SNP Playing Politics

Salmond Caught Out

Listening to the radio this morning while getting ready to go to work I heard a story that Alex Salmond Scotland's First Minister was making a trip to London to participate in the business of dissolving Parliament. Angus Robertson the SNP leader at Westminster rejected claims that Salmond should be in Edinburgh voting saying that they were not going to play politics.

Unfortunately for Mr Robertson and Mr Salmond I can't help but think that the ordinary public will be thinking that this is exactly what they are doing, the vote in the Scottish Parliament today was to modernise Scotland's rape laws. How the dissolution of the UK Parliament trumps the Rape laws of Scotland is beyond me and I am sure it is beyond every rape victim in Scotland.

It angered me to hear that Mr Salmond, Mr Robertson and the SNP thought that the vote on the dissolution of Parliament was more important than the bill he announced in September 2007. They were not just playing politics they were blatantly flaunting the fact in the face of every rape victim, every family member of a rape victim and the general public as a whole, it was disgusting, arrogant and self aggrandising, but then again nothing less than we expect from the SNP and Mr Salmond.

Scottish Budget Crisis

Dishonorable SNP

The SNP budget has been voted down and immediately Alex Salmond decided that the best idea would be to try the same tactic as last year and threaten to resign if they did not get it through next time.

To be honest I am getting sick of his idle threats, the fact that he is willing to jeopardize the stability of the Scottish system by even hinting at this gives you a measure of how dishonorable the man is. Most if not all of the news reports that I have seen so far have called this a crisis for the SNP, the Greens are furious at the idea that the SNP would think that coming up to them minutes before the vote and saying yeah we change change it if you like after knowing for months exactly what the greens want would actually work.

This episode has shown the audacity and sheer arogance of the SNP and in particular Mr Salmond who must take the blame for this fiasco.

Alex 'Thatcher' Salmond

On Yer Bike

On Margaret Thatcher and her policies Alex Salmond apparently thinks that Scotland and I quote "didn't mind the economic side so much. But we didn't like the social side at all." Of Course the problem we had with the Poll Tax wasn't the economics it had nothing to do with the fact that we were down and beaten by years of recession and unemployment with the decimation of our national industries, it was because well it just wasn't very nice!!

Does anyone else see the problem here? The fact that the First Minister of Scotland decided that in order to clarify his position had to call a radio call in show shows a level of desperation that no other leader of our country has ever even considered displaying, the scary thing is that the SNP will try and spin this as being in touch with 'the people'.

While talking to a few friends -a few of whom are SNP members- even they agreed that this made them look stupid, although on the back of the SNP locally awarding the directors of service a 16.7% pay rise and then having the bear faced cheek to write to the strikers that 2.5% was not enough, it kind of pales in comparison. I believe (and this is from sources actually present) the question put was if all of the workers and the directors are all in the same team will they be suggesting 16.7% for the ordinary worker?

I loved the fact that the SNP think that laughing in the face of Unison members when they ask the above is the done thing, it shows an incredible level of political naiveté from Cllr's Lawson, Mitchell and Adam who apparently think that the Unison members are beneath contempt.

Unlike the self proclaimed 'Tartan Tory' Salmond, I understand why Mrs Thatchers economics were bad for Scotland and I did mind them, as did the Coal miners, the small businesses and those of us affected by the Poll Tax. I wonder if Mr Salmond would consider this as a social or economic policy?

Watch his space for the next 'Salmondism' you know something like a 'Bushism' only not quite as politically articulate.

ALEX SALMOND SENT HOME

SNP DODGE INDEPENDENCE

This just in Salmond dodges the question, when asked if the SNP lost the referendum on independence would they continue to ask until the Scottish people were sick of listening to it? He ruled it out by saying that the constitutional question was a once in a generation thing, then said well you know I can't commit the SNP to a long term strategy? Is he thinking he won't be here after Thursday anyway? Is he thinking he will be sent back to Westminster to think again? I do!

The problem is that he can't answer this question honestly because he knows that the people of Scotland by a majority want to stay a part of the UK.

SNP HYPOCRISY

SALMOND AND DEBATING

I have been watching Question Time for about ten minutes and it is never clearer than now that the SNP have been packing EVERY public meeting that they can. Salmond's debating skills have not improved any, his skill is in smug and self serving comments, interupting others and shouting people down, it is unfortunate that this is something that the SNP locally in Renfrewshire think is a worthwhile skill!

Green Policies but the SNP leader thinks that the road taxing is the same as a poll tax! Thinks that this is a 'daft proposal' even though he called for the introduction of the Road charging in the Westminster Parliament in 1998 (Nicol Stephen on the programme). To be honest I was not impressed he kind of just went for the I know what ever I say I am going to get a cheer so why bother mode tonight, although watch this space for his press release 'The Scottish People are behind me'!!

It is worth noting though that the SNP leader's attendance at votes in the Westminster Parliament, have a look at his record through theyworkforyou.com, according to this it is around 28% across the 3 periods given (although between 1997-2001 it was around 16%), it is strange that someone with let's be honest such a poor attendance record at the Parliament would want to keep it on if he is elected in May, the question then has to be, would his attendance be any better at the Scottish Parliament?