Some months ago I wrote about the distiller Diageo and their tactic of using loopholes in the UK system.
Today the Scotsman and the BBC are running articles about Alex Salmond 'snubbing' the chief executive Paul Walsh. It appears Mr Salmond's office requested an urgent meeting with Mr Walsh to discuss the crisis at Diageo's Kilmarnock plant. Mr Salmond was due to appear on the Daily Politics show on BBC2 yesterday and he was already in a London BBC studio when he was offered a meeting.
Mr Salmond decided to send Mr Robertson, the SNP's leader at Westminster, to the meeting. Mr Robertson, who has many whisky interests in his Moray constituency, described the discussions with Diageo as "constructive."
However, as Leaves on the Line (welcome back) writes, Iain Gray of labour and the Unite union have now decided to turn this serious issue into a political football by insisting the First Minister should have attended, thereby diverting the crisis from Diageo to Mr Salmond. Do they really think this is a smart move? Of course the Scotsman and BBC have aided and abetted them to the best of their abilities, although the Scotsman article reads far more like a labour press release than the BBC report.
I do hope the media return to subject - that is Diageo's plans at the Johnny Walker plant in Kilmarnock where 700 jobs are involved, plus 200 in Glasgow.
Posts
26 comments:
It's one of the sadnesses of our age. I am prone to sarcasm so I should make it clear that that is not my intent in saying that.
I visited the Benrinnes distillery the other week. The finest Speyside malt of all. It has nearly claimed my life on several occasions. But it was only playing. I forgive it.
Was it jingoistic of me to be saddened to see that foreign name emblazened on their sign? Maybe it was. But that's how I felt.
I've never been to Benrinnes distillery Jim even although I used to visit Banff area often.
I do hope you only realised it had nearly claimed your life the following day. :)
If you can't be jingoistic about whisky, what is there left?
I live about a five minute walk from the threatened Kilmarnock site. It has also came out in the wash that Diageo had submitted a planning application to build luxury flats on the site back in April.
The local council, (SNP run!), did not put two and two together.
Of course Rab, if it had been a labour run council they would have put two and two together quite easily. Brown envelopes abound of course ;)
Sorry Rab, I should have said thanks for the interesting snippet. Just goes to show how disorganised all our public services are.
SR,
I've read these yesterday and today and the level Labour sinks to is clear desperation and Unite should know better, but then they're the ones stuffing Labour's coffers with dirty cash for favours!
Bollox to the both of them, I feel for those people who will lose jobs and perhaps a way of life.
Unions can't help but use people as pawns for a long term gain.
Have a braw wan, sunny again!
Crazy D
Alex Salmond did not attend the meeting...fact
Alex Salmond went on T.V instead...fact
what was more important to Alex Salmond was appearing on the T.V than appearing at a meeting to discuss 600 lost jobs....fact
Unite are shooting their own members in the foot right enough CD.
Sunny but cool wind here.
Niko, Alex Salmond was in a TV studio when he was told about the meeting. The SNP said there was a 'logistics problem' and that's why he couldn't attend.
Has it occurred to you that perhaps he couldn't get from the TV studio to the meeting in time? Or are you suggesting Alex Salmond should have been sitting in his office in Holyrood just in case Diageo phoned?
Dinnae be so daft Niko. This is all labour's fault and they'll know it today. They're the ones responsible for taking the focus off Diageo.
Cheap and nasty to make political capital out of the loss of jobs, but inevitable I suppose.
In the mean time the company is playing the SNP against Labour and seeing how far they will go with financial support. This for a company, and a plant, which makes vast profits.
I see that the lastest is that Mr Murphy is going to build them a new factory; I expect they will want to see if Mr Salmond will offer them two factories, or a factory and a moat with free cleaning.
In the meantime, the people who matter are the ones that are going to lose their jobs.
That's their game tris right enough. Did you read Rab's comment about Diageo having planning permission in since April to build flats on the factory site.
Also, I read somewhere Diageo had been in talks with SE but obviously they didn't come up with a package.
Yes jobs are at risk, but how much do we spend on keeping these jobs? That's the crux of the matter.
Here's the link to the story. I might add that right opposite the Johnny Walker site, there is a luxury flats development. most of which are empty.
Here's the link to the story
http://tinyurl.com/n7x9vr
I really shouldn't be watching tv whilst I type!!!
Many many thanks Rab, I'll put an update on with a wee mention for you.
Shopping calls right now though.
Very sad to see Labour and SNP members, supporters and bloggers trying to score points off each other over this.
Diageo are the enemy here not progressive, redistrbutive, decent minded individuals of another political party.
It would be such a pleasant change if Labour and SNP could get over their mutual emnity and do what's right for Scotland instead of slaggin each other off. But that's not what political parties do.
Subrosa
Yep! its labours(and Unite) fault Alex Salmond is addicted to appearing on T.V.
What a load of crap Mr Mixit.
Labour are hyping this up because Diageo's Port Dundas site is in Glasgow North East and they want to try and damage the SNP.
You Labourites have got to get your heads round the reality that voters are not completely stupid and see through your politicking.
Repeat a hundred times each night before you go to bed and it may eventually get through - treat the voters with contempt and they will do the same to you.
Well, I'm glad that people are cottoning onto the fact that Diageo are still the 'baddies' in this story.
We can not let some multi-national undo all the good work successive Scottish administrations have put into protecting our cherished heritage. I'm incensed by this story and more so by the opportunism of the muddle minded opposition.
Jim
Naldo, that's the point of my post. Playing politics the way labour has done with this is playing right into the hands of Diageo who can laugh now.
Where is the SNP slagging anyone off in the story in the Times, Scotsman or the BBC?
Rubbish Niko and you know it. As I said before, are you expect him to sit by the phone all day waiting??
Ah Indy, I'm glad you appeared because I was wondering about the exact location. No point in asking Rab he's apolitical he says.
Indeed Jim and the Scotsman in particular should be ashamed at printing the labour press release today.
It's Diageo and all their tricks that are important, not the nonsense of politicians trying to score points.
I see the Labour 'grass roots' support are trying to score cheap political points in the Kilmarnock Standard.
http://tinyurl.com/nxnfem
(The Mr Coffey mentioned in the readers letter is an SNP councillor)
John Quigley the UNITE spokesman is the Chair of the Scottish Trade Union and Labour Party Committee. I think all UNITE members should complain to their Branches about his actions as he is playing political football with his members jobs.
Although I support trade unions in the workplace I bloody hate these full timers like this tube. They get paid a godamned fortune and their major ambition is to be a Labour MP or MSP they don't give a toss about the workers.
Roll on independence and we can get rid of the lot of 'em.
Rab I can't understand how anyone expects Alex Salmond to know everything. He would rely on several agencies like Scottish Enterprise (who have met with the company many times) and others.
Regarding the planning application - surely someone in the planning office worked out where the ground was and thought it important enough to pass onto their superiors.
Politicians should all be working together in this to show Diageo up for what they are.
Evening Observer, I know you support unions but I'm pleased to hear your comments about John Quiqley and his like. Such a shame really because there were many honourable union leaders in the past.
Post a Comment