This lamentable performance from Johann Lamont, with its laboured scripted one-liners and prepared insults, demonstrates why Labour is unfit to govern Scotland, and indeed has been for a very long time. She has learned nothing from the disastrous mistakes of her predecessor, Iain Gray, and seems locked in the same style and script.
The contrast with the First Minister's responses is painful. Alex Salmond delivers a master class in the economics of dependence on the UK versus the freedom from constraints that would come with independence, which would deliver the economic tools to liberate Scots from the economic stagnation and now near-collapse that Labour and now the Coalition have wreaked upon the UK.
The inherent contradictions built in to the dependency relationship between Scottish Labour, UK Labour and the Tory-led Coalition are evident every time Johann Lamont opens her mouth.
The Scottish people have recognised this in the May 2011 election, Scottish trades union members clearly must have recognised it also. UK trades union leaders are facing up to it, with some of the most damning indictments ever delivered by trade union barons against a Labour Party Leader and Labour Opposition, the voters of England recognise it.
But as yet, Scottish trades union leader cannot find the courage to speak up for their members, for severing the political link with Labour, for ending the political levy, and most of all, for throwing their weight behind the independence of their country.
Posts
Labour PM?
ReplyDeleteWell-spotted - and thanks, Stewart. Clip and blog rushed out amidst house decorating. Now corrected - sorry!
ReplyDeletePeter
Peter
ReplyDeleteThe thing I find most distasteful with the Labour/Union relationship is the political levy.
When I was a trade union member I opted out. However I did not think then that this was satisfactory.
I was told my non political levy would not go to the Labour party but would be used by the union for administration purposes. I said that this still boosted the money paid to Labour as my levy paying for admin left more money from the general fund that could then be transferred to Labour.
The only fair way to administer the union political levy is for members to be asked which political party they want the levy paid to. Anyone who objects to the political levy could nominate a charity of their choice to receive this money. This would ensure all members had the same deduction but would be directed where they wanted the deduction to go, rather than the heavily bias way the levy works at present.
Groundhog Day at Holyrood.
ReplyDeleteYou make a very important point, Dubbiside, one that I had overlooked. But it's a difficult on e to administer and police, as you recognise.
ReplyDeletePeter
It is indeed, Lupus Incomitatus.
ReplyDeletePeter
Groundhog Day indeed, but with a sinister edge: Tragedy that repeated itself as farce is now re-inventing itself as obscenity (especially as "we" seem to be edging closer to war with Iran).
ReplyDeleteThe Labour Party (North Britainshire Branch) make me thing of the Graeae. Except it's one braincell and the Tories policy they share.
ReplyDeleteLamont = she begins labouring a point as she means to go on... and on and on and on and...
ReplyDeleteDavidson = asking some of the most ludicrous questions to please her Tory colleagues one must suppose
Rennie = dear heck, I just wish this annoying man would shut up, shut up, shut up
Salmond = patience of a saint
Me = terminate with extreme prejudice
Luckily, I'm not the FM
Thanks, Stevie.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad someone else is worried about that, David - so often, in the discussion of indy versus devo max, the dfence/nuclear/foreogn policy critical aspect is just quietly buried. Henry McLeish did it tonight on STV.
ReplyDeleteDevo max equals keep the nukes, and let the UK send our young men and women to die.
The Brit nats have apparently seen DEVO MAX as an SNP conspiracy - the SNP don't really want it (even if Salmond might dependeing on the polls)
ReplyDeleteBut if the Brit nats oppose it and the Scots see this then they might just vote in greater numbers for independence