Tag: Labour Party

Glasgow – A Society Where Time Has Stood Still
“When one thinks of the East of Glasgow – and the lucky ones are those who have to go no further than just think … If you seek Labour’s monument, look at this hellhole” (Heffer)

Poverty And The Media

In 2006, a research programme investigating public attitudes to poverty and inequality was launched by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. The role of the media, and in particular the news media, occupied a key element of the research agenda.

The role of the media in helping to shape public attitudes to poverty and welfare, an issue which had concerned researchers for some time was an important part of this research. One of the key findings was that UK poverty was generally a marginal issue for the news media,  but,  when poverty was reported, people experiencing poverty were either represented in a stigmatised way or as passive victims.

In the period 2004-2010 the media played an important role assisting government,  helping to form and shape public attitudes to poverty,  attitudes which hardened at the time the Labour Party were in power were further strengthened by the Tory/Lib/Dem government who view poverty as a consequence of behavioural inadequacies,  providing opportunity to introduce harsh policies reducing levels of support for redistribution of wealth,  satisfying media demands for tough measures against “benefit cheats.”

The Right Wing Press has It’s Say

Glasgow’s unenviable location at the top of UK morbidity and mortality league tables is a recurring theme in many of the stories featured across the right wing print media.

The Sunday Times: Who would you expect to live longer? an East Glaswegian or a man from Colombia, Albania or North Korea? The answer is that the Colombians, Albanians and North Koreans would drink a toast at the Glaswegian’s wake. The choice of Albania and North Korea is particularly poignant given the tendency also in some of the press reporting to construct Glasgow East with its high proportion of socially rented housing as a Stalinist housing monolith and state-dependent locale. Such comparisons are meant to shock – but they do not stop with these three countries.

The Times: Used the headline-grabbing quote, “Glasgow’s Guantanamo” stating: Glasgow East is a part of the world that defies exaggeration. Desultory buses head out from the city centre towards some of the worst areas of concentrated poverty in the Western world: Shettleston, Barlanark, Garthamlock, Easterhouse, Parkhead … communities that figure with monotonous regularity both on the charge sheet at Glasgow Sheriff Court and at the top of the lists of the most socially deprived wards in Britain. They might as well be called Guantanamo. For many thousands of welfare prisoners on sink estates, marooned by bad housing, violence, addiction, unemployment, ill health and shattered relationships, there is little chance of escape.

Daily Telegraph: A sense of despair pervades thousands of residents, half of whom live in social housing … The Sandwick Square shopping centre in Easterhouse epitomises a lot of what has gone wrong with Labour’s great post-war social experiment – the area’s sprawling mass of council estates. A sad collection of shops – Pound Saver, a pawnbroker, a bookmaker, Farm Foods.

The Independent: A deprived and neglected part of Glasgow, where a man who lives to be 55 can consider himself lucky … Glasgow East is a tough area, where 30 per cent of the working age population is on unemployment or incapacity benefit, nearly 40 per cent of children grow up in homes where there is no adult in paid employment, and three fifths of the people have no access to a car. The social services have many thousands of local children and adults on their books.

Two themes emerge that are worthy of note: the representation not only of Glasgow East as a universal indicator of social problems, but also of arguments that council housing had increasingly become a “problem” and that government policies were not working, or were insufficiently targeted at dealing with the ‘real’ problems as signified by Glasgow East and similar locales elsewhere in Scotland.

The Labour Party – The Feral Society and How To Deal With It

Families living in the East of Glasgow, experiencing poverty and associated disadvantages were reclassified, “other” by the Labour Westminster government. Words such as inadequate, dependent and disordered behavoir were used commonplace. People previously defined as “poor” and severely disadvantaged locales were “othered”, providing a clear indication of the ways in which the politics of poverty and state welfare were to be increasingly fought-out in the media. Such misrecognition was a social injustice and stood in the way of progressive approaches to poverty and social welfare.

Glasgow was stigmatised by Labour politicians and sections of the media as being wholly representative of the kind of ‘welfare dependent’ localities which “welfare reform” needed to address. Overwhelmingly, the portrayal of the city and the people who lived in it was highly negative, drawing upon stereotypical representations of poverty in disadvantaged urban localities.

Against the foregoing, forming part of a wider “agenda of change” the Labour government announced a new phase of “welfare ‘reform”. They started the process, soon after bringing forward proposals to abolish Incapacity Benefit and Income Support and to make the long-term unemployed work in exchange for benefit. The programme was picked up by the Con/Dem government, greatly expanded and introduced piecemeal causing great hardship, chaos and resentment in Glasgow and throughout Scotland. In the last 7 years the disabled, unemployed and otherwise disadvantaged in Glasgow have been subject to an increasingly punitive welfare regime marginalising them in society creating and fostering the new, “underclass.”

New Labour politician, Jim Murphy,  in his paper said there existed a  ‘poverty of aspirations’ and a culture of dependency that not only distinguished poor people but confined them to poverty.  Glasgow is a city,  in New Labour terms,  that suffers from ‘aspirational deficit’. The needs for welfare dependency among Scots, cosseted by “English” money, signalled other emerging conflicts brought about by devolution. To rectify matters there existed a need to accept that the welfare system has become part of this breakdown, giving perverse incentives to too many people. It needed to be changed, to have a simple purpose, to move people from dependence to independence … http://www.smf.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2007/03/Publication-The-Politics-of-Aspiration.pdf

Dec 2008: Benefit Reforms – Glasgow To Be The First In Line For Benefit Changes

Plans to FORCE more benefit claimants to prepare for work or face losing payments are a “fair deal”, says Work and Pensions Secretary James Purnell. He said private firms would be paid to get people back to work while those unemployed for a year would have to do four weeks’ full-time activity. Most people on incapacity benefit would be expected to attend job interviews. The Conservatives said they would back the plans in the face of an expected “big rebellion” from Labour MPs. A welfare reform bill is expected to be published in January and any changes would come in in 2010/11.

Conservative work and pensions spokesman Chris Grayling told Mr Purnell the government had adopted Tory policies, adding: “That is why I can assure you today that there is no doubt, we know you are going to face a big rebellion on the Labour backbenches, can I assure you that we will give these proposals our support.”

For the Scottish National Party, John Mason MP said the reforms risked demonising the unemployed. “While we will look cautiously and constructively at the wider proposals, half-baked and draconian reforms are not the answer,” he said. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7774113.stm

The Con/Dem Government 2010-2015

Iain Duncan Smith, MP for Chingford and Woodford Green in North London made a few well-publicised fact finding trips to Glasgow, following which he launched his, “Centre for Social Justice” report in 2008, detailing his perceptions of Glasgow’s welfare problems and remedial measures necessary to correct the situation. The term, “broken society” became commonplace and the Tory party and media quickly associated Glasgow with it”.

In the 2010 general election, Tory Party leader, David Cameron relied heavily on Smith’s “broken society” arguments, and, while wishing to avoid any suggestion that they were solely responsible for the media coverage of poverty evidenced in Glasgow, nonetheless they were instrumental in portraying the people of Glasgow in very disparaging terms, albeit as a way of highlighting New Labour’s failures. An extract from the report:

“Shettleston being one of the more deprived areas in Glasgow, ‘Shettleston Man’, is a particular problem subject: This individual has low life expectancy. He lives in social housing, drug and alcohol abuse play an important part in his life and he is always out of work. His white blood cell count killing him directly as a result of his lifestyle and its lack of purpose.”

The stark message being that ill-health, unemployment and poverty are primarily matters of individual failure, but also of personal responsibility. The all pervading thread evidenced thoughout the report covers, family breakdown, welfare dependency, debt, drugs, poverty, poor policing, housing, and failing schools but it goes deeper, projecting a society in danger of losing any sense of personal responsibility, social responsibility, common decency and, yes, even, public morality.

The way forward was for the individual to embrace the ‘work habit’. This was to be the driving force behind the Tory ‘Breakthrough Britain’ policy brought forward by Smith following his Damascus-like conversion on a previous 2003 visit to Glasgow. The ideas advanced by Smith and Cameron, central to Conservative Party thinking, provided strong indications of the likely policy directions of any future Conservative UK government and heavily influenced and further shaped “New Labour’s” plans to overhaul benefits entitlement in line with Jim Murphy’s approach outlined in his paper: http://www.smf.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2007/03/Publication-The-Politics-of-Aspiration.pdf

Summary

New Labour, in 2007-8 assisted by their Unionist Party colleagues and media conspiritors conducted an extended campaign against the people of Glasgow and Scotland demonising the newly identified, “underclass”. On completion of the softening up process there followed announcements concerning yet more rounds of welfare reforms invoking previously seeded ideas of welfare dependency and individualised explanations of poverty. The anti-welfare rhetoric continued unabated until the general election of 2010 and the aftermath of the Con/Dem government.

Scotland had a chance in September 2014 to break away from the smothering control of Westminster and “ping-pong” governance of Labour and Tory governments. The “Fear Campaign” conducted by Westminster and the media, including the supposedly impartial: BBC and the Civil Service was so powerful it frightened off sufficient numbers of Scot’s as to ensure the, “no” vote won the day.

Events since have provided evidence the “Yes” campaigners had got it right. Westminster, having refused the Scottish governments offer to include the Devo-Max option on the ballot and within the “Purdah” period, brought forward, through the “Daily Record”, a mish mash of “new” powers, to be devolved in the event of a “no” vote.

Two days before the referendum, Gordon Brown, ably assisted by the BBC was provided with nearly 3 hours of continuous television broadcast time addressing a group of Labour loyalists outlining the “new powers”. The measure had the desired effect, a 2% lead held be the “yes” campaign was lost.

Whilst the expressed will of the people of Scotland is to remain part of the UK an agenda needs to be drawn up so that discussions may be held seeking agreement as to new arrangements to be put in place.

The hastily prepared “Smith Report” is a joke document. It is entirely possible a “New” Westminster government made up of at least 50% “new” MP’s will reject it completely in favour of retaining the “status quo.” The “new” government is not bound to introduce anything agreed beforehand by a previous government.

The general election scheduled for 7 May 2015 provides opportunity for Scotland to send a clear and unambiguous message to the three Westminster Unionist parties that Scot’s will not be bullied, threatened nor told they are incapable of self-government.

Scotland’s voice will not be heard in Westminster through any party except the SNP. The legacy of 50 year’s of Labour Party control of Scotland through it’s so called Scottish MP’s is evidenced in the levels of deprivation and despair in Glasgow and other cities,  towns and villages throughout Scotland. Scottish Labour MP’s sent to Westminster are expected to “toe the party line” and that line does not expressly include the needs of their constituents. Scottish Labour MP’s are Unionist in mind, body and action.

 

 

I posted articles, (listed below) covering a number of Scottish MP’s providing pen pictures of their activities over the period they held office as a Westminster MP. Have I missed anyone that needed covering?

 

 

https://caltonjock.com/2014/08/29/all-about-jim-murphy/

https://caltonjock.com/2014/12/29/jim-spud-murphy-1992-1997-the-student-union-years-and-his-carefully-planned-and-jammy-rise-to-political-office/

https://caltonjock.com/2014/12/26/jim-spud-murphy-best-way-to-let-him-hang-himself-is-to-watch-him-in-action-a-selection-of-the-best-of-his-u-tube-videos/

 

https://caltonjock.com/2014/08/31/time-to-bring-an-end-to-the-sarwar-dynasty-in-glasgow/

 

 

https://caltonjock.com/2014/09/01/douglas-alexander-saint-shrew-or-shrewd/

 

 

 

https://caltonjock.com/2014/10/12/margaret-curran-engages-mouth-before-brain-and-its-painful-for-the-viewer/

https://caltonjock.com/2014/09/12/margaret-curran-johaan-lamont-ladies-with-a-past-but-hopefully-no-futureccrone-report-lest-we-forget/

 

 

https://caltonjock.com/2014/09/08/glasgow-south-west-poorly-served-by-davidson-and-his-labour-party-colleagues-time-for-change-get-em-out/

 

 

https://caltonjock.com/2014/10/24/what-has-john-robertson-done-for-his-constituents-in-glasgow-north-west/

 

 

https://caltonjock.com/2014/10/22/tom-harris-hush-puppy-or-rottweiler-a-report/

 

 

https://caltonjock.com/2014/10/20/glasgow-north-east-willie-bain-mp-and-the-worst-served-community-in-the-uk/

 

 

https://caltonjock.com/2014/12/05/jim-cookie-jar-mcgovern-labour-mp-dundee-west-information-of-interest-to-the-public/

 

 

https://caltonjock.com/2014/11/26/michael-mccann-mp-south-lanarkshire-a-constituency-no-stranger-to-sleaze/

 

 

https://caltonjock.com/2014/11/22/the-life-good-times-of-jim-sheridan-mp-for-paisley/

 

 

https://caltonjock.com/2014/11/21/south-lanarkshire-once-a-miner-always-a-miner-jimmy-hood-mp/

 

 

https://caltonjock.com/2014/11/19/north-lanarkshire-labour-party-mafia-frankie-boy-roy-his-record/

 

 

https://caltonjock.com/2014/12/31/pamela-nash-mp-for-airdrie-shotts-troubled-5-years-in-post-constituency-aware-not/

 

 

https://caltonjock.com/2014/12/25/richard-baker-labour-msp-political-carpetbagger-or-plonker-standing-for-aberdeen-north-in-may-2015-indication-as-he-is-the-latter/

 

 

https://caltonjock.com/2014/12/16/david-i-am-the-brains-of-the-party-in-scotland-mundell-anonymous-photo-opportunity-mp-his-constituents-deserve-better/

 

 

https://caltonjock.com/2014/12/10/iain-mckenzie-inverclyde-mp-elected-as-a-clean-pair-of-hands-not-long-before-he-needs-to-wash-them/

 

 

https://caltonjock.com/2014/12/09/barry-black-19-years-old-selected-by-labour-to-stand-for-election-in-aberdeen-in-2015/

 

 

https://caltonjock.com/2014/12/07/braden-davy-a-young-man-in-a-hurry/ (19 y/o going for the Gordon seat)

 

 

https://caltonjock.com/2015/02/20/argyll-bute-alan-reid-runs-his-constituency-like-a-chessmaster-its-checkmate-and-your-out-my-wee-friend/

 

29 January 2015: Brian Cox’s defection to the SNP is a hammer blow for Jim Murphy and Labour

Given the enthusiasm with which Brian Cox campaigned for a Yes vote during the referendum campaign, his decision to quit Labour for the SNP may not seem surprising. It is significant, though that Jim Murphy has made big play of wanting his party to be a place both Yes and No voters feel comfortable since becoming leader north of the border. His mantra has been that Labour values still run strong and people should put constitutional politics to one side and focus on other policies. Cox’s decision to quit – slamming the party’s, “empty rhetoric” accusing it of selling out in the process – severely dents those hopes.

 

Providing voice overs for Tony Blair and Jack McConnell during previous election campaigns means Cox has by no means been a back seat supporter of Labour. And, as one of the most popular and effective celebrities when it came to campaigning for independence, his defection to the SNP is a hammer blow to Labour’s narrative. It is another blow to the party as it fights for its electoral life amid desperate polling figures for May’s general election. The Holywood actor’s declaration may not in itself seem shocking or significant, but it symbolises much bigger issues. http://www.thecourier.co.uk/opinion/blogs/kieran-andrews/brian-cox-s-defection-to-the-snp-is-a-hammer-blow-for-jim-murphy-and-labour-1.812899

 

The aforementioned article generated a fair bit of heat amongst the Dundee electorate and this makes the content of interest to all who are interested in bringing an end to Murphy’s ambitions in Scotland

SNP
What do they expect. The abuse by labour directed at the yes campaign was vile. They expect people to just forget? NEVER going to happen!

 

Labour
Absolutely pathetic, he is an idiot who will never be affected by the Tartan tory cuts and nasty policies like the cutting of early years teaching assistants in Dundee ten minutes later they increased their perks of power the councils hospitality budget. Our children’s route out of poverty sacrificed at the cost of free booze and buffets for SNP supporters. 4000 cut in hospital beds 4000 + cuts in teachers 2000 less nurses, bedroom tax con for 10 months ” we don’t have the powers to fund it then after relentless pressure from Scottish Labour Party the voluntary sector campaign groups and those the SNP elected members left the city to avoid facing the bin the bedroom tax group. They caved in and agreed to fund it in full no change in powers

SNP
You are a fool, worse a fool who appears unwilling or unable to retain any level of fact in your quest to blame everything on the SNP in an idiotic attempt to sustain the sinking ship that is the Labour Part in Scotland. Wake up man they have deserted their core supporters in favour of middle England, the Bankers and Thatcherism!

 

Labour
I note you are not disputing the cuts in teachers, NHS beds, teaching assistants, of course you can’t as they are a matter of public record therefore one is left with the assumption that you are not being affected by the tartan tory cuts therefore are only interested in the Tartan tory propaganda. Maybe it would help you if you actually got out and spoke to the real people of Scotland who are not falling for your propaganda they believe what they are experiencing and seeing with their own eyes.

SNP
He is well known for his nastiness aimed at Yes voting Scots…he is a disgraces as a person. Folk don’t like him because he is just plain ignorant.

SNP
Who do you blame for the NHS fiasco and Education fiascos in England? Both worse than Scotland has experienced!

 

Labour
You can’t argue with his remarks about “SNP elected members” – they are facts! I note that everyone who voted “no” is labelled as having viciously attacked independence voters etc- childish, really. Comments below are ridiculous, as in the reference to £1.3 trillion debt. The UK, especially Scotland, has been living beyond its means for years. Free prescriptions, free university places, higher grant per capita from Westminster, etc. It doesn’t grow on trees.

Where would an independent Scotland be right now with oil at $48 pb? Think of it – revenue from oil on the floor, higher unemployment, more social benefit claims, Clyde-side dead from lack of orders, power supplies in jeopardy with frackingforbidden and over-reliance on renewables – this in a country as cold as Scotland! I sometimes think I’m reading the Beano when I review SNP promises.

Just for once, answer the oil question, as this was the issue on which an independent Scotland’s future was predicated – and which you were warned was a very dangerous policy, given the volatility in the price of oil. A great country with several million of decent, well-educated people, is in danger of becoming a laughing stock, and all because porridge eaters swallowed Salmond’s lies, hook, line and sinker. You should be ashamed, very ashamed.

 

SNP
what a load of drivel! You don’t mention the six figure MP expense claims or the £1.5 trillion national debt? SNP to blame for that as well?

Labour
The debt that was the result of the Labour government deciding to protect our economy, our banks, our saving, our industry and businesses. The only other choice was survival of the fittest and the wealthy.

 

SNP
It was the result of WESTMINSTER the national debt! Started by liebour and multiplied by Tory. Nothing to do with SNP. Just as liebour refused to vote against austerity or fracking! Voted liebour all my life NEVER EVER AGAIN. Red Tory, sold their soul. Hence the 50%+ SNP support being polled

SNP
Utter nonsense Norway has a £600bn oil fund while thanks to Westminster mismanagement Scotland as part of the UK has a £1.5trn debt.

Labour
It’s your national debt too, the answer is simple and patently obvious. England has a population around 12 times that of Scotland and the patient premium is lower than that allocated to Scotland.

 

Labour
The “expense claims” is garbage, as there are 600 plus MPs at Westminster, with many from the SW, NW and the NE, not to mention Wales, Scotland and NI. And of course, there’s Wee

Eck! Do you think only rich people should be allowed to enter parliament, thereby obviating the need for expenses? I could give you a dozen better reasons for arguing against the Union than that. You can do better than that, surely?

 

SNP
What a load of opinionated drivel. I get expenses in my job but lucky if I need more then 5k per annum! I work half the year away from home! There is a huge difference

between REASONABLE expenses and Westminster expenses! as for the national debt, it us a DISGRACE the UK is in this mess when you compare us to Norway! The UK is finished, fact.

SNP
how ironic you pounce on the bedroom tax! people being made homeless on the breadline and idiots like you moan about the snp helping them! you shouldn’t be allowed to breed mate! people like you should be ejected to live south of the border. see hire much more you will have to moan about then! balloon

 

LABOUR
I note that you are yet another Tartan tory that cannot make a comment without personal abuse I also note you have no answers to the fact that the tartan tories have had the power from day one to mitigate its affects on the Scottish people, by doing as the Northern Irish assembly have done they have stuck up for their electorate by refusing to implement the bedroom tax until they have exhausted all legal options open to them. Unlike the tartan tories who spent millions on ensuring that the Scottish people did not receive access to information about SNP policies through freedom of information requests.

In a perfect example the coverup of the massive escalation in V&A costs with regards to the bedroom tax they also could have changed Scottish law to make it illegal for any Scottish social landlord to evict any of their tenants for specificly bedroom tax debt. And their No1 priority policy if there was a yes win would have been a 3% tax cut for multi national companies and lest we forget or forgive them for their treacherous vote against the living wage being implemented in Scotland

 

SNP
The “bedroom tax” was imposed on Scotland by a Westminster Government that Scotland did not vote for and despite the majority of our MP’s at Westminster opposing the measure.

Despite this Labour stood shoulder to shoulder with the Tory party to inform Scots we were “better together” and should vote no. Labour prefer Tory rule from London to Socialist rule from Edinburgh. In regards to corporation tax cuts that is again utter hypocrisy from Labour considering Gordon Brown cut corporation tax from 33-28%, a 5% cut the same as George Osborne! Indeed Gordon Brown is on record as stating he wanted to cut it MORE. He stated: “We have cut corporation tax twice and I want to go further,” he said. “We will reduce the tax again when we are able.” http://www.­telegraph.co.uk/fina­nce/economics/278926­4/Gordon-Brown-tries­-to-win-over-directo­rs-with-tax-reductio­n-pledge.html

 

As for the living wage utter hypocrisy from Labour considering in November 2014 a proposal by SNP councillors to pay local authority apprentices the Living Wage in Greenock was thrown out by a Labour-controlled council committee. http://ww­w.greenocktelegraph.­co.uk/news/greenock/­articles/2014/11/26/­517095-bid-to-pay-li­ving-wage-to-apprent­ices-rejected/ In regards to the supposed “V&A” cover up that is nothing but a Labour lie as demonstrated by the complete lack of hard evidence presented.

SNP
Abuse? Oh come you sensitive little thing. That’s not abuse. Abuse is very different indeed.

SNP
I like many others was a card carrying member of the Labour party and senior Trade union activist, I felt physically sick when one of the Thatcherite Blair’s first acts was to praise Thatcher and invite her to tea at Downing Street. Protect our banks? he and that numb nut Brown deregulated the banks and set off a chain reaction that led to the UK’s involvement in the sub prime banking crash et al. As to NHS cuts our budget is cut from Westminster as a consequential of the Barnet Formula in proportion to what is spent in England and Wales. Why is it so difficult for the likes of you to grasp this simple concept?

 

Labour
Bedroom tax is wrong, very wrong, but even you must see the logic behind trying to find bigger houses for families than having them occupied by single people. I’ve just seen a programme about it this morning and the black lady who eventually moved to a smaller house wanted to give up her 3 bedrooms to a family, providing she could find a smaller house, which she eventually did.your comment, mentions expenses. It depends on where you live and how you decide to manage the distance. Thatcher introduced the system because she was afraid of public reaction to a pay rise for MPs. The answer is to pay them on a par with their Euro counterparts and abolish expenses altogether. But what would the likes of you say?

 

I spent years abroad on detachments to Italy and Germany where we stayed in hotels and were given an allowance for meals. My son worked for Adobe and was always away from home and his expenses were astronomical. Don’t know the details of your case so I can’t really comment. I agree, their expenses are over the top, but every Scottish MP got them too.
Me? I’d raise their pay and abolish expenses. Trouble is, those who live far away would suffer..

SNP
Scottish Government could not offset the bedroom tax as it was a RESERVED matter and permission had to be granted by Westminster and the money was deducted from the block grant

SNP
You see the problem mate – they don’t understand how things are done. As for the comments before yours, well there is no use arguing with them. They want everything and they want it now, regardless of cost or affordability. They are both logically and economically bankrupt!

 

SNP
I’ll bet you didn’t describe him as an idiot when he supported labour or did you?

SNP
Calling Scottish Labour the Tartan Tories is not very nice Douglas but you may well be accurate….Labours shift to the right since Blair made me leave

SNP
I am an SNP supporter. Please tell me where I can get my free booze and buffet. I have never seen them; you didn’t just make that up, did you?

As if to prove your point, he is right on the case. Sadly he has obviously never heard the saying, “Better that people believe you to be a fool,than open your mouth and prove it. “Could have been written for him, except he is not important enough, outwith his own self importance. I’ve tried to read his post again but still cannot make any sense of it, he just jumps from one rant to another with no reference to any proof. But then,I suppose when you have the egg man on your side, proof and truth are not obiglatory.

SNP
Jim Murphy promised to hire Yes voters as part of his team but he surrounded himself with rabid unionists like John McTernan, Blair McDougall and Susan Dalgety. You simply cannot work with such people.

SNP
And we’ll not forget their campaign as regards the pensioners. They were telling OAP’s that they wouldn’t have a pension if it was a yes vote. We were alerted to an old lady in Ayrshire that was so scared by this that she was stockpiling food. Thankfully AGE Scotland got involved through seeing our comments on facebook and they brought in the Social Services to help the old dear. However, she was just one that was brought to our attention, think of the thousands that’ll have suffered in silence. Labour, it doesn’t matter what you do and say now, you can NEVER wash that stain away. I ask everyone to vote SNP so that we can get rid of Labour in Scotland and push for home rule.

 

Labour
Yet more of your evil Nasty propaganda I spoke to hundreds of pensioners before the referendum and not one mentioned anything abou labour saying anything about losing their pensions what they were complaining about was being called traitors for refusing to put up yes stickers,

SNP
Are you mad. Did you even listen to anything during the campaign? The threat of losing pensions was brought up again and again by, “bitter together”. Did you go through the entire referendum campaign with your eyes and ears closed?

Labour
Whereas the SNP were telling pensioners the NHS was going to be privatised into oblivion if we voted No. Has that happened yet?

SNP
Not yet. Please hold…….

 

SNP
No such thing as Scottish Labour it just does not exist as a legal entity

SNP
It’s like British Gas & Scottish Gas owned by Centrica, & labour are full of gas !!

Labour
What was that you said about personal abuse in a comment?????

SNP
Congratulations, for joining the rest of us who are sick of the manipulations to get a majority in Westminster.

SNP
I spoke to lots of pensioners through my work during the referendum campaign and many of them said they couldn’t vote Yes because their pensions would stop!!! I tried to tell them otherwise but one or 2 of them had been cold-called by representatives from the labour party and told exactly that over the phone. It doesn’t take long for news to spread in the elderly community and even the ones who might have preferred to vote Yes would be pressured not to by friends. A disgusting tactic, that will Never be forgotten!!!

 

Labour
Absolute rubbish pensioners I spoke to on the phones on the doorstep and in the streets were all complaining about SNp calling them ttraitors because they refused to put yes stickers in their windows and abused in the streets for refusing to wear yes stickers,

SNP
The pensioners I spoke to and ones I know were scared witless by “project fear” not because of yes poster or badge wearing refusal

SNP
any further out of touch mate and you would be in orbit.

Labour
Vote tartan tory guaranteed to get english tories all shaking hands and big cheesy smiles on the telly and in pictures in the newspapers together.

 

SNP
We feel your pain mate, Labour being rejected by Brian Cox. Your party, whatever you call yourself or present yourself, are the problem and not the answer to Scotland’s needs. Labour no longer represent us, its policies do not reflect our concerns, aspirations and hopes, and the bargain you made with the Tories during the referendum have made it and you irrelevant. Many more will make the journey that Brian Cox has taken. I doubt you ever will.

SNP
Tartan Tory I thought we were extreme left wing according to the press. Do you actually live on planet earth, or in a bubble

SNP
Obviously it is not Planet Earth as he is always bubbling.

SNP
Tartan Tory? That highlights your idiotic mindset. The Scottish National Party are the only left of centre party in Scotland if not the UK the rest are blue Tories, red Tories, yellow tories and UKIP Tories. Wake up man!

Labour
So the Scottish Socialist Party, Greens, Respect, etc. don’t exist? All are far more left-wing than the SNP.

 

SNP
Better tartan Tory than red

SNP
Care to comment on your hero McGovern’s recent behaviour, re not voting on bedroom tax issue? Or will this be another tumbleweed moment for you. And on fracking as well.Never mind he will soon have more time on his hands.Maybe his glorious leader will show him a few keepy up tricks.

SNP
Are you proud of labour’s support of the tories austerity bills?

SNP
What about there refusal to back the amendment to devolve fracking to Holyrood? Does that fill you with pride?

SNP
Let’s go back to when the labour party turned into the Tory party… Do/did you support the changing of Clause IV?

SNP
You have a cheek describing the SNP as “Tartan Tory” considering it was LABOUR MP Alistair Darling who was given a standing ovation at the 2013 Tory conference. http://w­ww.scotsman.com/news­/politics/top-storie­s/scots-tories-give-­alistair-darling-sta­nding-ovation-1-2960­255

 

SNP
You might want to drag yourself out of the 1980s and into this century. The ‘Tartan Tory’ smear stopped working decades ago. At least find a smear that is relevant to today’s Scottish politics.

SNP
The real people are about to obliterate the labour party’s Scottish branch. Those are the real people speaking.

SNP
Wow this guy is in complete denial and delusion. Having spent 2 years cheek by jowl campaigning with the Tories , using Tory money and Labour mouthpieces then to refer to SNP as Tartan Tories is beyond parody.

SNP
Had Brian Cox decided to stay with Labour that would have been a far bigger blow to us.

SNP
Brian Cox is merely reflecting the almost total disillusionment of most Scottish Labour members/voters and their overwhelming repugnance at SLAB getting into bed with the Tories during the Referendum.

SNP
Johann Lamont’s resignation – and her very true description of what Scottish Labour had become, which she spat out on her departure – followed by Murphy’s fairy-tale reinvention of his part in Better Together (Not a Unionist???????), allied to his employment of gutter trash like McTernan and McDougall, only re-emphasize just how low that Party has fallen, up here.

SLAB are finished in Scotland and have just been defined by the UK Electorate Commission, no less, as nothing more than an “Accounting Unit” for Westminster Labour. They are merely a lowly branch office of Ed’s London HQ, with Murphy achieving the public status of a ridiculous Westminster Glove-Puppet. Every­thing is controlled from down south and their priority will always be to get Milliband elected – nothing else. Scotland will, as usual, be just a wee afterthought. No wonder Cox left this discredited, derided and despicable shambles.

 

SNP
If Murphy had honestly wanted to bring Yes voters back to Labour, his hiring of John McTernan who is well known for his vicious attacks on Yes voters was, to put it mildly, a strange decision.

Labour
What year is this? 2015? Brian Cox joining the SNP is not significant or surprising any more. Furthermore, it makes no difference – he lives in New York. Very big joke and obviously stage-managed. Cox has been defacto SNP for years. Surprised it made the news, and I’m not joking He voted for Salmond in 2011: http://news.stv.­tv/scotland/241730-s­cottish-film-legend-­cox-dumps-labour-for­-snp/ Nothing to do with the Yes campaign – he was already voting SNP. Will he now finally decided to come out of tax exile in NewYork

Labour
An actor who spent the last year openly arguing against Labour and for independence is joining the SNP. Why is this news again?

 

 

The purpose of this post is to reflect on events of late October 2014, only a few short weeks after the referendum in which the Unionist labour Party, together with their full partners the Tory and Liberal/democratic Parties, the unbiased Civil Service, the BBC, just about every other media outlet, the banks, corporate businesses and many other Unionist factions emerged victorious.

In the weeks after the referendum the 1.6 million that voted for independence analysed the outcome and although feeling betrayed and cheated by the negative fear driven campaigning of, the Unionist parties that made up, Better Together, accepted defeat.

But, near despair was tempered by the promise, (from the leaders of, Better Together) of a devolution of significant new powers to the Scottish parliament within months.

In January 2015, The “Smith” report was duly compiled, savagely doctored, removing anything of note then sent down to London for acceptance. It has not been accepted and it appears there will not be a transfer of anything of note to Scotland for many a year. So Scotland got stuffed again, as many yes voters feared would be the case.

Another fallout from the referendum was the resignation of Johann lamont who attacked Ed Miliband and the controlling labour Party Heirarchy in London.

Following her departure there was a short leadership contest and Jim Murphy took up the post of leader of the labour party in Scotland. In his first public statement he said that he was the undisputed leader of the Scottish Labour Party, (which officially does not exist) and he would not take instructions from London.

 

Ed Miliband was quick to set him right when he added detail to Murphy’s outburst stating, for the record that Jim’s powers applied only to aspects of scottish politics that were fully devolved to the Scottish parliament. In all other matters he would take instructions from London. So no change Jim. He was blethering as only Murphy can.

Reflecting on the Coup and the roles of the key players it is opportune to return to the time Johann Lamont resigned so that the views of others, including many Scottish labour Party supporters might be viewed. The post might be long but it is informative.

 

29 October 2014: Lamont was the victim of a Murphy coup, claims Labour MP Ian Davidson

In a scathing attack, veteran Glasgow South MP Ian Davidson said Johann Lamont, who quit as leader last Friday, had been treated shamefully by the shadow international development secretary’s allies, who conducted a whispering campaign against her. He did not name Jim Murphy, but in a bid to derail his leadership ambitions, Davidson said it would be “absurd” for Labour to elect a Scottish party leader who had never previously considered a role at Holyrood.

Davidson spoke out as Sarah Boyack, Scottish Labour’s former transport minister, announced she was standing for the top job while sources confirmed Mr Murphy’s intention to throw his hat in the ring, probably before the end of the week. Meanwhile, friends of Kezia Dugdale, Scottish Labour’s highly rated education spokeswoman, said she was keen to stand for deputy leader if a vacancy arose.

Davidson said: “We are in the middle of a coup. “It’s not Star Wars: Return of the Sith but it’s certainly the return of the Blairites and the Network.” He said the Network, a faction of Labour figures on the right of the party in the late 1990s, had always resented Ms Lamont’s election as leader in 2011. He added:  “There is an extent to which she has been treated as a wee lassie. “Because they could not pull her strings, they ignored her and went around her.”  In a clear attack on the East Renfrewshire MP he said:  “I don’t think we can have an MP as leader who has not expressed a previous interest in standing for Holyrood, but only wants to go in as leader.” Davidson, seen as cautious about devolution in the past, also said Scottish Labour should choose the next Secretary of State for Scotland if Ed Miliband wins the UK General Election next May.

http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/scottish-politics/lamont-was-the-victim-of-a-murphy-coup-claims-labour-mp.25722918

Comments:

Dear, dear there seems to be a lot of scrambling going on behind scenes. Will this suit Mr Murphy and how is Mr Sarwar bearing up now that he has discovered the “coup” is designed to take him out as well? What a bunch?

Looks like Ian Davidson was bang on when he said; “The debate will go on in the sense there is a large number of wounded still to be bayoneted …” We just assumed he meant the Yes voters and parties – doh!

Isn’t it wonderful when a sinister comment comes back to bite them in the bahoochie? Bayonetting their own seems to be a labour pastime – not to mention bayonetting their own toes.

Don’t knock it, there’s good material for a television series here.  ‘The Sith Of It’? Malcolm Tucker would have field day with this lot. Sith Happens.

Jack & Victor would’nt be able to make this sorry bunch of Nobody’s seem funny. Dire Straits sums them up.

To see where all this leads and the ‘real’ forces at work, look into the background to Julia Gillard’s defeat in Australia.

They remind of the tv comedy show The Adams Family. With Murphy acting as LURCH. Come to think of it,its fits like a glove (THING. )As labour have been Lurching from Left to Right for years. It seems the labour family are in big trouble. The left does not Trust the right Let the battle begin! ps, The losers here are the Scottish public-AGAIN.

Would that be the “coup” that’s pronounced “cowp” ?

Perhaps it’s ‘chicken coup’…

Well hopefully Eggy Murphy will get egg on his face … again!!!

That’s the yesser spirit “egg them on” No time for Murphy whatsoever. He’s a thoroughly despicable person who appears to be calm but , has a foul temper. However violence is NOT the answer.

Have a think about what’s happening here. They are almost certainly building Murphy up to be a pantomime villain so that he can then be defeated by losing the contest to a Scottish MSP. This will demonstrate that Westminster doesn’t control Scottish labour and so it will emerge “renewed”. Slightly machiavellian but exactly what you’d expect from them. If Murphy wins then its just pure incompetence.

That would just put lipstick on the pig. It wouldn’t take long for UK Labour in Scotland to revert to type – ie – pure ham.

Findlay has just flung his hat into the ring, should he be elected all he has to do is call it as it is, that he is there as a representative of New Labour Scotland

Eh, jaw hangs down, mouth agape. I thought Ian Davidson and Jim Murphy were close, got that wrong. And Ian Davidson effectively confirms the existence of the shadowy “Network”.

I’m at a loss for words. That’s unusual! Here, I’ll let Davidson speak about Lamont: “Because they could not pull her strings, they ignored her and went around her.”

Don’t worry it is not the first time you got it wrong, we are getting used to it

Not as wrong as the ex Scottish Labour voters who previously trusted this gaggle of political hypocrites and unscrupulous chancers.

Completely concur .. and I say that as a Labour voter of some 30 years standing.

Almost everyone I know Ross who voted Labour in the past now say that they are ex-Labour. I have never known such anger against any party except perhaps the Thatcher government.

Hear Hear I say as an ex Labour voter and party member. I opted out when Blair called our young men to arms based on a lie. When I mentioned this I was berated by a labour councillor on this forum saying this person had no respect for me for doing this. I’m guessing this person is losing respect for many now. Or maybe this person should take a close look at what the party has become and rethink the blind support for a party that can no longer call itself a party of the people.

last time I voted Labour was when Blair first got in. I lost faith in them then and would never consider voting for them again. They have made their bed, let them lie in the squalor of it

Me too – not the party that guys like my da busted a gut for

this gaggle are keen to talk now they never opened their beaks before the referendum

We now have a chance to see if “sane” voices prevail or are silenced. I’ll quote from my late post on another column if you’ll indulge me: “Two starker candidates there could not be. If Jim Murphy’s hired, his job will be to keep the war going with the “nats” and try to put them in their place. On the other hand, in Sarah Boyack there’s a danger that peace might break out in the Scottish Parliament. Sturgeon might actually like her ! If you look at previous exchanges between them they have more the atmosphere of planning a school trip than deep rooted tribal sparring. The parliament might actually turn into an constructive, industrious place that the people of Scotland admired. Apart from anything else, both of them are concerned about eradicating poverty and Boyack’s got a bee in her bonnet about climate change and renewables – not exactly the SNP’s most exposed flank.

Can’t see the (London) Labour hierarchy letting that happen ! (But if they did, I wouldn’t complain).

‘gaggle of political hypocrites and unscrupulous chancers’. Brand Labour defined! Well done PC.

“We”? That would be you who, you and Charlie?

Plus just over 2million:

Can’t say I’m surprised From the false man of the people with the Iron Bru crates to the oft repeated “it’s only a dry cleaning bill” when asked about the egg on his shirt by the supine media, to the visceral dislike of any dissenting voices, the flipping , Iraq ……..the list goes on. Of course the irony of him standing given the comments made about autonomy and dinosaurs by Lamont is lost on both him and his Network apparatchiks or maybe it’s just ignored.

Stick it in the washing machine like everyone else ! 😃

Typical Labour Party. I don’t think Murphy will be much better than Lamont as the labour leader. Murphy will just be London’s yes man in Scotland and the only reason I can think he would be interested in taking up the position is a promise of a lordship in the future. You know the usual carrot for a labour politician.

you do him down sir and I’m sure he’ll be the best branch office manager of a branch office party in a branch office country that Labour have ever had.

I see where you`re going there..just twigged.

Took you a while.

Bang on, that goes for all National parties, all strings are pulled in Westminster, none of them can be trusted by the people of Scotland!!

I am perfectly sure that there are Labour MSPs in Holyrood who are supportive of independence. They may have hated the SNP in the past but if that had any courage or principles

whatsoever, they should now join the SNP. Scotland and the rest of the UK are moving in different directions, and it is not going to stop. They have different needs, a different socio – economic structure and a different demographic. We are also a different country!

“It’s not Star Wars: Return of the Sith but it’s certainly the return of the Blairites and the Network.”Ian Davidson of all people. Well, Mr Davidson, as you well know, Sith Happens. This is developing into a monumental struggle between the Left and Ultra right of the Labour Party, not only in Scotland, but also rUK. If only these dissenters had voiced their protests before the referendum, they would be at the forefront of a Reborn Scottish Socialist Labour Party by now, and possibly be heading towards government in an independent Scotland, where they could actually deliver social democratic policies in May 2016. It’s never to late , Mr Davidson. I predict the offer of a Lairdship in an attempt to smother his and other Left Wing protests. I hope Murphy completes the Network’s treacherous and not so covert coup d’état; a gift to the cause of full independence if he pulls off this mad bloody takeover. ‘How like a fawning Publican he looks.’ ‘The Network’ ; The Establishment?

I fear the same hapless bunch might just have brought the same self serving hypocrisy to an Independent Scotland. They have to be wiped out. Prisoners should be taken though, not ‘bayoneted’.

There would be one difference. We Scots citizens could hold their feet to the fire, and ensure they kept their manifesto promises/vows/pledges….A government of the people, by the people, and instantly accountable to the people of Scotland. No more FPTP jiggery pokery, no HoL undemocratic second Chamber, no London/SE Establishment pulling the strings, no more 59 against 591 democratic deficit, parliamentarians Up Here bound by our written constitution. I consider it unthinkable that any political party Up Here could U turn on, say, tuition fees, or privatise our NHS, or sell off the Postal Service, without the democratic PR consensus of the citizens of Scotland. As I observe, why wait ’til now, when the (loaded) die have been cast? Independence is coming sooner than later, and Westminster is inadvertently (sic) accelerating the day. Perhaps the Davidsons and the McConnells of this world realise that now. We can but hope.

Murphy should be in jail. It is absolutely essential that everyone in Scotland becomes aware of how much this man has cost/stolen from the taxpayer.

Please folks look at Murphy’s long association with the Anglo-American right-wing thing tank The Henry Jackson Society. Just look it up ; its a frightening collection of ex CIA/ British security plus some of the most conservative US political commentators and Tory right-wingers and Murphy is their favourite Labour voice.

What a bunch of back stabbers who sold out our country, sold out our poor and who are selling out each other. wonderful, isn’t it?!

I have been convinced for a long time that for Scotland to move forward and become independent Labour must be wiped out as a political force. A Yes vote would have allowed this lot to avoid taking responsibility for their rhetoric as part of the no campaign and even increase their power at Holyrood – all sins forgiven. That would clearly have been a disaster. One of the best things to stem from a no vote, and having to wait a few more years for independence, is that it gives Labour time to destroy itself once and for all and join the Tories and Libdems on the scrap heap. The unfolding events will serve as an eye opener to those that still had faith in Labour – many of whom must now regret voting no.

Never thought of that. Sadly, you may have a point. In which case we may yet see Jim Murphy join the SNP!

I, for one would not take in any of these Lieburtroffers, but there may be some Labour MSPs that I would welcome – now!

I think Murphy is politically closer to the Tories than the SNP to be honest…

Something tells me his application would ‘go astray’.

Onto the ‘No’ table’? Temporarily,of course.

File 13…. Permanently! …. Please.

Future headline ……… “Labour MSP s defect en masse to SNP!” in order to preserve their personal interests!

Very unlikely, he is a right wing politician and serves the elitists and for self gain, he cannot be trusted!!

Jim Murphy try – as if he would ever be accepted

I am impressed. I had no idea it was an organised coup. I had imagined in my innocence that the ladies brakes finally failed and she simply ran out of control.
Didn’t Iain Macwhirter predict Murphy for this job some time ago?

I recall it being mentioned before the referendum!

Ian Davidson should be aware by now that Westminster Labour will always attempt to control the party in Scotland. He must also be aware that this means that they will always have to march to an English agenda. This will be a right wing agenda. The only way out of this greedy, self seeking, neo liberalist hegemony is an independent Scotland. Get real Mr Davidson. This ‘Union’ is a farce!

Having read some quotes attributed to Ian Davidson before the referendum i agree 100% Douglas

Is Kezia Dugdale going to be the first of those who wouldn’t stand for leader to stand for the deputy post ?
If this happens then we can see why “Scottish” Labour was willing to take a back seat during the two years of the referendum campaign. Scotland is poorly served by Labour politicians who prefer to be lead rather than take the lead.

I think none of the youngsters want the job at the moment. After all it will only be leading the party through the doldrums of opposition for the next few years. They’re young enough to wait and see if a recovery gives them some chance of real power later on. Of course it might be they don’t want to get on the wrong side of Mr Murphy.

I think you’re right and the first line of your post says it all. Many of the youngsters were elected in 2011 and are still learning the ropes. I would be surprised if any of them are interested in the Deputy’s job either especially if Mr Murphy wins as it would be one of them who would have to ‘run’ the party from Holyrood under his directions from Westminster.

Perhaps they have been warned off by Murphy’s secret police.

They have either socialist interest to expound or not, maturity will follow, if they cant speak up now they never will.

I suppose I’m, rather cynically, assuming their interest is in power rather than socialism.

Deadly poison flows around Labour arteries. Every day more is fed into the system. Is it little wonder we hear Alistair Darling wants out. Perhaps he cannot face the possible humiliation of loosing his seat next May? So nice to be warm and cosy in the House of Lords.

Yes, the New Year Honours list is going to be fascinating (u=nless they make them wait a while).

whats the betting he knows he is going to be in the house of lords next year for services rendered in the referendum after all it runs in the family his uncle was a sir and a tory mp Ladbrokes widnae gie you a bet on it

Great to see them all better together as one big happy family!

You reap what you sow, by voting no.

Nice one!

What does Labour hope to achieve here? Do they think they endear themselves to an electorate whose insight has come on leaps and bounds in the past two years? I would never have predicted before 18 September that Labour would start to disintegrate so quickly and spectacularly, but the benefit of hindsight shows that the arguments presented by Scottish Labour during the campaign were bogus and designed to bolster itself rather than its nation. Do they seriously think Jim Murphy is going to turn their fortunes round, when he was the most vociferous No campaigner out there? If he thinks an egg was bad enough, wait till he sees the pelters coming his way.

you recently said you were quite new to this stuff. This is good, because it gives you a fresh and less jaundiced perspective.

“The benefit of hindsight shows that the arguments presented by Scottish Labour during the campaign were bogus and designed to bolster itself rather than its nation.” Some of us auld yins could see this – there isn’t really much that’s new in politics (and politicians) – only the details.

This is where the SNP has the edge. A friend of mine said in the 1980s (of the SNP), “We’re just enthusiastic amateurs compared with two professional machines”. Things have changed a bit since then, but they still have freshness and enthusiasm lacking in the others.

Ach, we’ll look back on these posts in 20 years and say the same about the SNP! See – I’m getting the hang of it now!

try months instead of years!

I think the SNP…you know, the party that’s tripled its membership in the past few weeks (with, granted, all the problems of expectation over experience this causes) must bow its head in deference to Labour in the backstabbing, infighting and, to quote Mr Davidson, “bayoneting the wounded” championships. Gold medals all round!

As they say in football “you only sing when you’re winning”, mind you having lost the referendum it’s not that great a victory. First sign of defeat and the knives will be out.

I remember the truculence of Will Carling, the England Rugby captain of the 1990s. Win, lose or draw his bottom lip still tripped him up. I wonder if there’s a parallel?

Wrong again

Yes you can turn a good amateur into a very good professional. Best thing you can do with a bad professional is sack ´em

The SNP also survived and grew because of courage and principles. Apply that to the self serving hypocrites of Labour and you find an empty space waiting desperately to be filled.

Labour: Life with the Borgias, this is turning into Scotland’s favourite soap. What next? Having disposed of his rivals one by one, prince Jim has power torn from his grasp as Cardinal Tony Blair makes a shock return to politics? I hope someone is keeping notes for the docudrama after the election disaster of 2016.

I really hope and pray this man becomes leader of what has now become the Scottish joke. As a woman I cannot wait to see how the London media try to sell him to the electorate particularly as the hate campaign against Alex Salmond included the assertion that women did not like him.

miaow but I like it

Well done Ian Davidson! (Now there are words that I never thought I would write!) We now see just what a parcel of self serving rogues the Labour party really are. It is though quite amusing to see that parcel unravelling in the way that it is. Karma?

Labour – One big happy family.

I hear the sound of bayonets being sharpened.

no, it’s daggers for the backs of their ‘friends’

Steak -knives tomorrow night ‘is this a dagger I see before me’?

Im delighted, anything that shatters Labour is fine with me, They took us as a bunch of fools who would vote Labour indefinately, the only thing on their mind was the expenses trough, Jim Murphy a carreer politico with big ambitions at the trough.

The labour party even hate themselves. There like a rabid dog. It will bite anyone.

Ian Davidson did stand for Scottish Labour’s leader against Johann when she was elected, so maybe he is thinking of throwing his hat into the ring also. He might think his Westminster seat is not a certainty in the general election but as Scottish leader he could get into Holyrood as top of the list on the PR vote. It’s a nice fall back job if the GE goes against him.

No, Davidson stood as deputy leader.

Sadly. Sadly. Sadly. Sounds about right.

Mr Davidson had better watch his back as he may find out that he is one of the wounded that is to be “bayoneted”. Lol

glad to see all you assorted tories enjoying yourself in this discussion

It would be a mistake to think that only Tories would celebrate the demise of this odious collective.

Does that include the Green and Socialist assorted Tories? Perhaps not, as, after all the Green Party, the SSP and indeed the SNP weren’t standing shoulder to shoulder on the same platform as the Conservative and Unionist Party only a few weeks ago. Had you forgotten?

Really? I’ve voted SNP in the past because I wanted to vote for a left wing party. What other serious choice did I have? Labour? Oh dear, I’ll crack the jokes if you don’t mind…

It is understandable Tom that you no longer recognise a discussion amongst socialists. Not something you will be privy to often, indeed ever.

Not very original or at all accurate. The only riposte that a wounded Labour supporter has is to name call. The SNP is a far more socialist party than Labour currently are. I for one should be a ‘natural’ Labour voter, post Independence, but could never support candidates like Davidson or Murphy or Baillie or Doyle. Please let Labour clean up its act.

And they are having a Gala Dinner tomorrow! Will it be plastic tumblers and spoons only?

Four fish suppers and a bottle of Irn Bru. They’re certainly out of knives.

Tears before bedtime!

This all might make interesting reading at breakfast,and bring a little hilarity at lunchtime,but I would think that what the Scottish people want in a political party at Holyrood,is one that can confidently, form a government with its leadership present in the Scottish parliament,and with policies in place that have been thought out specifically for the benefit of Scotland and it’s people, not a rag,tag and bobtail leadership of childlike adolescence whose loyalty is in another place and hasn’t been elected into Holyrood by anyone on the Scottish electoral role.

 

I thought Holyrood belonged to the Scottish people,not the British Labour Party,I think the manner in which Scotland is being treated by the Ed Miliband gang of thieves it’s time we removed for good this party from our country before we lose our right to elect our own Msp’s

This from the man who advocates bayoneting the wounded and is a ‘veteran’ of the Labour hegemony which sold out Scotland under the banner of keeping the Conservatives out of Westminster and them in. A strategy that failed miserably for Scotland whether they won Westminster or not.

Murphy is the best bet for the future of an independent Scotland. He will split the Labour asunder as people like Davidson and Findlay rally the unions behind the Left and Murphy will seek the support of the Right, Blairites. In the interest of the Labour Party in Scotland, Murphy should and might NOT decide to stand but I sincerely hope he does!

I think the New Labour and Unionist Party in Scotland is a mixed bag. There is a very small number of probable socialists or at least social-democrats who work hard for their constituents and fewer still who actively listen to their views. We see the likely candidates in Scotland in their voting patterns; they’ll be the ones who are willing to vote against the Party line – and remember the Party line will always be that of the Westminster Party (New Labour and Unionist Branch). To a certain degree, I think these individuals deserve credit for apparently trying to act on their principles within a party that years ago became part of the Westminster machine. I would have much greater actual respect for these individuals if they acknowledged their party was no longer the party of the people and that now actively sees voters as a means to their end. That end is always power at westminster in the interests of the westminster machine.

I watched and heard Sarah Boyack being interviewed yesterday. She showed skill in avoiding giving any straight answers to direct questions and saying nothing at all that might upset anyone. She has been an elected member at the Scottish Parliament since it was reconvened in 1999. She might have commitment to Scottish interests and recognise the need for autonomy to allow these interests to be properly addressed. Yesterday’s interviews and statements have no clue. Haviing said all that, I think it likely that Murphy will be the nominal leader of a non existent entity since there is no actual Scottish Labour to lead in the first place. He will most certainly ensure it stays that way. I have some confidence that he will switch potential voters off in 2015 and 2016.

Taking an overview of recent happenings, the Labour Party, which we doubt works primarily for the people in UK, has worked more for themselves and the benefit of the European Union and the development of the far left wing socialist governments of the modern 27 countries in the EU.
On the positive side the red flag doesn’t show bloodstains. It would appear that Mr Ed is still thinking what he should do about this debauchle. Lack of leadership seems to be endemic, if ever there was a time for clear direction from the top it is now, but there is none. The queue for second place is growing! Why? Because first place has been taken and the “boss” will be absent so only looking after the branch shop is available. Nice job for a local they are genetically suited! Roll on May!

Such a delightful spectacle it is to watch one deeply unpleasant, misogynistic bully of a man attack a war-mongering creep of a man. So typically undignified, so very “Scottish” Labour.

It all derives from their deep sense of entitlement. They are like the Conservatives, believing they have a right to rule.

As another Labour MP panics about the safety of their cosy Westminster seat, the move towards independence is a little easier with every day that passes. With Labour’s ‘family’, indulging in a stair heid rammy daily, the Scottish people can judge whether the Labour party serves us or itself.

Murphy is the least of the least as far as “trust” is concerned, and THAT is really saying something.

The man has always come across as disingenuous and I wouldn’t trust him to go for the shopping, let alone run the party in Scotland. (Mind you as a willing lieutenant of Westminster).

Can we have a Thick of It, please,AI? Malcolm Tucker being sent up to Scotland. Peter C can take a break from Doctor Who.

This is fascinating. Ian Davidson has gone from being a blustering bully who unfairly attacked an innocent BBC presenter to a “hero” in the eyes of certain individuals on this thread just because he attacks the labour party. Still if nothing else it gives the usual suspects the opportunity for their usual Orwellian 2 minute hate, enjoy!

He does lift the lid on the back stabbing and infighting in the labour party. This wont come as news to most of us but nevertheless, it’s important to reveal the type of people that make up the Scottish (lol) Labour and Unionist party.

Jim, if you can interpret “hero” in the words “deeply unpleasant, misogynistic bully of a man” I would suggest you need to re-read 1984 as the subtle nuances of Newspeak appear to have gone so far over your head they are a danger to air traffic.

What is more fascinating is how you seem to suggest that several attacks on the hypocricy of the man, and more than a bit of pathos and irony in posts, you interpret as being SNP supporters finding a ‘hero’.

More than fascinating, its amazing.

Jim Murphy is clearly a very divisive character. So can he win when he has created all sorts of enemies at Westminster, Holyrood, within the unions and probably the party’s rank-and-file.

We seem to be at the start of an “Anyone but Murphy” campaign.

Labour are expert marksmen when the target is their own foot.

Even when it’s firmly in their own mouths!

Until some of these Labour MPs start putting themselves forward for seats in the Scottish Parliament anything they say will mean little.

Please, please, as a reward from the Three Amigos and future family stability, the leader of the Scottish Branch of Labour United should be an MSP. That would be the decent thing to do and leave the MPs in United London.

“It’s not Star Wars: Return of the Sith but it’s certainly the return of the Blairites and the Network.”

Classic!

On a serious note Jim Murphy is the embodiment of London Labour control. Johann Lamont tried to be independent of London Labour but London has undermined her forcing her to leave then they can parachute their own placeman in.

Unwittingly, this could be the final nail in labours coffin.

Perhaps due to his invisibility and failure to lead on this debacle Ed Milliband should now consider his position as leader of the British Labour Party ? He has been ineffective and has had no input except for undermining the former leader of the Scottish branch of his organisation so therefore surely he should stand down and leave his party in the hands of someone who would treat the whole party equally ?

He is silently witnessing the fragmentation of the party he is supposed to be leading ?

Although I have no great regard for Johann Lamont as a politician I really believe that the Labour Party, particularly in Scotland, will come to thank her for exposing this whole debacle snd forcing them to face up to it and sort it out although I can’t see how installing Jim Murphy as Scottish “leader” will assist in any transformation ?

Of course he is silent, as just like Mr Sarwar on a recent TV show, he doesn’t know the names of any MSPs except his targetted Ms Lamont, so how could he phone anyone except his MPs in London.

Michael Portillo once said that in politics the people you had to fear the most were your closest colleagues. I suspect that Lamont has been Labour’s Aunt Sally right from the start making her an easy target for those who set out to demonise and misrepresent her. Some of her apparent gaffes could only be explained in those terms. Those who know her hold her in high regard as an intelligent principled woman.

There are some really horrible people in the Scottish branch of the Labour Party.

Copied from today’s Herald diary ( I hope I’m allowed to do this) Some of my coffee made it’s way on to the table when I read it. Famous film quotes altered to sum up the body-swerving goings on over standing for the Labour party leadership in Scotland. “I’m not Spartacus. He’s Spartacus.”

We’re still checking the rumour that the Grand Central Hotel in Glasgow, where Scottish Labour is holding its gala dinner tomorrow night, has specially ordered plastic cutlery for the occasion.

I do not think that Jim Murphy will be elected if he decides to stand. I feel it could be that at last those with the vote will remember the principles of their founding fathers. Jim Murphy certainly does not adhere to them. If I am wrong then I think it will hasten the demise of a once proud political party because there would be no place in it for Scots who uphold socialist values and there could be another flood of disillusioned people ready to join those who have already decided enough is enough and have defected to one of the SSP, the Greens, or the SNP.

We live in interesting times.

It seems to me that this is a healthy development for Scottish Labour that people who have the inside story are speaking out and telling the truth as they see it. Frankly, I’d be astonished if Scottish Labour could have its new leader in place and get away with pretending that none of this has happened, in the lead up to the Westminster and Holyrood elections. We would wish our political representatives of whatever hue to be trusted and trustworthy, capable and focused on the needs of Scotland, rather than engaged in an unseemly brawl and being an utter embarrassment to us. Where is their attention at the moment? On their own political careers, or the Smith Commission and Scotland’s future? And they dare to lecture Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP.

I would like to officially rule myself out of the running for Leader of the North Britain Labour party.

You would have to join it first, but maybe they are getting so desperate now that they will waive even that condition!

I also rule myself out, as I believe in doing an honest, decent days work for a fair pay and I look down on anyone who screws a fortune out of their expenses.

Well said Sir

 

Does not matter who is the leader in a so called Scottish Labour, Labour, Torries and Dems are National Parties, controlled by MEP’s in Westminster, the people of Scotland are finally wakening to the fact and no matter how you dress them up or re-name any of these parties, In a nut shell, they are NOT Scottish Parties !! How can the people born or raised in Scotland possibly trust any of them, the only way to get the best for Scotland is to back a Party that represents only Scotland!!

For the first and only time in my life I’m in agreement with Ian Davidson. Mummy! I’m frightened. Cuddle me.

So Davidson doesn’t want Spud to be pseudo-leader in Scotland. Probably feart that if he tries to threaten him, Jim might lamp him one.

The disintegration of Labour goes on. I like how Sarwar was saying that, as interim leader, it was his job to help hold the Labour ‘family’ together, and work for the betterment of the party.

Then someone suggested that if Murphy becomes Scottish leader, Sarwar should really give up the deputy leader post because it would be crazy to have both posts filled by Westminster MP’s, he says, ‘there’s no obstacle to two MPs emerging as leader and deputy of the Scottish Labour Party’. Just how inept, self-serving and stupid can you be?

This wasn’t mentioned on BBC Scotland early news today. Hmmm.

In light of Ms Lamont’s resignation and Mr Davidson’s allegation that the there was a whispering campaign against her and subsequent coup instigate by Mr Murphy I have a question for Mr Davidson. If this is in fact true the Labour MSP’s in Holyrood must have been aware for quite some time there was a major problem therefore what did he and indeed they do to support Ms Lamont. It is fine for Mr Davidson to point his finger but I put it to him that by taking no action they are all complicit in the whole affair. Did they in fact know if they sat back and did nothing their chance would come to lead the Labour Party in Scotland. However, given what Ms Lamont had to say about Westminster the job has become so toxic they have been hoisted by their own petard. I like many I’m sure would like to know the answer.

So Murphy is now toast? Ah, but will he defy his own law and land jammie side up?

I suspect that many people from the SNP, the Tories and the Lib Dems will be rooting for Jim.

I suspect also that many now in the Labour party and the unions will be horrified by the prospect of Murphy becoming leader.

For if there is one person who can destroy Scottish Labour from within then it has to be Spud.

Backstabbing in the “People’s Party” – never!

Pardon me if I find it hard to believe my eyes when I read of Ian Davidson riding to the rescue of a damsel in distress. It seems totally out of character. I suspect that, rather than defending a member of the fairer sex (is that phrase permitted these days?), he is using the alleged mistreatment of Ms Lamont as a smokescreen to advance a more personal agenda. I doubt whether anyone who has had the dubious pleasure of meeting Mr Davidson would include altruism in a list of his personal characteristics.

That’s true, among his other charms this ignoramus was accused of doing this; “The remarks from Mr Davidson were exposed by Dr Eileidh Whiteford and witnessed by other MPs and committee officials. Mr Davidson’s alleged threat to give Dr Whiteford “a doing”, and his subsequent – and bewildering – clarification that his remark was “not intended as a sexual threat” underscore the extent of persistent sexism rooted in political and parliamentary culture”. Yuk! Davidson is a very, very unlikely knight in shining armour.

Why do London Labour not appoint one of their own as a “Colonial Governor” for the Scottish party? It would be a nice well paid sinecure of a job, ruling from the South with no obligation to ever visit Scotland.

Davidson is hoping for a coup of his own by getting his puppet Neil Findlay elected

If the labour party is a family its the Corleon family and Ian Davidson is Luca Brazi ,with Alistair Darling as Freido Corleon .

Things didn’t work out too well for them. There was something fishy in both cases as I recall. Now if life mimicked art…..

Davidson is no friend of lamont he has his own agenda

Glasgow South West Labour MP Ian Davidson puts the boot into his notional superior not once but twice in today’s papers. In the Daily Record he savages her proposals to devolve income tax to Scotland in the event of a No vote, echoing this site’s warnings that the price of such powers would be the ending of the Barnett Formula, costing Scotland billions of pounds without control over North Sea oil revenues to compensate. We welcome Mr Davidson’s confirmation of our analysis. But he wasn’t quite finished with Johann yet. Over in the Herald, Davidson, who lost the election to be Scottish Labour’s deputy leader in 2011 to Anas Sarwar, calls for the election to be re-run in the light of the UK party’s proposed changes to leadership election rules. As “deputy leader of Labour in Scotland” is an essentially meaningless role, we’re going to credit Ian Davidson with slightly higher motives than a second shot at securing the position for himself. (He is, after all, chairman of the Scottish Affairs Committee at Westminster, a rather loftier perch in the Labour hierarchy.)

The only plausible reason for making the suggestion would therefore appear to be a thinly-veiled vote of no confidence in Johann Lamont’s stewardship of the Scottish branch. The new rules would almost certainly see her ejected, as she was elected primarily by the trade union vote whose influence would be diminished by Ed Miliband’s reforms, and we’re sure Mr Davidson knows that full well.”

Just reading that Kezia is interested in standing for the Deputy post when it isn’t up for grabs. My isn’t she learning young to jump on the band wagon when people already in posts are being forced out of them. Not a good sign from this “rising star” that she’s clearly up for doing that to Sarwar. Both the SNP and Labour have strong followings in the Scottish-Asian community. I think what is being done to Sarwar will not go down well in the section which backs Labour.

This is the squad that told a pack of lies to the electorate about their true motives for maintaining the union. I hope they realise that there is an election coming up soon and we will not forget how treacherous these people are.

The decent labour people left need to dump this party their anti everything accept the London establishment, Lords in ermine what is there left to determine.

And still nothing from Mr Milliband he seems to care not one jot what is going on under his ‘leadership’. Or is it the case that it is ‘for the people of Scotland to decide’ to quote his chum Mr Cameron. Makes you wonder if he’ll turn up to tomorrow nights dinner or will he have an excuse not to face the people of Glasgow. I hear egg and had yer chips are on the menu.

I’m not a fan of Mr Davidson,but I think he’s got this one right

Its all getting funnier as each day goes by..goodbye Unionists

London won’t allow Murphy to stand unless Miliband can stitch it up for him to win, in other words the London bosses want to know the results before the votes are cast,a bit like Scotland’s referendum.

Ian “bayonet the wounded” Davidson voicing criticism of Labour backstabbing!

Does anyone else see the hypocrisy in this?

He is the “King of the backstabbers” and was verbally abusive to Dr Whiteford some time back!

What a laugh! Typical Labour…”All mouth and trousers”!

Next time…Vote “Yes”!

Is it too early to feel smug about labour coming apart at the seams or would that be in bad taste, I’ll go for smug and live with it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

March 2008: Sir Menzies Campbell And Gordon Brown’s Secret Talks On Pact To Deny SNP The Right To Govern Scotland

Brown held two secret meetings with Sir Menzies Campbell during the 2007 Scottish election campaign in an attempt to forge a new Labour-Liberal Democrat coalition and keep the SNP out of power.

Brown, the then Chancellor tried to get the agreement of the former Lib Dem leader for an anti-SNP coalition – even though neither had the authority to make such an agreement.

The secret meetings, held behind the backs of their respective Scottish parties and leaders, were disclosed in Sir Menzies’ recently released autobiography.

In Menzies Campbell: My Autobiography, Sir Ming described how he met Brown twice in Edinburgh during the election campaign – once on Easter Sunday and on election day itself, when it was clear that the SNP was ahead in the polls and heading for victory.

On both occasions, Brown asked for a new Labour-Lib Dem coalition as he did not want the SNP to control the Scottish Executive and its 30 billion budget.

Sir Ming told Brown that, although he was also against an SNP-led devolved administration, he could not decide coalition policy, as that was in the hands of the party’s Scottish leader, Nicol Stephen.

Jack McConnell, the then Scottish Labour leader, was not invited to the meetings.

Brown was operating without the knowledge or approval of the Scottish Labour leadership.

News that Brown was working behind the scenes to forge an anti-SNP coalition infuriated Nationalists and embarrassed Scottish Labour leaders, particularly as McConnell made it clear after the SNP won last year’s election that Alex Salmond would be given the chance to form a government.

 

 

 

Sir Ming wrote that Brown first called him at home on Easter Sunday last year to ask for a discreet meeting.

He stated: “Like me, he was anxious about the possibility of the SNP governing in Scotland, our own backyard. Was there common ground between Labour and the Lib Dems to tackle the SNP together?

He made a number of suggestions. I told him I would have to discuss them with Nicol Stephen. “He then raised possibilities for a new coalition between the Lib Dems and Labour on the assumption that the two parties had enough seats jointly to form a government. ”

Sir Ming wrote that this was difficult for him as such decisions were for Mr Stephen.”

As the election campaign drew to a close, Brown got in touch again.

Sir Ming wrote:

“We met at the same discreet place as before. Throughout the campaign, the polls had put the SNP ahead of Labour. Was there scope for an arrangement between our parties?  What would be the consequences for Scotland and our parties if the SNP used the 30 billion Scottish Executive budget to build support for independence over the next few years?”

Sir Ming also explained how the Scottish Lib Dem leadership team met at his Edinburgh home the night after the SNP’s victory to eat pizza and decide what to do. “After two hours, we packed away our pizza boxes and any possibility of a coalition deal with the SNP.”

Sir Ming also revealed that both he and Tavish Scott, the Lib Dems’ election campaign manager, were against an SNP-Lib Dem coalition, but a deal with Labour was still a possibility.

Brown contacted Sir Ming the next day. Sir Ming wrote that he had to be “circumspect” as he was not supposed to “muscle in” on Scottish party affairs.

By the time Scott went on BBC Scotland’s Politics Show the following day, all forms of coalition had been ruled out for the Lib Dems, which is what he then announced.

 

 

 

Brown was so desperate to keep Alex Salmond from being First Minister he tried to cut a deal to keep him out of power.

 

 

The 2007 Scottish General Election

The SNP won the Scottish General Election with 47 MSP’s to Labour’s 46.

Despite all the odds being stacked against them the SNP formed a minority Government and retained power for the full term of the parliament.

But Brown, assisted by his network of spies, the Civil Service and rumour mongers continued with his vindictive attacks on Alex Salmond and his government making life extremely difficult for the newly elected SNP government turning down meetings delaying and denying Scotland effective governance.

But due to the dogged and unstinting efforts of Alex Salmond a way forward was finally agreed through the establishment of a new “Joint Ministerial Committee” comprising the leaders of devolved administrations and representatives of the Westminster government.

Adding insult Brown insisted that the First minister of Wales should undertake responsibilty for agreeing the format and chairing the body at the first plenary session after which Jack Straw would take the chair at meetings.

What a control freak. No Gordon Brown Alex Salmond meetings.

 

 

 

 

The 2015 General Election

Brown departed the scene but his legacy lived on in the newly elected leader of the Labour Party in Scotland.

Murphy had a history of doing deals within deals, (the referendum campaign gave truth to this). He would deal with the devil if needed to get a result.

But of note and some encouragement for Scots was the scale of his leadership victory.

Despite the unqualified backing of Miliband, the Labour Party Executive and all of the Scottish group of MP’s in Westminster he only managed to gain about 50% of the total vote.

With 50% of the labour Party in Scotland against him, including all Trades Unions Murphy will not find rich pickings on the left leaning membership of the party.

Noteworthy also was that the Cooperative sponsors who supported a number of Scottish MP’s. did not support Murphy’s election which was very damaging for Murpht and the labour Party.

The SNP sustains a Trades Union support group and many Labour supporters transferred their allegience to the SNP.