Tavish Scott (pictured), the Scottish Libdem leader, is threatening court action to ensure the planned broadcast of the election debates are shown in Scotland.
The SNP is considering legal moves to silence the broadcasts north of the Border and Mr Scott obviously thinks that's wrong. Or perhaps his boss in London has told him it's wrong.
Now that Westminster is more or less only the administration centre for the UK, why are the three 'main' parties so determined for their regular sound bites to be broadcast in Scotland?
I've read words such as 'Alex Salmond could never be Prime Minister'. That's true. Neither could Nick Clegg if we're being honest.
People will vote Tory in certain areas of the UK, not because they think a Tory government is going to make much difference, but they're so disillusioned with the Labour party and their lack of sound leadership in any area.
Will David Cameron make a difference? I doubt it. So I would like to see the First Minister debate with Brown, Cameron and Clegg. What are they frightened of? Is it because they're all aware Alex Salmond is perhaps the best political debater in the UK?
I've just noticed James at Scot Goes Pop has a more detailed post on this subject. Obviously he is far more organised than me and hasn't had to struggle round the shops for the forgotten cheese and cream. Experiences like that aren't good for deep thought.
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18 comments:
"People will vote Tory in certain areas of the UK, not because they think a Tory government is going to make much difference, but they're so disillusioned with the Labour party and their lack of sound leadership in any area."
Sad but true. Still The EU will be miffed as well, so another good reason to vote Tory.
I feel its about time someone reported the Liberal-Democrats to the Trading Standards people.
This latest stunt together with their refusal to countenance a referendum on independence is neither liberal nor democratic.
Any UK wide debate with the 'big three' will include lots of irrelevant stuff for most Scots because its devolved; education, health, law and order, etc.
The whole idea has not been thought through properly. Sounds like it was devised by three men in London with a fag packet beteween them!
Strathturret says "Any UK wide debate with the 'big three' will include lots of irrelevant stuff for most Scots" - correction - it will include lots of irrelevant stuff - period.
No it has not been thought through in that any party with candidates standing has a right to be included.
But then this is no more than the 'Big Three' ensuring they hang on to the stanglehold of British politics!
Dear Subrosa,
Wishing you and yours a very merry christmas and a happy new year
May all your wishes come true in 2010
The Tory party might get one or two Westminster MPs in Scotland. This is, I think, 1 more than they have just now and, that was 1 up on the 1997 result when they had none.
To exclude Alex Salmond from the debate, despite the cockwaffle pushed about, especially by the Scottish Nodding Dogs tethered to the London based Holy Magi, is really an admission of fear.
Alex Salmond would wipe the floor with Brown, Cameron and the other Liberal Democrat Guy. (whatziz name?)
Salond does it week in week out in Holyrood with Gray, Goldie and Scott.
Turning to oor Tavish; the Liberal Democrats are neither liberal nor democrats. "No referendum" from Tavish on Scottish independence, despite it being in their policies and no big debate seat for Alex Salmond as he would win. No cohabitation with a minority SNP government as this would be against his democratic principles
Scott is hanging in by his fingernails hoping above hope that, come Holyrood election time, he can be the power broker for another minority Labour government and get his Ministerial Mondeo.
That is why the Scottish election system was so rigged, to have no chance of a clear majority of seats for the SNP and a permanent LIB-Lab government.
Such a parcel of rogues in a nation
The Liberal Democrats are heading the same was at the Scottish Tories; fewer breeding pairs than Ospreys and they are a protected species.
This is not America!
At election time we will not be voting for an individual presidential candidate.
We will be voting for a political party.
So why are three party leaders being allowed to monopolise the television debate. That is a totally undemocratic and an artificially contrived media event.
Remind me – David Cameron represents the Conservatives party, and how many MPs do they have here in Scotland – Oh Yes – just the One!
What democratic right does Cameron (et al) have to broadcast to Scotland whilst Mr Salmond is excluded.
@Bugger - the thought of 'breeding' Lib Dems is the stuff of nightmares :)
Let's hope David Cameron grasps the EU situation OR and sorts it out.
Great description Strathturret, Don't forget all the questions will be vetted and then rehearsed by them too.
Yes that's the unfortunate part WfW, the stranglehold they have. This isn't democracy as we want it.
Baron, many many thanks and the same to you.
Aye Bug, the libdems behaviour has been strange the past couple of years. Don't know why they don't practice what they preach.
Indeed John, I was going to mention it's far too presidential for me. David Cameron thinks he has a right John. Mind you, many folks may just be tempted to vote SNP if Salmond is excluded. :)
This has nothing to do with Tavish Scott, funnily nothing has really to do with Tavish Scott even Tavish Scott.
Just a few morose thoughts on Copenhagen and
apologies to TS Elliot
Gordon Brown reflects
"A cold coming we had of it, in Copenhagen
Just the worst time of the year
For a journey, and such a long journey:
The snow was deep and the weather sharp,
The very worst of unseasonal winter in this Globally Warmed World."
And the delegated faltered, galled, sore-footed, refractory,
Lying down in The Bellas Center.
There were times we regretted the whole fucking farago
The summer palaces on slopes, the summer terraces of vines,
And the silken girls bringing “tribute.”
Then the voters cursing and grumbling
And running away, and wanting their reason, fags, democracy and liberty back
And the night-fires going out, in this once sceptered isle
And the cities hostile and the towns unfriendly
And the villages dirty, and charging high prices.
A hard time we had of it.
At the end we preferred to travel all night,
Sleeping in snatches, needing the Praetorians to protect
With the voices ringing in our ears, saying
That this was all folly.
Then at dawn we came down to a temperate plains of Denmark,
Wet, below the snow line, smelling of vegetation;
With a running stream and a water-mill beating the darkness,
And three bordellos in the Nyhavn harbour,
And an old white whale swam into the harbour.
Al Gore is here to help us rebuild our kingdom of carbon credits on the shifting sands of ususry
Then we came to the Bella Center with golden vine-leaves over the lintel,
Eight thousand hands at an open door dicing for pieces of silver,
And feet kicking the empty purses.
But there was no deal, and so we continued back home as though everything had been good.
And arrived at home that evening, not a moment too soon
Telling everybody that Copenhagen was (you may say) satisfactory.
All this was a long time ago, I remember, or was only last week
And I would do it again, but set it down better.
This set down
This: were we lead all that way for
The oh too false testimony of Pachauri? There was a Stillbirth, certainly,
We had evidence and no doubt. I have seen birth and death,
But had thought they were different; this Birth was
Hard and bitter agony for us, like Death, our death.
We returned to our places, these Kingdoms,
But no longer at ease here, in the old dispensation,
We have become an alien elite clutching our false Gods of CO2
I should be glad of many more deaths, any and everyone but me
Tavish Tavish Tavish.... Sit down and try not to make a twerp of yourself.
I might have been interested in watching this phoney debate if a '4th man' had come from outside the Westminster village to challenge these three old frauds on subjects such as Our Referendum, AWG being bollo* and Immigration, Nigel Farage for example.
Bugger.@15:01
Fascinating post. Seems to capture the pathos of the whole event.Well done!
D.
Thanks Bug, so right. Yes indeed so right.
Auch banned, you don't think they would allow Nigel Farage house room do you? Tut tut, that would be suicide.
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