A number of months ago I took a test on a website which it stated would tell me where I am on the political compass. I was placed right next to Nelson Mandela which is not a bad accolade at all.
After her address to the Conference in Aviemore, it is clear that Wendy Alexander doesn't have a clue about what a political compass is.
I watched her speech live, and to be honest flat would be a polite description. Firstly there was the wee jokes at the beginning and trying to obtain a touchy feely image - cue tumbleweed (in true shooting stars tradition!)
Her constant sniping at the SNP was woeful, and to describe the SNP as right wing and herself as a socialist shows she ain't got a scooby doo about a political compass.
Wendy is the same person who gave Glasgow the great white elephant that is the GHA, supports private sector involvement in education and health, and like Gordon Brown believes in the free market, with little state involvement, and her international agenda is akin to George.W.Bush because yes she supported the Iraq War. Some socialist!
As Iain McWhirter concludes today, The Scottish Government has introduced a freeze on the Council Tax across Scotland, therefore, sending a signal that regressive tax is bad, is on the way to delivering free prescriptions, abolished student fees, begun a pilot for free school meals, given equal rights to children of asylum seekers to name just a few. Not very right wing is it.
The fact is that the SNP has delivered the most socially democratic programme for Government for a generation.
Silly smears wont work just as they didn't work in May last year. Whilst Wendy and her band of followers continue to snipe and obtain ridicule for their analysis of Scottish politics and Scottish life, The SNP will continue to deliver, and continue the legacy of Hardie, Wheatley and others who brought major positive change to the Scottish people.
30 March 2008
28 March 2008
AN EXERCISE IN DELUSION
Gordon Brown's address to the British Labour Party (Scotland Region) at its Regional Conference in Aviemore, and Wendy Alexander's self appraisal can only be described as a wasteful exercise in self delusion.
The main crux though is that they have learnt the square root of nothing since their election defeat in May. Hearing Gordon Brown today attack the SNP was also an exercise in rewriting history. For him to lecture anyone on Local Government cuts when he presided over Tory spending plans in his first few years as Chancellor which meant real cuts in Local Government, and jobs, is complete hypocrisy. He also seems to forget that he is responsible for allowing globalisation to grow without state interference in the market. In addition it is he who wrote the cheques for the Iraq War, and we will take no lessons from him on International affairs.
It is the SNP Government who are the real protectors of the National Health Service, cutting prescription charges, and reducing them still further until they are free, saving vital accident and emergency services from closure, and ensuring Health Boards become more accountable by ensuring that board members become elected, are just some of the achievements that the Scottish Government are doing to ensure that the NHS in Scotland is free at the point of need.
Turning to Wendy. In fairness she was almost right, it's just that no one told her there wasn't anything behind the zero in out of ten!
So far, and its only Day 1, New Labour are attacking the SNP, producing scaremongering tactics, and generally suggesting that the world will end if the Nats got in. Someone will really need to tell them that the SNP are elected, doing a very good job, and are well ahead in the polls. A fact underpinned in Glasgow South West when the postie arrives with more survey cards with more voters identifying themselves as voting SNP at the next Westminster election.
Who knows what more hysterical nonsense will be produced over the next 2 days, though the smart money is on Johann Lamont to be the most outrageous in contribution.
Negative, scaremongering, and delusional - its as if time hasn't moved!
On a weekend when the clocks go forward, New Labour in Scotland are going backwards!
The main crux though is that they have learnt the square root of nothing since their election defeat in May. Hearing Gordon Brown today attack the SNP was also an exercise in rewriting history. For him to lecture anyone on Local Government cuts when he presided over Tory spending plans in his first few years as Chancellor which meant real cuts in Local Government, and jobs, is complete hypocrisy. He also seems to forget that he is responsible for allowing globalisation to grow without state interference in the market. In addition it is he who wrote the cheques for the Iraq War, and we will take no lessons from him on International affairs.
It is the SNP Government who are the real protectors of the National Health Service, cutting prescription charges, and reducing them still further until they are free, saving vital accident and emergency services from closure, and ensuring Health Boards become more accountable by ensuring that board members become elected, are just some of the achievements that the Scottish Government are doing to ensure that the NHS in Scotland is free at the point of need.
Turning to Wendy. In fairness she was almost right, it's just that no one told her there wasn't anything behind the zero in out of ten!
So far, and its only Day 1, New Labour are attacking the SNP, producing scaremongering tactics, and generally suggesting that the world will end if the Nats got in. Someone will really need to tell them that the SNP are elected, doing a very good job, and are well ahead in the polls. A fact underpinned in Glasgow South West when the postie arrives with more survey cards with more voters identifying themselves as voting SNP at the next Westminster election.
Who knows what more hysterical nonsense will be produced over the next 2 days, though the smart money is on Johann Lamont to be the most outrageous in contribution.
Negative, scaremongering, and delusional - its as if time hasn't moved!
On a weekend when the clocks go forward, New Labour in Scotland are going backwards!
17 March 2008
THINGS CAN ONLY GET BITTER
An adaptation of their song of 1997, is probably the correct synopsis to describe the current state of affairs within the British Labour Party (Scotland Region).
A 75% polling lead for First Minister, Alex Salmond over Wendy Alexander is even better than yours truly predicted in my beginning of the year predictions for 2008! However, it does show that Wendy may be mortally wounded politically. An sizeable lead in the polls for Westminster and Holyrood show the malaise that is creeping into New Labour. Indeed the positive returns with my current survey show more and more people deserting New Labour for the SNP.
Since May, the Holyrood New Labour group has found itself on the wrong side of every debate affecting the lives of the Scottish people. It is little wonder then that they are so far behind.
The latest mistake being their opposition to Local Income Tax and their stupid defence of the Council Tax, arguably the second most detested piece of taxation in Scottish history. A right wing alliance with the Tories, they are the last defenders of the Council Tax, opposing the introduction of a progressive tax that is based on the ability to pay.
More and more Scots are no longer fooled by a Party that increased Council Tax by 60% in 10years.
The BLP (Scotland Region) gathering at Aviemore, where they have already insulted the host!, will be an interesting gathering. Many will surely attend, concerned at their current plight, and many will blame the Holyrood Group for their current downfall, though Alastair Darlings anti-Scottish budget will not have helped. It is surely only a matter of time before they descend into civil war, indeed things can only get bitter!
A 75% polling lead for First Minister, Alex Salmond over Wendy Alexander is even better than yours truly predicted in my beginning of the year predictions for 2008! However, it does show that Wendy may be mortally wounded politically. An sizeable lead in the polls for Westminster and Holyrood show the malaise that is creeping into New Labour. Indeed the positive returns with my current survey show more and more people deserting New Labour for the SNP.
Since May, the Holyrood New Labour group has found itself on the wrong side of every debate affecting the lives of the Scottish people. It is little wonder then that they are so far behind.
The latest mistake being their opposition to Local Income Tax and their stupid defence of the Council Tax, arguably the second most detested piece of taxation in Scottish history. A right wing alliance with the Tories, they are the last defenders of the Council Tax, opposing the introduction of a progressive tax that is based on the ability to pay.
More and more Scots are no longer fooled by a Party that increased Council Tax by 60% in 10years.
The BLP (Scotland Region) gathering at Aviemore, where they have already insulted the host!, will be an interesting gathering. Many will surely attend, concerned at their current plight, and many will blame the Holyrood Group for their current downfall, though Alastair Darlings anti-Scottish budget will not have helped. It is surely only a matter of time before they descend into civil war, indeed things can only get bitter!
08 March 2008
PALTRY MINIMUM WAGE RISE
A long time since my last post, due to some technical hitches this week.
One of the biggest stories for me was the Paltry rise of 21p announced by the Westminster Government, which quite rightly drew criticism from the Trade unions. This rise is below the current RPI rate of inflation which stands at 4.1%. This poor rise will be one part of a double whammy to hit low paid workers in April, when the Westminster Governments plan to abolish the lower rate of income tax kicks in.
In addition, a paltry rise does nothing to address the folly of the state effectively subsidising major corporations who insist on paying workers low wages. In effect, anyone on the NMW csan claim benefit, and work for say MacDonalds.
This shows clearly that New Labour have no interest in dealing with Poverty. With rising prices in food, energy and travel, this paltry rise will not help low paid workers in Scotland.
The SNP has a proud record of supporting a real Minimum wage having established a minmum wage at half male median earnings as party policy since the early 1990's. Currently that rate would be £6.75 an hour which would lift more families out of poverty.
Only under Independence with a SNP Government at the helm, will have the vision, ambition and ideals to lift Scotland families out of poverty.
One of the biggest stories for me was the Paltry rise of 21p announced by the Westminster Government, which quite rightly drew criticism from the Trade unions. This rise is below the current RPI rate of inflation which stands at 4.1%. This poor rise will be one part of a double whammy to hit low paid workers in April, when the Westminster Governments plan to abolish the lower rate of income tax kicks in.
In addition, a paltry rise does nothing to address the folly of the state effectively subsidising major corporations who insist on paying workers low wages. In effect, anyone on the NMW csan claim benefit, and work for say MacDonalds.
This shows clearly that New Labour have no interest in dealing with Poverty. With rising prices in food, energy and travel, this paltry rise will not help low paid workers in Scotland.
The SNP has a proud record of supporting a real Minimum wage having established a minmum wage at half male median earnings as party policy since the early 1990's. Currently that rate would be £6.75 an hour which would lift more families out of poverty.
Only under Independence with a SNP Government at the helm, will have the vision, ambition and ideals to lift Scotland families out of poverty.
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