Dear Sir,
Today in a crucial vote in Westminster in which a further £30 billion in austerity cuts was voted upon the people of Dundee West were once again unrepresented. Jim McGovern MP joined a list of notable absentees including the new Scottish Labour Leader Jim Murphy.
We should not be surprised that Mr McGovern missed the vote. Yyour
own paper covered his recent absence “Fury at Dundee MP for missing crucial
‘bedroom tax’ vote”. (20/12/14).
This
no show highlights how little regard he has for his constituents, showing
little empathy for those in his ward who are already struggling to pay bills
and put food on the table. Once again Mr McGovern will not show face and stand up
for the people he is paid to represent.
Again the question must be asked; other
than take home a large pay check and over £200,000 a year in expenses.... What
exactly does Jim McGovern do for the people of Dundee West?
Allan Grogan
Scottish Socialist Party.
Scottish Socialist Party.
This piece of invisible donkey poo is my M.P. Not for much longer. Even Lochee folks learn from their mistakes.
ReplyDeleteHis sole talent seems to be claiming expenses.
DeleteI've only seen him twice in Dundee, and one time was introducing Dim Jim the nationalist... he started with the words "Comrades", which made me laugh.
Aye they are all Stalinists together, not a socialist bone in their combined bodies.
DeleteLabour have taken Scotland for granted aided by the corrupt media here for decades. Those that went through the lobby arm in arm with the Tories are saying that they were voting for something else shows we live in a sham of democracy rotten to the core.
ReplyDeleteExactly. Safe as houses... they thought...
DeleteCan we add Charles Kennedy?
ReplyDeleteAye for sure. Did you see that Scot Goes Pop reckons that Kennedy could lose his seat? ===> sidebar...
DeleteGood not before time.
DeleteI've a few good words for him, useless, incompetent, shyster and a few more that I will not use, lest I upset the small furry one.
ReplyDeleteAye the furry one has had a sheltered upbringing.
DeleteBut I can guess the words you might use...
tris
ReplyDeletehttp://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/jan/14/labour-party-dreams-poorer-people-left-choice-polls
I wish
Good piece, Niko. I don't necessarily agree with all of it, but there is a good deal there that I do agree with.
DeleteOf course there is no party that would do all that, or even any of it, in Britain now.
I remain completely baffled that we allow there to be three main parties...well, OK, two really, because the Liberals are on their death bed... who prefer to see people queueing at food banks than give up nuclear weapons.
When I was a child most of Labour were in CND and marched with them to get rid of this abomination. And probably the country COULD afford them at that time.
Not so happy with means testing, although I know that there is a place for it. I'm just concerned that, as someone said, benefits for the poor and poor benefits in which the comfortably off have absolutely no interest.
And I still believe that education at least to first degree level, should be free. In Sweden even masters are free.
Frankly we need people who are qualified to that level, but if they have to pay of £9,000 a year for 4 years of a bachelors and 1 year of a masters, and then possibly some sort of professional qualification after that (teacher training, or law school) people are going to start their lives with debt that they will never pay off. And how on earth do you get a mortgage for £200,000, when you already owe £50,000?
Anyway... it won;t happen.
I look forward to the "Real Tory" article.
Good article Nico, sadly last nights vote in the commons shows, real Labour is dead and gone. There is no left in Westminsters duopoly,there is only the right and further to the right.
DeleteWell Nico if you would archive this I would read it but I will not give the Guardian the benefit of my clicking.
DeleteI hope that, in each Scottish constituency currently 'served' by a Labour or LibDem MP who is standing for re-election, a leaflet is distributed listing how that MP has voted on major issues, so that voters can judge how their record matches their rhetoric.
ReplyDeleteThat would seem a sensible idea.
DeleteActually for the 6 SNP or the one Tory candidates too.
Some people will be proud of their voting records.
Some people will cringe.
Les this is the only way people will hear the truth because in case you haven't noticed we have a SNP black out gong on in the press and media, we also have an unquestioning media when it comes to all the rest. I despair of Democracy such as it is in this country.
DeleteJim McGovern is a classic example of the feeble fifty of Labour MP"s from Scotland who have been promoted way beyond their natural abilities and are only there to do and vote as they are told by Labour Central Office.
DeleteI had been wondering why the SNP has not been in the media much recently and thought it was because Jim Murphy was hogging the media but if are you saying that there is an actual media blackout on the SNP then that is extremely worrying.
Well the SNP needs to up its game to get attention. The only reason that Labour can do it so well is that they have frineds in the BBC, and that they are good at creating stories. There's often no truth in them but they are good at crreating them.
DeleteMurphy is a dissembler and a right wing nut job war monger, but he is wily. He will use his connections in the BBC and the rRecord and Scotsman to generate publicity for himself.
I bet he's wearing tartan underpants while he's telling us just how much of a nationalist he is and stirring up anti English feelings.
He's quite the most detestable politician in Scotland... beaten handsomely by some of the London Tories i have to say., but in the same league, and largely with the same policies.
I doubt there is an actual blackout, but the BBC is bound to be panicking that everyone is laughing at the Labour lot, and they can't find anything derogatory about the SNP so they are absolutely pushing every one of the new boy's weird ideas to get him out there.
DeleteApparently his latest is that he met a man on a train who had 8 yes badges on, and had just joined Labour for a pound. And the band played believe it if you like.
Oh I think that word had gone out, you do not need a formal blackout, just a wee word in all the right places, they seem reluctant on Sky as well.
DeleteI see Blair Jenkins is back in the BBC good books, wonder why as well. I do think, and I know I sound like a conspiracy nut job, if we do have 5th columnists in the SNP. The SNP should never have touched him with his credentials. Blooming hopeless and I sometimes wonder why. Mean while some excellent candidates are emerging for the SNP for May. ( see Scottish Statesman).
I know quite a few folk that voted for him.
ReplyDeleteThey won't be voting for him this time.
Troughing tosser.
Is he your MP Jutie?
DeleteAs I said, I've never heard a good word about him form anyone, including his constituents, and people who voted for him and Ernie Ross before him.
Unfortunately, he is my MP. Most 'ordinary' folk i know are disgusted by his money grabbing. Hopefully that ends in May.
ReplyDeleteWell, we'll do our best...
DeleteLet us hope that those who have had their eyes opened to what their representative are up to do not decide to put their X in the usual box come the GE. I despaired when I saw the whole lot of troughers put back in to Parliament in 2010. What did that say, when so many were caught with fingers in the proverbial till but judged suitable to return to Parliament. A sophisticated Electorate my erse.
ReplyDeleteYes. People seem to have very short memories. There were some real chancers re-elected in 2010, and of course we still have the lords where, according to one of their number 80% of them are on the fiddle.
DeleteI seem to recall John Reid habitually calling all and sundry "Comrade". I wonder if he does the same when he greets my noble lords foulkes, martin, etc etc?
ReplyDeleteMy Noble Comrade...?
DeleteMy Able Commode?
DeleteTris
ReplyDeleteIt really is time for Jim McGovern to go, and hopefully the majority in Dundee West have learned that when Jim says Comrade he means expenses claiming Labour comrades.
I personally just don't know what he does anymore for the west end, I have never voted for him but many do so hopefully eyes will be open. It will be an intersting contest and while I am a member of the SNP I am very fussy about my vote and candidates convincing me of the arguments and working for my vote needs to happen, if they don't work hard to get it they won't it's that simple. Alan Grogan will give it a good go I suspect and will really push Labour and SNP in the West End as I believe he is standing in the West End for SSP. It will be interesting.
Bruce
I would vote for Alan in an independent Scotland, but feel it is a wasted vote under the present system.
DeleteJuteman
DeleteI'm not sure if it's wasted vote as it's your opinion and that is always important but I would probably vote for him also. The SNP have always been a means to an end for myself. I could never vote Labour after watching them slowly give up every principle they ever had and I'm only in my 40s so it hasn't taken them long.
Bruce
I'm inclined to think that Labour will hope that Allan will split the anti Labour vote and let them back in to trough. Most SSP candidates will probably get only a few votes, but Allan is high profile. He could do very well..
DeleteI think he's a great guy. I've met him and listened to him. He's real old fashioned Labour
Do you know if McGovern is standing this time?
A Parting Hymn: Lies, deceit and the death of the Labour Party
ReplyDelete