CONGRATULATIONS TO KEZIA

So at long last, what we have been pretty sure of for ages, is official. 

Kezia Dugdale is the new Glasgow branch supervisor of Labour. 

Oh yeah, and lest I forget, Alex Rowley (no, me neither) is her new deputy.

So first and foremost, I wish them well in their new posts. Scotland, like any other country, needs good opposition in parliament. 

The reality is of course that this contest, which should have been so important to Scottish Labour, and to Scotland, has all been an anti-climax. Nothing much will change, unless there is a big change at the top. And the top is in London. 

Both Ken Macintoch and Kezia Dugdale made it clear that they had no wish to run a separate Scottish Labour Party, where decisions, suitable for Scotland's issues and Scotland's views could be made about policy. So there was no opportunity for the membership to vote for that option.

They were happy with the status quo, where policy decisions are made in London. 

I seem to recall that every Scottish "leader" has wanted to have more power over the day to day running of the Glasgow branch, and every Scottish "leader" has been slapped down by Blair, or Brown or Miliband. 

Ironically, the one most sure of his own power, Jim "I don't need anyone's permission" Murphy, was slapped down by more lowly bosses in Ed Balls and Chuka Umunna (and on tv to boot!).

Many policies decided at the Scottish conference (Neil Findlay once said that Scottish conference had voted to get rid of Trident, for example), are simply ignored at the grown up conference in Blackpool or Brighton or wherever...

Kezia threw away the opportunity to stand on a ticket of a separate party, so her election is of little import, because all she will do is front up the party in the Scottish parliament as, in fact, she has been doing since she and Jim were elected just after the referendum.

So anti climax now until the real leader is elected next month in London.

Now that WILL be exciting.

RANDOM THOUGHTS

So Ken Macintosh doesn't want any more powers for Scotland because he fears that we are too stupid and left wing to cope on our own and need to be steered away from looking after our people by the Oxbridge set of the Tory Party...or for that the Labour Party. 

So thanks for that, Ken. Nice to know what potential "leaders" think about the people of the country that they aspire to "lead".

Good luck with your campaign. 

I suspect you'll need it.
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Talking about the Oxbridge set, I was amused by the story that George Osborne's grace and favour country estate, Dorneywood, was in need of rather a lot of repair, and that this repair work would be funded by a grant of £375,000 from the National Trust.

It's refreshing to have it proved yet again that we are all in this together. maybe the National Trust would start to look at repairs that are needed on so many damp council houses.

If I were a member of the NT, I'd be more than a little bothered that part of my £60 a year fees was being used to subsidise the lifestyle of a man so determined to make life unbearable for the poor.
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And while we are talking about all being in it together, let's just pause for a little laugh over this:

 A woman has unveiled the government's 'one nation' policies while sitting on a gold throne and wearing a crown encrusted with over 2,800 diamonds.

The woman - who is worth £340 million - announced measures which include freezing benefits, clamping down on strike action, seizing migrants' wages and removing automatic housing support for young people.

"My government will adopt a one-nation approach," she said. "And one is totally behind any approach that protects one."

She then left Parliament and returned to her £1 billion house. Her crown left shortly afterwards in its own horse-drawn carriage.

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And just a thought here ... although I admit it is getting difficult to find a company worthy of support:

SNAPS ON SUNDAY

Yes. Danny Alexander and all the other people who think that it is fair
 that THEIR kids have to have bedrooms in the housing the state pays for them,
despite not living there full time, and that we should pay for visits

I'm incredibly rich and frankly neither I, nor any of my toff cabinet
gives a stuff how you live, or indeed IF you live

Odd that!

Sinking without a trace. Water Rats.

Incase someone like me is saying that you're a chancing old Spiv?

Yer on your own Ken. No one else gives a toss

Glad it is working out for someone.

Little things mean a lot Johann

It's not all about the SNP

Johanns wee things keep on rearing their ugly head... and will for some time

That's the bloke. Probably soon to be an ex-MP , but don';t worry folks,
he'll just go into the retirement chamber. Lord Clegg of Fudge

Yep... just imagine. No more Blair.
No more pandering to the rich south east

But even from here you can see the cut is
 altogether better on the panto dame

Does anything our MPs say ever make any difference at all?
Nope, thought not.

What complete and utter hell. Nope can't be done.

Completely Simples

Hmmm, that died a death, Dave. Prepare for withdrawal.
Monsieur Hollande's not for turning! 

BLOGGER PROBLEMS... BUT SOMEONE IS WAY OUT IN FRONT (IF ONLY WE COULD REMEMBER HIS NAME)

I apologise for not being able to answer every comment made at the moment. Once again the site is playing up.

I've been trying to find out what is wrong with it, and I thought that it might be the poll, so I removed it. It appears NOT to be the problem, but I can't put the poll back...

Sooooooo.... I'd like to say sorry to you all for that.

The votes we had (23) in the short space of time that it was up (it had another 6 days to run), put er, what's his name again... you know, bloke, Labour, dark hair, not Ed Millimetre... och, it'll come to me, but whatever he's called, he's way out in front with 16 votes; Tom the Cabin Boy was second, but a very distant second, with just 4 votes and the lovely Johann just made the top three with 3 hard won votes. Ah well, you can't win them all Johann. But there's be another chance to go for it soon, I'm sure.

Still, it's all just a bit of fun and I'd venture to suggest that anyone who was voting here was unlikely to have a vote in the real election... so maybe the lamentable one hasn't given up hope yet.

Thanks again for taking part...

I'll get the technical department to look at the commenting problem, and hopefully normal service will be resumed shortly... In the meantime you can enjoy the pic the Deputy Leader.