The Falkirk Farce

Try as they might to embarrass Alex Salmond's Saltire gesture at Wimbledon on Sunday, Labour could be accused of using the First Minister's genuine delight as a cover for more serious matters.

Falkirk is one and perhaps the tip of an iceberg.  We'll have to wait to see if the police uncover more impropriety, although I doubt it.  I'm not suggesting there aren't Labour constituencies where candidates were approved 'against the rules', but that the police will have difficulty discovering them. Labour are particularly skilled at covering their dubious practices. Think about postal voting and how these have increased dramatically over the years in Labour areas.  Pathetic efforts by the Electoral Commission have revealed nothing but it's generally accepted that there is a good possibility fraud takes place.  Why do we accept it?  Why don't the other parties insist upon an independent investigation?  The only conclusion I can come to is that the current system suits them too.

But Falkirk has opened a can of worms and shown just how Ed Miliband is a weak leader. He gained office only by the grace of the unions and since then these unions - and in particular Len Mc Cluskey's Unite union - have been calling payback time and quietly taking over control of Labour by attempting to ensure their choice is accepted. As Dan Hodges says: "Len McCluskey and his union have been caught bang to rights. No ifs. No buts. No maybes."

Miliband appears to be losing his grip and can't decide which side of the fence to fall on.

Johann Lamont, during her campaign for the leadership of Scottish Labour, was insistent that the new leader had control of the whole of the Scottish Labour party and not just the MSPs.  She hasn't said one word about this on-going saga and that proves what many of us already believe, that Scottish Labour is but a branch of London Labour.

What a farce it all is and surely the people of Falkirk deserve better.

Tweet

A Political Resurrection

George Galloway has won the Bradford West by-election by more than a 10,000 majority from Labour, on a swing of 36.59%.

Three tweets, which possibly sum up public opinion, caught my attention, but will they catch the eye of Ed Miliband?

Quite probably Ed has convinced himself that it's only the Scottish branch of his party which is in disarray, but this morning he'll have to admit the throughout the whole organisation or face another leadership challenge. His brother's phone will be engaged no doubt. 

If you're interested here is a video in which George Galloway shows a few of his true colours.

Mike Smithson ‏ @MikeSmithsonOGH

• Close

Looking at the numbers & the records Galloway's victory in Bradford West is the most sensational by election result of modern times.

• Ebenwolfe ‏ @Ebenwolfe
  
  @MikeSmithsonOGH Only mathematically. Politically it's an indication of how sick & 
  tired of main Parties the British Electorate are.

Hugh Hunter ‏ @Gabicabi

George Galloway is the Marmite of politicians. I don't agree with him on many 
issues-eg.his Unionist stance, but I don't doubt his integrity.

Tweet

The Shadow Cabinet

The result of Ed Miliband's shadow cabinet competition has been announced.  Of 49 who entered the raffle, 19 won prizes, but they won't know who gets the booby until later today.

The full list of successful candidates is:

Douglas Alexander - 160 votes

Ed Balls - 179 votes

Hilary Benn - 128 votes

Andy Burnham - 165 votes

Liam Byrne - 100 votes

Yvette Cooper - 232 votes

Mary Creagh - 119 votes

John Denham - 129 votes

Angela Eagle - 165 votes

Maria Eagle - 107 votes

Caroline Flint - 139 votes

John Healey - 192 votes

Meg Hillier - 106 votes

Alan Johnson - 163 votes

Tessa Jowell - 152 votes

Sadiq Khan - 128 votes

Ivan Lewis - 104 votes

Ann McKechin - 117 votes

Jim Murphy - 160 votes

It didn't slip my attention that Jim Murphy, who ran David Miliband's failed leadership campaign, has managed to jump on board so we haven't seen the back of him.  Because there are only three Scots I assume at least two of them will want the shadow Scotland Office minister's job.  Dougie Alexander may prefer the Foreign Office.

We'll know later in the day who is where but it would appear, from today's press, that Ed Balls is favourite for shadow chancellor.

Tweet

Double Standards

It's of no interest to me who Ed Miliband lives with in the posh part of London.  But, (yes you knew there would be a but), what does show his character is the fact he was 'too busy' to sign his name on his son's birth certificate.  For a man who is ambitious enough to want to lead this country, that is an appalling lack of judgement.

For some years I've been interested in ancestry.  Hanging around graveyards in pouring rain (it always seems to rain) is a hobby and an intriguing one.  Information I gather is shared with others and we've helped out people from all over the world because we've been able to discover burial places and the odd home or place of business of their ancestors.  Owing to the internet it's so much easier for those wishing to trace their family roots to find the relevant documents to get them started - birth, marriage and death certificates.

Ed Miliband does his family no favours with his casual attitude to his son's existence.  These days more people have no desire to marry and decide to have their children without the official record of their relationship.  Many other birth certificates don't have the father's name recorded.  I know the upset this causes because a member of my own family was born illegitimate in the 1930s and his father's name isn't recorded on his birth certificate and of course there is no marriage certificate.  The fact we can progress no further in the search is sad.

Another small point is that Ed Miliband voted strongly in favour of gay marriages and civil partnerships.  A strange decision from someone who doesn't appear to favour hetrosexual marriage isn't it.

Tweet

Pipped at the Post So What Now?

David Miliband is said to be considering his future this weekend.  His brother Ed, the new leader of the Labour Party, has said he can have any job he fancies in the new shadow government but David hasn't leapt at the opportunity to be shadow chancellor or any other high profile post.  Who would want their younger brother to be their boss?

Miliband Snr must be rueing the days when he had the chance to lead the Labour party because that opportunity has now gone.  Some of his supporters say he should have challenged Gordon Brown in 2007, but he dithered and then decided to let Brown have a free run.  Then there was the day his pal James Purnell quit the cabinet last summer.  Many thought then it was a perfect time for David Miliband to follow suit and, because Brown was hingin' by a tack ( translation: hanging by a nail) at the time, Miliband Snr may well have seized the keys to No 10.  Alas, he dithered once again.

There's rumour abound in the press this weekend that he may serve for a year or so, either in the cabinet of some other capacity, then he'll depart British politics.  Will he start touting his wares around his pals in the EU? Last year some European leaders thought he would be an ideal candidate for the post of EU foreign minister, but he decided against it and Cathy Ashton thought all her Christmases had come at once.  The reason given at the time was that he wanted to lead the Labour party.

Will he perhaps follow in the steps of his mentor, Tony Blair, and decided to look for a position in the US?  Hilary Clinton appeared quite fond of him and she's able to open many doors.

Regardless what I think of the Milibands, I must pay credit to the manner in which Miliband Snr conducted himself on Saturday.  Leading the labour party was his lifelong ambition and now he has to redefine his aims.  Not a bad thing for anyone to do once in a while and in David Miliband's case he can tap into a deep layer of those in high places who may be due him a favour or two.

source

Tweet

The Unions Think They Won

OK, how many of you were smart enough to put their money on the younger of the Miliband dynasty?  Roughly 10% of you were right in my poll.  I do hope the payout allows to have an enjoyable evening.

As a prize I'm sure this will delight you.  As for many of us, EM being ex-climate change secretary doesn't bode well, but then again he did say he would listen to the people in his acceptance speech - yes I watched it and have no excuses except the standard one - I was on a gardening break. Full steam ahead for the carbon footprint scam then.

So there we have it.  Banana man has lost when he thought he had it made, yet I doubt if he's too disappointed as the brothers aren't a cigarette paper apart in my opinion.  The unions may think they are but all they've got to do is wait. Let's be honest, the unions don't hold anything like the power then did 20 years ago, so to have a leader who is in hoc to them doesn't leave Ed Miliband much room for negotiation.

What will the tories and libdems think?  The opposite of what they say tomorrow.

Tweet