you read their blogs, the Lib Dems have today announced that Eileen Baxendale has been selected as the candidate for the by election in Glasgow North East to replace the former speaker Michael Martin.

Having been a social worker for 28 years, a director of the Fair Shares Trust, Ethnic Minorities Law Centre and Minority Ethnic Christians Together in Scotland Eileen brings a breadth and wealth of experience that would enhance the Houses of Commons.

Commenting on her selection the South Lanarkshire Councillor said:

"At a time when faith in MPs is at an all time low, it’s time for a fresh start in Springburn.

"Gordon Brown’s Labour Government is gasping its last breath. Labour are out of touch and letting local people down. The SNP is no alternative. They will be full of empty promises - their track record at Holyrood speaks volumes.

"If people in Glasgow North East want a committed voice to stand up for them in Westminster, they should vote Liberal Democrat. I will be a strong champion for the people of Glasgow North East."

She now faces Alex Salmond's chosen one former BBC journalist David Kerr for the SNP and Labour's Willie Bain, in an election the date of which has yet to be decided. This has been a busy Westminster term for us in Scotland after Livingston, Dunfermline & West Fife, Glasgow East and Glenrothes, we now face our fifth Westminster by election. Yet again it is commutable from the main urban hubs of Edinburgh, Sterling and Dundee (and all places in between) and of course Glasgow itself.

Will You Still Vote Me, Tomorrow

There has been a rush this afternoon to get through the unfinished business of the House of Commons on the last day of the parliamentary session. Snuck in the middle of that was a SNP attempt to move the writ for the Glasgow North East by election.

Many people including Scottish Unionist (I kid you not) were rooting for the SNP.

Harriet Harman as Leader of the House moved an amendment opposing the writ being moved today. Saying that she wanted a by election when most people have the chance to vote. But wasn't it only last year that they rushed the Glasgow East election through just so that there would be less people able to vote as it was scheduled during the Glasgow fair period (something Angus Robertson pointed out shortly after I tweeted it). I guess having lost then the Labour Party aren't trusting their own voters to be around in the summer.

Patrick Cormack of the Conservatives did point out that Harriet Harman suggestion that the speak was last elected as a Labour MP was in error as in 2001 and 2005 he stood as the speaker. As one of this colleagues pointed out that effectively made him an independent as he represented no party. This was part of the crux of the SNP argument for Parliament to be able to move this writ not a particular party.

David Heath of the Lib Dems pointed out that there was an issue with the system (yes another one) in that the majority party could use this situation for political gain rather than for the good of the people.

But Jim Sheridan did shot a hole in another thrust of the SNPs case that the people of Glasgow North East would be unrepresented in the House until November. When he raised that with the exception only of the Sinn Fein member the members of Banff and Buchan had the MP with the worst voting record in the commons going on for far longer than the time Glasgow NE would be without an MP.

In the end the amendment passed 238 - 127 so we still have to wait for a Glasgow by election. As Paul Waugh of the Evening Standard pointed out with that figure is the SNP had tipped off the Conservatives and Lib Dems with a little Matt Santos-esque heading to Norwich subterfuge they may well have pulled it off.


Tom Harris, who contributed to the debate, Tweeted:

SNP motion defeated. They complained that the Glasgow East by-election was in the summer, now moaning that North East will be Nov. Lambs!

A speakers conference was mentioned during the debate. The issue of replacing a speaker may be an issue to be discussed for reform. But well done for the SNP for having the cajones to challenge convention and Parliamentary procedure in this way. Shame on Labour for being the only obstacle.

Candidate Mocks Glasgow Universities

The Principal of Glasgow Caledonian University has branded the SNP candidate for the Glasgow North East by election a 'dangerous elitist' for his comments in 2007 that the university did "not have a reputation to tarnish" at this alma mater St Andrews.

Now I have a lot to thank St. Andrews for, not least of which is that two Graduates of that institution have provided me two gorgeous nephews. But I ended up at a Polytechnic originally before coming away with a University degree when Kingston moved from one status to the other. I agree with Dr Ian Johnston's comments that the majority of the mainly vocational courses are externally professionally accredited, and so offer a good route to employment. As Willie Rennie MP for Dunfermline and West Fife also says:

'The institutions have a good reputation for their partnerships with industry and for improving the life opportunities of thousands of people of all ages and from a wide diversity of backgrounds.

'In fact I would argue that Paisley and Glasgow Colleges gave a bigger lift or added value to their students than those institutions that Mr Kerr thinks are only worthy of any consideration.'

Indeed I do recall that at the end of my first term of University comparing notes with some of my school friends who were also studying Economics elsewhere, including St. Andrews. As we were only studying one course and not the other lines of study that the University's insisted on we'd actually covered more in that first three months than they would encounter in their first year.

As Willie says thankfully not all people associated with the ancient Universities think that way. But there are a number of people that they churn out that think deriding the newer Universities is a matter of jest, that they can be make 'light-hearted' comments about. The people who attend such places often don't have the privileges that many of the ancient Graduates have had. It's hardly surprising that even during my brother's time at St. Andrews there was a degree of social climbing that some people tried to do in that fine Fife institution. Aiming for acceptance by the 'Yahs' the group of those with received pronunciation, often Oxbridge rejects, was a goal for some.

The SNP are trying to wipe away this sort of comment as a one off joke, yet a BBC source said Kerr was always seen as "a bit arrogant" by colleagues. "He thinks other people aren't as intelligent as he is."

Is that sort of person really going to be best placed to serve the people of NE Glasgow?

Nats Hobson's Choice for Glasgow North East

Well there is a new SNP short list for the candidate to contest the Glasgow North East by election and I list it below in full:

David Kerr

There you have it. The only name on the list is that of former BBC Scotland Journalist David Kerr.

However, the press do need to get their facts straight over this 4th candidate thing. Anne McLaughlin didn't so much step down as step aside while elevated to MSP. Don't forget she had been the de facto candidate for a replacement on the list since 2007 as well as PPC for Glasgow North East. Of course the fact that the SNP were the only of the big for Scottish parties to have a PPC to stand against the then speaker has added to their misery over this affair.

As for Grant Thoms who replaced Anne as PPC from what I understand the SNP party rules are very similar to those of the Lib Dems. In the event of a by election any PPC in place is able to apply for the position of by election candidate, he decided not to at this time. The Scotsman said he withdrew over unguarded comments on his blog which may be a far more accurate description than the Herald calling it a controversial blog. Tartan Hero was no more a controversial blog than any of the other partisan blogs in the Scottish Blogosphere, and the bloggers do, with the odd exceptions, tend to largely get on.

The only really controversial thing about this whole selection procedure is how James Dornan, the man who beat Kerr in the selection last week, expected to hide his financial issues in the full glare of a by election spot light. To be honest it makes Grant's decision not to stand for either the comments or his sexuality look mediocre in comparison, indeed in light of the current climate in Parliament such honesty in a politician would have been a refreshing asset.

Anyway as it stands the SNP members of Glasgow North East will this evening be more than likely endorsing the preferred candidate of Alex Salmond. That is unless there is another twist in the tale and he doesn't carry the room. Then what?