Angus Macleod and Magnus Linklater, writing in today's Times, report that Jim Murphy is promising that Labour would give the Scottish Parliament 'radical' new tax powers within a year if they were re-elected.
“We will legislate early in the first year of the next Parliament,” he said. “It would be in the first legislative pogramme of a fourth term.” Both the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, and the Chancellor, Alistair Darling, he said, were “signed up” to the timetable.
“It will be enormously radical,” Mr Murphy continued. “MSPs will be making the big decisions every year [that] they do not even discuss at the moment ... [such as] what should the tax rate be in Scotland. That will transform politics in Scotland and give the Scottish Parliament the kind of accountability it hasn’t had in the first ten years of devolution. They will have to decide how they spend the money they have asked the Scottish people for.”
Mr Murphy is certainly ensuring he has a high profile in the press these days. Of course he has little else to do it seems. I note in the article he desperately tries to substantiate his position by stating it had been an error for his predecessors, such as Des Browne, to be asked to combine the Scottish Secretary's role with another major Cabinet post.
Then he continues to say 'the labour government got its handling of Mr Salmond and the SNP government "wrong" after the Nationalist election triumph in 2007.'
"They were already victors. We bashed them around the head and turned them into victims. It was the perfect storm for them of victory and victimhood.
"We [had] allowed Nationalism to become as attractive as patriotism. All Nationalists are patriots but not all patriots are Nationalists."
If I wasn't so cynical I'd have tears in my eyes right now. Keep going Mr Murphy. At this rate by the time election day arrives the Scottish public will be so sick of seeing and hearing you they'll vote for anyone but your party.
Of Alex Salmond he says," I think he loves Scotland as much as I do. I think that's his greatest strength. Other than that I don't really know him. I don't know him as a human being, I know him as a politician."
Ah, so there were have it from the utterances of Jim Murphy. Politicians aren't human beings. He includes himself surely. I'll leave it to you to decide if he's smart or stupid.
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14 comments:
A New Labour fourth term? This is posturing of the most lamentable kind, he would be as well planning for an alien invasion - both equally likely and time consuming.
Or horsey face could join the Lib Dems - and spend the rest of his political career formulating policy that will never be enacted...
'Handling' is an interesting choice of word isn't it? That's what these people do; they 'handle' the rest of us. That's their attitude neatly exposed in a word. They are psychiatric nurses in their own estimation whose job is to handle awkward types who disagree with them or otherwise don't know what's good for them, none more awkward than the electorate.
Well if its the ill thought out mess that is Calman financials we can anticipate being underwelmed!
Thick as mince - nothing else to say, I don't know him as a human being but he's a poor excuse for a politician far less a man! I find thus far he has an objectionable nature and is workshy.
I've sent a few posts to his SoS blog none have been published for long, seems my Psyops campaign is getting to him. Soon he will be but a passing memory and the lies can stop.
To think I willingly put myself at risk for that tw@t, I need ma heid lookin at!
Fine day here in the Falklands, incidentaly the Armed Forces jolly boat for Politicians is about to visit here - hope Im still around to poke fun at them bunch of losers.
CD
.....and we questioned why he wanted Smoothie Chops Cameron's phizog on the front of his election 'literature'. Mr Murphy wouldn't frighten the mules - he would attract them?
Why doesn't Muffin the Murphy just give us precise examples of Labour's expertise - perhaps he needs a large carrot for encouragement.
Agree with CD - he couldn't train up a few Attack Penguins down there could he?
Morning Polaris. I thought there for a minute you were suggesting Murphy was an alien but after a a second read I now understand. Time consuming indeed. Remember Mr Murphy is a very busy man looking after Scotland full-time.
It is an interesting choice of word Jim. The more Mr Murphy tries to promote his unionist message the more his language becomes completely anti-Scottish.
I think it's mentioned in the article that it is Calman Strathturret. That's the transformation in a labour mindset.
Morning CD. I doesn't like non-adorers on his blog CD, if you don't boost his ego yer oot.
So you're getting a visit from the great and the good CD? Don't get over-excited now.
Take care.
I'm quite happy to have Murphy continually make the headlines Clarinda as he does his 'cause' more harm than good.
Attack Penguins may be a little to advanced for him, I've heard Falklanders are keen on keeping budgies.
"They will have to decide how they spend the money they have asked the Scottish people for.”
Fine Mr Murphy we'll accept that as independence.
Subrosa's right - you can only labotimise when there's a brain in the skull to begin with. If Murphy had a brain he'd be a political feather weight.
"They were already victors. We bashed them around the head and turned them into victims. It was the perfect storm for them of victory and victimhood."
Murphy must be studying Rumsfeldism.
They beat a system devised by Labour to maintain it's now dysfunctional and incompetent hegemony.
Once defeated Labour hadn't the stature to beat anything higher, or with the wit, of a road kill hedgehog.
As an opposition their paucity of ability was exposed to a breathtaking extent - and still is.
As far as governance goes, Labour is the Scottish version of the Taliban.
I'd accept that too Crinkly, nothing less mind you. He's making fools of us 'giving' such charity.
Can't argue with that comment at all Crinkly.
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