Saturday 17 September 2011

WHITHER THE TORIES...AND UNDER WHOM?


Jackson Carlaw has had a bright idea to get new blood into the Scottish Tories in parliament. Unlike his rival, and still favourite for the leadership job, Murdo Fraser, he does not intent to scrap the party and start again with something less tarnished.

He wants to get fresh blood into the existing Conservative party by regulating who can stand. Those who cannot get themselves elected to a first-past–the-post seat, will not be able to serve in PR list seats for more than (and here he’s sketchy on detail) 3 or 4 parliaments.

This might solve the problem of Murdo and his place in a party that goes on being a branch office of the London Tory party, and of the popular, highly experience current leader Annabel Goldie. Both of them would be obliged to stand down were he to set the bench mark at 3 parliamentary sessions.

His idea was based on the experience of David Cameron at Westminster (wouldn’t you just believe it) who decided that to get rid of dead wood in the English party and persuaded old hands to stand down in favour of what he called “A-list” candidates. Jackson might like to note that this has not necessarily been terribly successful for Mr Cameron. Many of the famed “A-list” appear to have minds of their own. (There seems almost no chance of a repeal of the “Hunting with Dogs Act”, thanks to the fact that his A-listers won’t vote for it.)

Of course JC has a point. If people are not performing well as MSPs, and Jackson seems to think that some are not, it shouldn’t be automatic that they retain their place at the top of the regional list. On the other hand if they have performed well, as, for example, has Annabel, it is hardly fair or right that he should remove them. (Unless of course he prefers to have his ex-boss out of the way so that she can’t outshine him.)

Everyone thought that Murdo was finished when he came up with the idea of selling the [Scottish] Tory Party for scrap, but they didn’t reckon with old Jackson and his desire to get rid of experience and bring in a pile of newbies. Newbies like, for example Ruth Davidson, who showed how in touch she was with Scottish voters when she dismissed the notion that Thatcher was still a malign influence. SHE, at 33, had hardly even heard of Maggie, was just a toddler when the Ironing Lady ... no sorry, Iron Lady... was on the throne, and therefore few of the rest of the population should remember her either. Idiot!

She also declared, despite the vast majority of the population wanting more power for the Scottish parliament, that she will veto it if she becomes leader. Bravo, you silly lassie. Best thing you could do, is sit and watch how Annabel does things, learn your lessons from a woman who knows what she is doing for another 10 years or so, and then think about leadership.

Clearly I don’t have a vote in the election, but, if I did Jackson Carlaw and Ruth Davidson wouldn’t get my vote in a thousand years. They are a pair of diddies.

Controversial though it is, Murdo’s idea to kill the Scottish branch of the English Tories stone dead is the only possibility. If there is to be a centre right party in Scotland (and there should be) then it needs to be a new one with only a fraternal connection with the Conservatives.

Pics: Jackson Carlaw, Ruth Davidson (don't you think she looks like a younger Wendy?) and Murdo Fraser.

PS: You can vote for your favoured candidate at Subrosa's blog

16 comments:

  1. Ruth is a wee ride. Just my luck she's as bent as a nine bob note : (

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  2. It looks as if Murdo is accepting that independence is in sight and is preparing the party accordingly.

    Could the Tories have a cunning plan as it is not beyond the realms of possibility that it would suit Tories, north and south of the Tweed, for Scotland to be independent. It would enable the Tories to have clear majorities in the UK elections.

    In your dreams, Monty!!

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  3. Monty, rather crudely put - but oh so accurate.
    (Ah'm glad it isnae just me...)

    Bill Pickford

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  4. Monty: I'm shocked to my core. There are sensitive souls who read this blog... I thought better of you, you being an intellectual and all that!!!

    ;¬)

    But, as brownlie says anyway: In your dreams!!

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  5. I've always wondered why the Tories felt so strongly about a union that deprives them of power. In the past it has only been for brief periods, but as the Blair years have shown, even that is a thing of the past.

    Perhaps 13 years out of power has concentrated their minds most powerfully.

    Another 3.5 years of Cameron should persuade the Scots that wee, poor and stupid though they may have been taught to believe themselves to be, that state is infinitely preferable to big, broke and moronic.

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  6. Hello Mr Pickford: Nice to welcome you to Munguin's Republic. (Sorry you happened upon Monty in a rude mood. It's most unlike him too!!!!)

    I still think she looks like Wendy Alexander with a smaller mouth and ten years off.

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  7. Oops apologies tris. I promised to 'up my game' after you won an award or something and the next post is rude and crude :(
    I was well blootered last night though ( pints of stella ). I think they should stop serving people when they're obviously drunk. It's a piece of nonsense. And drink prices are so cheap as well. They should be doubled at least. Or trebled.

    Hoy brownlie..

    30 years ago I'd have been in with a shout there !

    Oh I've just read your post tris.
    The Tories were against devolution but then ran around like the proverbial blue ***** flies trying to get their snouts in the trough when it was legislated for. Poor Mary Scanlon had to travel all round Scotland trying to get her snout wet.
    It will be the same with independence. They will fight it all the way then scramble to get onto the gravy train.

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  8. Well let’s face it the members of the Tory party are not going to vote for Ms Davidson and her alternative lifestyle are they. Actual members of the Tory party, rather than just supporters tend to be very conservative, so I cannot see them going for Davidson. Where Carlaw will pick up support from I don’t know being a West of Scotland list MSP based in East Renfrewshire where he failed to take the Eastwood constituency in 2003, 2007 and 2011. On a one member one vote system can’t see him picking up much votes from that neck of the woods now and any from Glasgow would have to be split with Ruth as she is a Glasgow list MSP. Murdo on the other hand is a mid Scotland and Fife list MSP with a lot of Tory members based in Perthshire and Angus he stands best chance of gaining them. The other big block of Tories is the Borders where Ruth enjoys the support of John Lamont but Murdo has the support of Alex Fergusson so they may have to split that. But the safe money must still be on Murdo. If I had been him I would have waited until after I was leader to throe the Tory brand over the side!

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  9. Ah Monty... Your gracious and prompt apology is most heartily accepted.

    30 year ago? Wasn't that in the time of Maggie the Magnificent? Bet you looked neat with your platform soles and flares... Just the thing to catch the eye of a young Tory lass.

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  10. Munguin: I see that Jackson himself will need to win a seat next time round, or under his proposals he too will be on the scrap heap...

    I wonder if he thought that one through properly?

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  11. It will be interesting if Murdo wins because as far as I know he can't just convert the Scottish region of the Tories into a new party. He'll have to start a new one as the SDP did in 1981 and leave all the assets, if any, behind.

    I wonder how many he'll take with him and when he resigns to form a new party are the rump of the Conservatives just going to elect Carlaw or Davidson in his place and keep on going?

    Two right-wing parties in Scotland, one fighting as a Scottish party to take the Conservative whip in Westminster and the other fighting as a British party to take the Conservative whip in Westminster. How will the poor voters decide?

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  12. Hi Doug. It seems it's probably a question of which one happens first. If they elect Ruth I find it hard to believe that there will be a place for Murdo in the Tory party, so he and his adherents will have to go off and start a new party anyway.

    And, as you say, both will be taking the Conservative Whip at Westminster.

    There may even be some that refuse to serve under a gay leader, amazing though that may be today, and some who will not leave the party and go with Murdo, so there could be a third faction under Jackson... taking, you guessed it... the Conservative Whip.

    We're talking minor parties now, without a seat on the front bench!!!

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  13. Tris, that's an interesting question. What happens if Murdo loses?

    I wonder if he'll have enough of a loyal following to break away and start his own party.

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  14. Doug: There could be three sets, whichever way the vote goes.. The Breakaway Set (Murdo); those that won't break away and have no trouble with Ruth's sexuality and those that don't want to break away, but have issues with Ruth's "lifestyle" as Munguin calls it.

    15 divided by 3 = 5.... ouch

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  15. http://news.scotsman.com/politics/MPs-lobbied-to-stand-in.6838644.jp

    LOL the Labour party are still trying to get Douglas Alexander and Jim Murphy to stand. Already they have no confidence in Lamont or Macintosh.

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  16. Morning zeropoint. Welcome to Munguin's Republic.
    :)

    In answer to your question. nope, I wouldn't have thought so. After all, do you have confidence in them. They will be eaten alive by Salmond and Sturgeon, specially if they carry on whining instead of being constructive in their criticism.

    But the idea that these London-based career politicians, who already hold high opposition positions in London Labour would leave that (when there is a reasonable chance that they will be in government in 4 years) is as silly as the idea that the motley crew in Holyrood would want to be led by someone who resented being shoved into a political backwater when a glowing career awaits.... or not.

    Didn't Jim the Spud once say...anything but Scotland?

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