Rejected Westminster MP and Holyrood Jonnie-come-lately Willie Rennie has unveiled his “team”. Fresh from his stunning “victory” on the Fife and Central Scotland list new Scottish Lib Dem leader Rennie has at last revealed his front bench team.
Willie was reluctantly propelled into the lime light as leader of the Lib Dem group after a hard fought leadership race where he was the only candidate. He hit the ground running by promising to reaffirm his cosy relationship with Nick Clegg and Westminster pals much as he remembered it down in his halcyon days in London. Rennie had had nothing much to do after the people of Fife told him to sling his hook in the 2010 English general election. Since then he has had to slum it as an advisor at the Scottish office until a suitable billet could be found.
Orkney constituency MSP Liam McArthur will take on education and energy; North-East list MSP Alison McInnes will be responsible for health and justice; South Scotland list MSP Jim Hume will take rural affairs, environment, housing and transport; failed ex-leader and Shetland constituency MSP Tavish Scott will deal with business and the economy. Leaving Willie as Lib Dem lord high everything else and leader. Needless to say there will be no chief whip!
The line up caused some raised eyebrows as Nick Clegg was expected to fill all the other roles. But in a shock move Nick was relegated to a back seat somewhere in Downing Street.
Arriving with all his colleagues in an off yellow Mini Rennie got straight down to work asked the way to the toilet before promising to hold the SNP and Alex Salmond to account.
Mungy
ReplyDelete'after a hard fought leadership race where he was the only candidate'
Funny i heard he lost
The feeble five fringe party of Scotland to do Clegg's bidding at every opportunity, one species that needs to be left to destroy itself.
ReplyDeleteActually, although the Liberals were pretty disappointing north of the border, this is mainly about the catastrophic liaison between two ill met by moonlight characters, Dave and Nick.
ReplyDeleteNow Mr Rennie has chosen to stand foursquare behind the improbable coalition instead of challenging it, as I imagine most Liberals in Scotland might have wanted him to do. As a result I imagine that the Liberals will continue their tailspin into oblivion.
I would have thought it very obvious that Scotland does NOT vote Tory in elections to the London assembly; it does however vote to a certain extent Liberal. People voted last year for a Liberal MP and got a Tory.
Mr Rennie is an erstwhile MP who obviously still thinks he is an MP. What a ridiculous idea of giving the reigns to someone who is clearly still inured in the ways of Westminster. He will have no idea what he is doing in Holyrood and all his grand rhetoric about holding the SNP to account, with his pathetic Mini full of MSP, is the most ludicrous bilge I have ever heard. If he keep on with that “I agree with Nick” and my London pals nonsense. The Lib Dems wont need a Mini next time a unicycle should do the trick. And poor old Tavish will have to come back as leader as he will be the only one left!
ReplyDeleteNiko: why not after all they lost everything else!
ReplyDeleteCynical: it nearly has already, the only thing they did well in was in losing deposits.
ReplyDeleteI have had many dealings with Mr Rennie, and I can clearly state that he is a totally repellant individual.
ReplyDeleteA classic career politician who is devoid of and concept of reality and can only function with a lsit of things to say from on high.
In charge if a group akin to an Enid Blyton "Famous Five" novel except with less substance.
And to spout that your were "Unanimously" given the leadership when you were the only candidate smacks of desperation on a Mugabe level.
So you really can fit 5 Lib/Dums into a mini? With only five of the wee soles each one will probably have a rather large portfolio.
ReplyDeleteIndeed, I would love to see how Rennie can hold Salmond to account when he (Rennie) has been punted up the back somewhere next to Margo. I think the Libs should just acknowledge that they are now one of the fringe minority parties in Scotland.
In 5 years time I don't expect to see any Lib/Dum leader take part in the leaders debate, not with 5 MSP's.
I see Nicky is on first name terms with Mungy lol. ;)
ReplyDeleteTLOTF:
ReplyDeleteI apologise for Munguin's laxity in not getting back to you.
Thanks for your take on Rennie. He sees to have grasped nothing of the feel of the people on the subject of the coalition. I would have thought this was suicide.
I'm not sure he will have a group to lead in 5 years' time. Maybe Tavish will have to take over the leadership again, as he'll be the only member.
In 5 years' time Allan, they won't have anyone except Tavish, He's safe as houses!
ReplyDeleteI'd rather not think about them squashed into a mini with their large portfolios... if it's all the same to you!!
Very close they are, Allan. .. Good for them; neither of them gets out much.
ReplyDeleteI'm very sorry but having a number of problems with blogger of late. Hope it is sorted out now!
ReplyDelete