SMILE, IT'S SUNDAY

Random Thoughts

Natalie with Humza

In an effort to get Glasgow Man back on board, Labour has been whinging about how mean the Government in Edinburgh has been to Scotland's biggest city.

That's the same Labour that only a few years ago, when it was in coalition with the Liberals, managed to give back money to London at the end of the year, presumably because everything was so peachy in Scotland (including Glasgow) that the money was simply not needed. 

I'm not an expert on Glasgow but I'd lay money on it that there will have been some need that could have been fulfilled by that money that went back to London. After all you don;t have life expectancy rates lower than Gaza in a town that is all tickety boo!

Natalie McGarry, the SNP candidate for Glasgow East, Curran's seat, makes a good point .

Labour in Glasgow, she says, need to look to themselves for the perceived underspend in Glasgow.

The Government has had to spend half a £bn making the correct decision to mitigate the bedroom tax and other welfare cuts, but with a budget which has shrunk by 10% because of coalition cuts.

And let's not forget that the Labour Party at Westminster - and yes, that includes Margaret Curran MP - voted with the Tories just a month or so ago to a further £30bn of austerity cuts.

It's the circle of lies which annoys people. Budget cut at Westminster = budget cut at Holyrood = budget cut in councils. It's the inevitability of it which is damning. So if Labour vote with the Tories for increased cuts at Westminster, they are voting for increased cuts at Holyrood which essentially means they voted for cuts at council level. Some of them would like to correct the cuts by making you pay more council tax though. So, bankers cause the banking crisis, but both the Tories and Labour target ordinary folk to pay the price.

Well said, Natalie.

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I may be wrong but I thought that Labour in Scotland wanted
to means test university education?

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Well done, Gordon.
Not bad earnings for a humble son of the manse.
Makes Rifkind and Straw look like the paupers they
claim to be.

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A much younger Murphy in his spiritual home.

I read that Murphy has announced that he will indeed stand as the UK Labour candidate for East Renfrewshire in the UK general election. 

Ruth Wishart wondered on Twitter what his constituents would think of that.

I'd say that they would, if they were thinking rationally, understand that they are being used to provide Murphy with a very generous salary and expenses for the next year and to provide him with the means by which he can continue to lead the Scottish branch office of the UK Labour Party.

In the wake of the scandals over Rifkind and Straw, it seems unlikely that Miliband will allow hiom to be both MP and MSP at the same time.

Munguin's mate Ted, met on line,
 would make a better FM than Spud.!

I'm not sure I'd bother if I were him. I reckon he has about as much chance of being first minister next year as Munguin's mate Ted... and he's not even standing!

MIDWEEK MONTAGE

J Straw and M Rifkind need to re-apply

Why?

A guide new MPs may find useful.

Hmmm... that didnt last long.

So, why would it matter?
It's the same with benefits, which is why universal benefits
are fairer.

If you must have a second job, so that you have experience outside
parliament, this is the kid you should have.

Or maybe this one, but try not to hold your nose as the hoi paloi
passes by.

Pass the hat round for poor Malcolm...

Why? Just why?

They are actually proud of their progress...
Bloody amazing.

We're all in it together, right?

Absolutely. They wouldn't do all this stuff if they thought that they were likely to get caught.
As Mr Howard says, "Prison works".

Maybe Dennis, that's because they don't want anyone caught tax dodging

WHY?

It's true, isn't it.
A few years ago students in England protested at the massive hike
in student fees. Someone poked Princess Parker Bowles with a stick.
The establishment was outraged.
But you don't hear much vultures waiting for little boys to die.

Oh to have be born Icelandic instead of British.

RIFKIND, THE STRAW MAN AND LABOUR CANDIDATES IN SCOTLAND

How can Jack Straw say that he behaved honourably when he admits that he was being paid £60,000 a year by a company for whom he had EU directives changed.

Do his constituents need that kind of money to get things done? 

If EU rules need changing then surely MPs should work towards that without expecting a bung! 

Straw (you'll remember him as the Westminster wooden top that wanted to make it illegal for us ever to have another referendum on independence. A real democrat!) is standing down at the election to spend more time with... well, whatever he spends time with, presumably as the Noble Lord Jack of the Straws. 

He has insisted that all he was doing was looking for work for after that date. That may be above board and within the rules. But admitting that he had EU rules changed in the past is surely not.

Still the good thing for his future career is that well respected elder statesman Tony Blair has his back. Who could ask for more?

As for Rifkind, I fear his coat is on a shoogly peg. He is chairman of the Intelligence and Security Committee of the House of Commons, overseeing the doings of MIs 5 and 6 and GCHQ. He's a massive security risk if he's been up to no good, and the Prime Minister has apparently refused to say whether he has confidence in his ability to do that job.

Ooooops!

Update

Mr Rifkind has bitten the bullet, resigned from the chair of the Intelligence Committee and will stand down as an MP. Now he will have all the time in the world to get on with selling himself to the highest bidder.

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Who'd want to be a Labour candidate?

It seems that today's (or maybe yesterday's) gaffe from Labour in Scotland is that they have advised people to vote tactically in areas where either the Tories or Liberals have a chance of beating the SNP.

In other words... if you live in any of these areas vote Tory, or Lib Dem.

That must make the candidate feel wanted, loved, supported and that he is performing a useful function for his comradely party.

Labour would rather the right wing Tories or their right wing little helpers got seats than the centre lefty SNP got them. 

If I were the candidate I'd be tempted to stand down right now instead of spending cold nights on the doorstep trying to explain to people that they shouldn't vote for me.

Update

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QUESTIONS FOR PROSPECTIVE MPS ON THE DOORSTEP

If you Google "SNP out canvassing" you get this mass of pictures of ordinary people out there "chapping doors" right from the very first picture.

If, on the other hand, you Google "Scottish Labour out canvassing", you get Labour party publicity, and maybe 8 rows down you get this ad for joining Labour which shows people canvassing with their Labour hoodies on. Any comments Mr Murphy?

Incidentally, there were no photographs of Tories canvassing either. I didn't bother looking for Liberals. Some things are just too much effort for no return.

Talking of canvassing, this is the time when you might expect to get a phone call or a person knocking at your door. So Munguin thinks that it might be an idea to have a list of questions art the ready for your political callers.

Everyone has their own priorities, but he will be asking at least some of the following if anyone bothers to turn up here:

1. As a party representative, and also as an individual, do you think that feeding and housing people and ensuring that they have enough money to stay warm is more important than buying nuclear weapons, which we need only to ensure our continued presence at the top table, where we do what America tells us anyway?

2. Do you think, particularly in our 21st century, high tech world, that education is of paramount importance to the future of Scotland? If not ...why not? If yes, do you agree that tertiary education should be free at the point of delivery?

3. Do you believe in a free health service in Scotland run by the state and with no profit motive involved?

4. We are part of the UK and London is the UK capital. However it is true to say that many people, probably most people, in Scotland, rarely visit London, given its distance and the expense. Do you agree that items like the Crossrail project or the London sewers renewal, should be paid for equally by Scots (who have their own capital city in Edinburgh), with no Barnett Formula consequential?

5. Reports suggest that the Westminster parliament buildings are falling into disrepair. It is estimated that the cost of these repairs will be many billions of pounds. Do you think that that is a sensible use of money or could some other cheaper alternative be found, given the financial situation of the country?

6. By most people's standards MPs are relatively well paid. At £66,000+ per annum, with generous expenses and subsidised food and drink, they earn well over three times the average wage. If you are elected will you guarantee to give the expected 11% pay rise, in its entirely to a local charity?

7. Do you think that people should have a bar selling cheap alcohol in their workplace? If not will you campaign to close the bars in the houses of parliament? If yes, will you campaign for subsided bars in every establishment employing more than say 100 people?

8. Do you think that it is reasonable or democratic that an unelected house of parliament, comprising hereditary aristocrats, bishops of only one church, political appointees (often generous donors) and retired or failed politicians has the right to make our laws? If not, what will you do about it?

9. Do you consider it right that members of the royal family as far down as 46th in line to the throne, should be entitled to grace and favour residences at our expense? Do you further agree that it is necessary for there to be five royal palaces set aside in and around London for one family, along with another in Edinburgh, while other British people are homeless? If not, what will you do about it?

10. Would you agree that after the scandal of MPs' expenses, the cross party agreement to bring in "MP recall" options for constituents was the right thing to do, and the refusal, once the election was over, to actually implement it, was wrong? What would you do about this in the new parliament?

I bet you can add to Munguin's list...

SUNDAY SNAPS

Dignified and smart too. The comments
from the Mosque when they received
hate mail after being fire-bombed.

Or, maybe we'll just abstain?

Awww...Nice of Britain to give Scotland money

What a weird man he is.

Unless this is a spoof account
 Smarty is getting, er less smart...

I don't know why they spin this rubbish.
It's be disproved over and over.

Remind me, how did that work out, Gordon?

Yes, I think you're probably right Mr Dugdale.
Not overly sure though that I'd welcome your
contribution if I were Kazia.

Just as well they are all very rich and
can afford to pay for the hall for a few dozen.

IDS lies again.

Not that HE knows what's what...
but it's a thought.

Just like you'll not lose a single seat to the SNP?
You really are a complete haver.

Oh, it's alright Mrs Duncan.
 We don't like fat ugly elderly bigots in mauve.
So you can have your prejudices
and we'll have ours.

There's an answer to everything.
Just not a very good one.