Sunday 18 September 2011

WHITHER LABOUR...AND UNDER WHOM?...AND AS FOR GLASGOW LABOUR: HA HA HA!

Of course, it’s not just the Scottish Tories that are in a bit of a bother right now. Labour are having their own leadership trachles.

Not only is there the desperate search to find a leader for the party, as search that is proving to be as difficult as the search for the lost city of Atlantis, there is the most almighty hoos yer faither o’ ah cairry oane in Gleskae.

The Weegie councillors are scared stiff by what happened in their area in May with seat after seat tumbling to the SNP, and Labour in London has started to pay attention to what has been going on there. Taking seats for granted, some of the councillors in Glasgow have perhaps not been as diligent in their duties as they might have been had they thought that there was a chance that they would be booted out on their backsides at some stage in the future. Of course, that heretical thought never crossed their minds.

But now it has crossed Ed Miliband’s and what they would call a ‘root and branch’ clear out is going on apace.

Of course this is going down like a ton of bricks, no two tons of bricks, with the ‘joab fir life’ type, so much so that a bunch of de-selected Labour councillors is considering setting up a new party, with the carefully considered name ‘Glasgow Labour’, to compete against... erm ...Glasgow ‘Labour’, which they feel is being run with too much interference from London. (Well what did we tell you?).

Frank McAveety, who was leader of the council from 1997- 1999, after which he became an MSP, and thereafter a Minister in the Lab/Lib coalition, despite a reputation for making a bit of a mess of things*, seems to want to be leader again, having lost his seat in the May elections, being at a loose end, and having a dislike for the notion of the Jobcentre.

McAveety, however (and I’m grateful to an anonymous emailer for this information), is having a spot of difficulty with an ex-member of staff from his parliamentary days, a certain Mr Andy Muir, who has brought to the attention of the police, a number of ‘irregularities’ in the financial affairs of Mr McAveety’s constituency office.

Mr McAveety denies the allegations most strongly, of course.

Labour is trying to steer clear of this situation, but how long will it be before calls are being made for his dismissal as a candidate.

As Minister for Culture, he was late for an appearance in the Chamber, and gave the excuse of being held up at an Arts event. Rather nearer the truth was the story that he was eating pie and chips in the canteen. Don't you think he looks like Iain Gray?

tAs Convenor of the Public Petitions committee he was caught by the ever present microphone which he had forgotten to switch off (an amateurs mistake for sure) talking about a young lady in the room in an inappropriate way and comparing her with the kind of female used as a Gauguin model (see above).

tHaving had more than 50% of the vote in Shettleston in the 2007 election, he was beaten by John Mason (SNP) in 2011.


21 comments:

  1. Glasgow Labour? So the Labour party in Glasgow has decided that rule from London is not a good thing and are thinking of breaking away because of interference from London. They can do a better job themselves as an independent Glasgow party.

    If it wasn't so funny you'd have to cry.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yes... The Tories and at least a part of Labour want to run their party from Scotland... rather like I want to run my life.

    I wonder why they fight so hard against that idea. Oh yeah, maybe because they were told to... by London.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Maybe they should rename the whole Scottish party! I understand that the “Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party” will be free as a registered trademark soon enough.

    Looks like the smart money is on Johanne Lamont ending up as leader. That’s just what they need a Glasgow wiffie who looks like she has swallowed a wasp and has a voice that makes rubbing finger nails on a blackboard sound like Beethoven’s Ode to Joy. As far as I understand she has spent the last four years being the invisible woman, sitting next to Iain Gray nodding and clapping at his every word. I understand that at one point he belched loudly and she burst into “spontaneous” applause.

    ReplyDelete
  4. LOL, Munguin. I wish I'd heard that. It would have been better than the whiny miserable down-putting rubbish that normally sallies forth from his mouth.

    Johanne will doubtless carry on the standard of opposition that we have come to know and erm...love... from the "opposition".

    Moan, moan, whine, carp, carp... and never, NEVER come up with a decent alternative.

    ReplyDelete
  5. PS... Apologies to all for the presentation of this post. It seems either Blogger is having a funny day, or it finds *s too hard to deal with. Even using Google Chrome as a server, it's a nightmare at the moment.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Former Labour MP Ms Moron has been doing acting lessons while on bail for the alleged theft of £80K.

    Seen leaving court in a balaclava and dark glasses and crying loudly. Never get a job in Eastenders with this ham acting...

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/labour-mps-expenses/8773450/MPs-expenses-Margaret-Moran-cries-in-dock-at-hearing.html

    ReplyDelete
  7. Oh dear, Monty. How embarrassing for her. The once proud Maggie Moran reduced to hamming it up for sympathy.

    Does she seriously think that she's gonna get any?

    And I see she neglected to put on her orange hat.

    What a shame. I was looking forward to a laugh at that. Still her acting raised a smirk.

    Prison, I think, m'lud.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Tris,

    "Does she seriously think that she's gonna get any? Going by Monty's comments on Ruth Davidson I would say that you're asking the right man!

    If she promises to keep the balaclava on I might be interested myself.

    Why does she wear that and dark glasses? She's done the robbing already so what's the point of wearing a disguise? Is it out of her concern for not upsetting children?

    ReplyDelete
  9. Tris

    The good news for the SNP just keeps on coming.

    Again off topic but you will like this one.

    http://www.holyrood.com/articles/2011/09/19/murphy-to-take-central-role-in-referendum-campaign/

    Thats assuming that anyone can find him. He did his usual disappearing act after his proposals for changes to the Labour northern branch.

    Also good to see the Lib Dums in full panic mode.

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/personal-view/8773562/With-no-revising-chamber-SNP-must-beware-abuse-of-power.html

    The Telegraph thought that this article was so good they repeated it just so no one could miss it.

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/scotland/8773483/Malcolm-Bruce-accuses-Alex-Salmond-of-running-one-party-state.html

    Alex Salmond must be trembling in his boots attacked by Bruce and Beaker in the same week.

    ReplyDelete
  10. 'umbellar botryoid' (an umbrella shaped bunch of grapes) sums up the main unionist parties.

    All I've heard from the LibDems are attacks on the SNP so they must be getting very worried and I expect even more when they get wind of allowing 16,17 year olds a vote on their future.

    ReplyDelete
  11. brownlie...

    She'll be batting for the other side after 10 years in cell block H so you've got no chance of balaclava nookie ;)
    You would need a heart of stone not to laugh.

    ReplyDelete
  12. John: It may be that, having been deprived of stolen money for the last year and a half, she's not got any clothes left, except the orange hat, and her black batman outfit. And the last time they let her out of the loonie bin she wore the orange.

    Or maybe she's just one of these creatures of the night.

    I don't think my mum will be best pleased to hear of your interest in that ....woman.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Dubs: I'm certain that the thought of Spud must be sending shivers down Alex Salmond's spine. Not the thought of him "not sitting out" the referendum, just the thought of him, full stop.

    As for Malcolm Bruce... ha ha ha ha what was it they said about him, one of Scotland's most experienced politicians? What? Remind me, would you... What jobs has be ever had in government?

    He's just been around for a long time. He's always been a back bencher. He's not experienced, he's just elderly.

    Of course no one from the Telegraph thought to challenge his nonsense. Fool.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Sour grapes, CH. That's what they are. The Liberals are laughable. They are just jealous that they only have 5 seats and we have 68...

    ReplyDelete
  15. Monty, she'll only get 3 months and be let out after 25 minutes.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Tris

    Re Malcolm Bruce! who?

    Someone in the comments section has posted a rebuttal to Bruces wing about the SNP share of the vote in May 2011.

    "Malcolm Bruce's arguments would have more credence if he had not been happy to be elected on a minority vote for his entire career.
    The Liberals are part of a Tory government. They received 23% of a 65% turnout last year, equating to 14.97% of the electorate.
    Even Malky himself gained a mere 17,575 votes out of a constituency numbering over 73,000 people, that is, around 23.9% of the overall electorate.
    Isn't it awkward when democracy throws up a result you don't like, Malcolm?"

    Appears it is ok for the Lib Dums to inflict Moore and Alexander on us and for Bruce to sit and do nothing at Westminster on a lower share of the vote than the SNPs.

    More Lib Dums u turns.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-14977877

    Have London Dums given them permission for this?

    ReplyDelete
  17. Tris,


    Actually I found Malcolm Bruce to be a very pleasant chappie albeit a bit vague in the James Douglas Hamilton manner. I met him when I worked for the former "untouchables". So he's a politician as well - well, well, well.

    ReplyDelete
  18. I think Dubs that they have licence to say whatever they want at the conference, on the strict understanding that it will all be binned immediately afterwards... or that a commission is set up, using public funds, a few top notchers get to sit on it and collect hefty fees and expenses, and then take a year or so to write up a report. Then it gets forgotten.

    ReplyDelete
  19. John: I saw him on telly at the elections and seemed like a nice old granddad kind of blokey who would take you fishing and to the match.

    But yeah, he's a politician. (Incidentally he voted FOR tuition fees to rise in ENGLAND, where he doesn't have a constituency, secure in the knowledge that his own student constituents are to be looked after by the SNP government which he thinks is committing abuses of power...) You couldn't invent these characters if you tried.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Micky Mouse at his best. The lying sack of excrement.

    That lot don't know how much it would cost. They don't know their backsides from their elbows.

    We don't believe a word the lying b******s say.

    Go back home and think again you pea brain Moore.

    ReplyDelete