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.

BNP

Did you Vote?

In Renfrewshire our electoral slogan is 'No Vote, No Voice'. I have repeated this quite a few times at work over the last week or so to those in my work who advised that they did not vote in last week's European Elections. When I voted around 8pm last week only 94 people had bothered to come out to vote at my polling place?!?

Part of the reason I get so upset by the whole not voting thing is that when I was young we had a real life suffragette living upstairs, in the warm weather she would come down into the communal garden and sit and tell us stories of when she was young. It really does make you realise how far we have come when you think about it, in my life time I knew a woman who was unable to vote because she was a woman. I used to think my mum and dad must hate this cause she is telling us about throwing toffee hammers through windows and chaining herself to railings, in reality my parents were incredibly proud to be her neighbour and her friend.

Don't get me wrong I understand the controversy over expenses and I understand why people are upset by this, my understanding however stops when I think that people think that voting BNP is somehow a reasonable alternative? It stops when I think about the gains made by the Conservatives and the SNP despite being caught in the mire as much as the Labour Party? I know we are the party of Government but surely it would take the collective will of Parliament to change a system such as the expenses and none of the main parties did very much to try and bring about this change.

The leader of the SNP is caught up in the expenses scandal, the Conservatives are in it up to their eyeballs as are the Liberals so in that regard you can see why people would be reluctant to vote for a major political party, but please vote for someone, spoil your paper make a protest instead of staying at home.

If you don't vote, you have no voice, so don't complain about Europe or the Political system if you didn't vote, you have no right to complain if you don't take part in the process.

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.

SNP LOST IT'S LEAD

MATERNITY LEAVE

OK quick post, but how many other people think it is rich of the SNP to go on about how other parties should not take advantage of the fact that one of their members will shortly be on maternity leave given that they were the ones to pull out of the pairing arrangement?

For those that don't know the pairing arrangement is where opposition members are paired off and if there is an illness or maternity leave the corresponding member does not vote, the SNP pulled out of this arrangement in Holyrood, now it seems they may come to regret it.

SNP VS INDEPENDENTS

ROUND ONE

This morning in the Paisley Daily Express there is a rather interesting article, it concerns Cllr Bill Martin. Apparently Cllr Martin is standing down at the next election, availing himself of the Scottish Executive's pension pay out for older Councillors of £20,000. Why is this news I hear you ask? Well ... it turns out that the SNP are not happy because Bill has decided his wife Carolyn (see here for information, try the section on evidence) will be standing in Glenburn in his place.

The accusation by Cllr MacKay of the SNP is that he is trying to have his cake an eat it!

One thing is for sure this is not the last you have heard of this row, it will probably be replayed in the run up to the election, watch this space for round two.

LABOUR VICTORY

COUNCILLOR CALDWELL


Despite the SNP campaign of deception regarding the baths the Labour Party won a convincing victory in the Elderslie By Election, we now have a new Councillor, Cllr John Caldwell!


Congratulations to John and the people of Elderslie for making the right choice!

PS as per previous post NO ANONYMOUS comments will be published have the guts to identify yourself and then post a comment!

ELDERSLIE BY ELECTION

YOU READ IT HERE FIRST!

Interestingly enough the SNP have done exactly what the Labour Party knew they would do and what I predicted on the 2nd of November 2006, suggesting (as they have done in the past) that the Elderslie baths are under threat of closure, despite being advised at the last Council meeting that they are not. Ms McGee's claims that the baths will be kept open only if they vote for her, it begs the question, do they not intend to 'ensure' the baths stay open if the people of Renfrewshire choose the Labour candidate John Caldwell? Will the SNP abandon the people of Elderslie, until May of course when they come back promising them the earth without the means to deliver as they are doing here!

Cllr MacKay (SNP group leader) can protest as much as he likes about Labour suggesting that the SNP claims are a disservice to Jean's memory, but he knows that they are. He similarly knows that the SNP at the most recent election have suggested this before, yet the baths remain open! I spoke to Jean about the next election not long before she died, and she told me that the SNP would claim that the baths were under threat of closure, she advised me that they had done this before, Jean Goldie was an excellent Labour Councillor, and Elderslie advocate and a lovely woman, she was a strong supporter of John Caldwell and I am sure she would be delighted that he was standing in her place.

VOTE LABOUR,

VOTE CALDWELL

ON DECEMBER 7TH

GARL

SNP HYPOCRISY

The Glasgow Airport Rail Link (GARL) bill was going through it's final phase in Parliament this afternoon and was accepted by 118 votes to 8 with no abstentions. Local Labour MSP Wendy Alexander welcomed the SNP support to the progress of the bill, but pointed out that someone should really tell the local SNP as they have campaigned against the link and continue to do so.

The Local Labour Administration of Renfrewshire Council have argued all along that the pitches at the Race Course (St James Playing Fields) were of prime importance to the people of Renfrewshire, while the local SNP led by the likes of Bruce McPhee list MSP and his protege Cllr Derek McKay led a campaign to stop the Rail Link. The Chair of the Local Football league is quoted as saying that 'Christmas has come early for the St James Playing Fields'. The Local SSP have also said that they are against the bill progressing, I don't have the voting records for today's vote but in June of this year they did vote for it!

COUNCILLOR RAYLEEN KELLY

HOUSING STOCK TRANSFER

Earlier this week Renfrewshire tenants voted by a majority of 36 votes to reject the proposal to transfer the housing stock to a not for profit Housing Association.

Despite the SNP and SSP claims that it will be OK because the Scottish Executive or the Treasury will give the Council the money there have been no indications to this effect. They are claiming this as a victory but the tenants that I have spoken to are not so sure, they are concerned about where we go now!

Keep this in mind those who are professing to be the saviours of the tenants, not one of them actually lives in a council house! Mr's Hogg and McCartney from the SSP certainly don't live in a council house, and before the accusation gets fired back, I have never suggested I do, I have similarly never told the tenants to vote in a particular way because I am very aware that it is the tenants choice! The mistruths being put forward by the SSP and the group Mr McCartney professes to represent are shameless, maybe they have the answer now? I doubt it!

SNP HIGHER EDUCATION POLICY

Having been away for the last week, I have missed a lot of the local and national news, I have seen however the SNP leader Alex Salmond and the SNP have been found out! I noticed an article in the Scotsman which shows what Wendy Alexander MSP said in the Parliament some time ago, that their education policy doesn't add up!

Instead of challenging the assertions Alex Salmond is complaining that the Civil Service neutrality has been compromised as it was the civil servants who wrote the report. There is nothing new here, Wendy Alexander MSP for Paisley and Renfrewshire North already pointed this out in the debate on Student finance last month, which I covered on this web page!

Instead of the whinging at comments at the end of the Scotsman article it would be more appropriate for the SNP to actually address the content! Alas they can't because they don't have an answer they thought that they could get away with incompetence!

SNP CANDIDATE QUITS THE SNP

MARTIN QUITS

It comes as no real surprise to anyone in Renfrewshire to hear that Cllr Bill Martin has left the SNP, despite last week being announced as the candidate for the Paisley South Scottish Parliament seat (and being number nine on their regional list for the West of Scotland). His wife and failed Council candidate left the SNP about six months after Cllr Richard Vassie (ex SNP) was expelled from the group. He was expelled when he was suspended by the Standards Commission for a year after verbally abusing members of Council staff while allegedly inebriated at a council function. The reason many people thought that Mrs Martin left was that she was Cllr Vassie's guest at the particular function, and was similarly questioned by the Standards Commission who came to the conclusion that her testimony was 'evasive and unconvincing' (quote from the standards commissions decision which can be found here).


After this suspension was given to Cllr Vassie, Mrs Martin and a n other left the party tearing up their cards, so it would seem something of an anti climax that Cllr Martin jumped before he was pushed by his colleagues in the SNP, the details are still somewhat hazy but he was to ungo a disciplinary hearing next week, I doubt this is the last we will hear of this so watch this space.

SNP BIGOTRY

SNP ANTI GAY?

My dad got into trouble a wee while ago for suggesting that there was an anti gay bigotry in the SNP after the Mormon SNP MSP Brian Adam (who is also the Convener of the Standards and Public Appointments Committee) arranged to have interns for the Scottish Parliament provided by the Mormon University Brigham Young. Now just in case you don't know the Mormon religion was founded by a man called Joseph Smith who based the religion on a 'visitation' from the Angel Moroni. My dad got in trouble because he made a joke and instead of saying Mormons he used morons (although on the face of it the religion should have been called the moron faith based on the angel Moroni's name!) This same joke is made in Angels in America the American drama.

Well as it turns out the SNP are at it again apart from Fergus Ewing MSP (SNP again) supporting the actions of a rogue number of Firefighters who refused to hand out fire safety advice at a gay pride rally in Glasgow, the other SNP MSP at it this week is Roseanna Cunningham. In the Scottish Parliament this week the antiquated adoption laws were being updated and Ms Cunnigham suggested that she represented the majority of Scottish voters in that she advised that she did not see 'how overturning tens of thousands of years of natures design moves us forward.'

For me it begs the question is Ms Cunnigham suggesting that there were no gay people thousands of years ago? If so where is the empirical evidence to support this? The reason this will not be answered is that this evidence does not exist. I am not suggesting that any religion is any better than any other or that the Mormon church is alone in this bigoted view, unfortunately the Catholic church is just as bad, in fact worse as their representatives wrote to each elected representative to try and guilt the MSP's in the name of God to vote against these proposals.

I feel as a Catholic extremely ashamed of those people who assume to speak on behalf and it is for me yet another reason religion should not be involved in politics. The problem? The church in whatever guise is not a democracy it is a bunch of middle to old age (I apologise to the young priests who know me) making decisions on a book that is supposedly over 2000 years old!

Have a look at the Herald newspaper article and my fathers webpage for more information.

FULL COUNCIL

SNP FACE BOTH WAYS

Well it has taken me the weekend to recover from the Full Council meeting on Thursday, it was a marathon agenda and a marathon meeting. The SNP did not put forward their normal plethora of non scensical motions, however there were some!

The two things the parties did agree on were that the council agreed to lobby and do everything possible to keep the identity of Paisley linked to the local University by urging the University not to change it's name. The second motion was moved by Cllr Harkins and Cllr Williams of the Labour group asking that the council donate £10,000 to St Vincent's hospice after their garden was damaged by vandals earlier this year.

The SNP however did not disappoint, when discussing the motion I moved on the Boundary Commission's proposals for the new boundaries in 2007, the SNP deputy leader Cllr B Lawson suggested that the 'Labour Group proposal' (also know as the Council's proposal as it was passed by full council on more than one ooccasion) was and I quote 'a dogs breakfast', his group also suggested (despite my specifically stating the opposite) that I was attacking the Boundary Commission, which as usual is ridiculous. However the best is yet to come, Cllr Martin the SNP candidate for the 2007 First Past the Post election in Paisley South, advised that there was little difference between the SNP proposal and Labour group proposal for the boundaries and that both were just as good and better than what we had been given! What is the official SNP line I hear you ask? Well if you find out let me know, I did suggest they go back and confer before speaking again!

The SNP locally are in tatters! They have no idea which way they are facing, and their behaviour is getting worse! Cllr McKay (the group Leader for the SNP) is letting them run riot, maybe it is because he is too weak to control the likes of Cllr Mylet who was at his worst again! I mean the man cannot even dress himself! He came in jeans, t-shirt and trainers with the t-shirt inside out and tried to suggest it was designer until one of his own group advised that they could see the label on the outside!! He ranted on at the Chief Executive of the Health board and never quite got to asking a coherent question and then for the rest of the meeting made snide remarks at ANYONE who spoke.

It is strange that the majority of the people who vote SNP do it blindly they obviously do not know the people they are voting for, and they obviously do not know their record, I mean would you vote for a local representative who see's fit to attend less than 30% of meetings? Despite only being put on only ONE specific board planning and transport? I know I wouldn't!