Alex Salmond At His Best

How many more times will Willie Rennie (the leader of the Libdems in Scotland), announce he visited Afghanistan?  It was in July for goodness sake and he spent the usual hour or two, awarded by the military on these unnecessary visits, on the ground.

Yesterday at First Minister's Questions, he showed his ignorance regarding military matters.  To imply only the Army would participate in a Scottish Defence Force insults those serving in the RAF and Navy.

His question was poorly composed. Of course soldiers - and all military personnel - are loyal to HM the Queen, but the glue which holds regiments, brigades, squadrons and other segments of the military world together is trust.

To suggest that any Scottish soldier would be breaking the trust of his colleagues if he decided to join a Scottish Defence Force is absurd.

No need to say Alex Salmond handled Willie Rennie's naive, ill-advised and silly question with the contempt it deserved. Another pathetic performance from Mr Rennie.

Video courtesy of Moridura.

Tweet

FMQs 8 September 2011

Yesterday was the first First Minister's Questions of the new Parliamentary session.

Tris has a splendid account of yesterday's FMQs over at his place.  I certainly couldn't do better.

Tweet

End Of Term

Owing to a fault with Blogger today I have been unable to access my dashboard to write any post for this evening until now.  The last FMQs for this parliamentary term took place at noon today.  An interesting end to a term in which the unionists' determination to avoid any party achieving a majority returned to bite them.

In 2007 I celebrated the SNP's success and decision to govern as a minority.  For the next five years the SNP will govern with a majority and Alex Salmond has declared he will continue to seek consensus throughout the chamber.

Work I'm informed will continue throughout the MSPs' summer break but the First Minister deserves a couple of weeks on a Scottish golf course to recharge his batteries.  There will be two new party leaders to harass when parliament reconvenes and he'll need to be at the top of his game with so many 'newbies' anxious to make their mark.

We do live in interesting times.

Tweet

FMQs 17 March 2011

It was the last FMQs of this parliamentary session yesterday and Tris is spot on with his summary. Love the picture of Alex Salmond too.

Thanks Tris for sharing this event with me every week FMQs airs.  As you know, during the winter months, Thursday evenings involve one of my must-try-harder hobbies and therefore my blogging time is curtailed. Your posts have brought not only nods of agreement from readers, but many smiles at your pithy wit.

The half hour can be downloaded from HolyroodTV from today.

Tweet

FMQs 10 March 2011

The First Minister mentioned two important homecomings today; firstly the body of Lance Corporal Liam Tasker from Fife who was killed in Afghanistan and secondly the team of six, from Grampian Fire and Rescue Services, who assisted in the search and rescue in Christchurch, New Zealand.  He offered his condolences to the family of L/Cpl Tasker.

Iain Gray should have one of his London bosses in the audience - Ed Balls was his cheerleader today - every week.  His performance today was perhaps the best I've seen, although his rhetoric fell far below the line when he insisted upon using 'cancelled' for 'postponed' - an important difference which invalidated his questions.  The Labour questions and First Minister's answers were peppered with statistics which can be boring for an observer and Iain Gray's impression of the tough guy who "would take the First Minister on anytime" didn't quite make John Wayne standards.

Annabel Goldie questioned the FM on a subject dear to my heart - health visitors.  The tories would invest £ millions in increasing health visitor numbers.  Like Ms Goldie I consider government is missing a trick by not appreciating the skills of health visitors. These are the professionals who can sniff out problems between parents and children at ten paces.  They're invaluable to our NHS and an increase would, very possibly, help the very young in our society.  Social workers do not have the specific skills of health visitors yet more and more they're being used as replacements.

Tavish Scott requested the cost of reducing the number of police forces in Scotland. He accused the FM of delaying for political reasons (as if Alex Salmond would behave in such a manner) and Mr Scott was assured the figures would be available once the Chief Constables had finished their sums.  To compare the reorganisation of local authorities with the police wasn't useful.  Alex Salmond reiterated his thoughts that one police force covers half of Scotland with another seven covering the other 50% and our police service needs a more efficient structure.

The Old Firm issue reared its head from back bench questions, along with apprenticeships, graduate contributions and recruitment of university principals.

Unfortunately the BBC is no longer sharing Democracy Live videos so may I suggest that if anyone wishes to view FMQs they do so via HolyroodTV.  It ought to be available early tomorrow.

Tweet

FMQs 3 March 2011

Tris has a detailed summary of this week's FMQs.  Unfortunately BBC Democracy Live is not allowing a download but the half hour can be seen on HolyroodTV.

Tweet

FMQs 24 February 2010

This week's FMQs included questions on the following subjects:

• Knife crime (Labour)
• Elderly bed-blocking (Conservatives)
• Changes in policing policy (Libdems)

Back bench questions included:

• Ensuring Scottish nationals are safely evacuated from Libya
• Two questions about Glasgow University's proposed cuts
• Support for the workforce of Grangemouth refinery

The First Minister told the Parliament, during his response to the Libyan evacuation question, that he had been refused a seat at the COBRA meeting which took place this morning in London, but the Foreign Secretary had agreed to talk to him by telephone later today.

Tweet

FMQs 10 February 2011

FMQs this week can be found over at Tris's place. I've posted the video for my overseas readers who have difficulty accessing the BBC.

Tweet

FMQs 3 February 2010

Why does Iain Gray, the leader of Labour MSPs, continue to question the First Minister on justice matters when he knows the SNP government has improved the policing of our streets by an extra 1,000 pairs of feet and recorded crime is at a 30-year low?

Of course Mr Gray was attempting to pin down the FM on the new Community Payback Order which was voted through the parliament this week.  A feeble effort.

Ms Goldie called the same programme 'candy floss and flim flam' and suggested community service was a joke when low-level offenders were offered arts and crafts as well as manual work.  The FM again defended the programme saying offenders were learning new skills and that was a benefit to society.

Tavish Scott questioned removal of social workers from councils to the NHS, the proposal to create a single national fire service and the proposed reductions in police forces.  Alex Salmond insisted the government judged these matters in terms of effective government.

It wasn't an informative FMQs today.  More like a practice run in one-upmanship in the lead up to the Holyrood election.

Tweet

FMQs 28 January 2011

Tris posts on yesterday's half hour over at Munguin's Republic.  He frets about Iain Gray only having half the facts.  Surely he should be pleased to see Mr Gray improve.

Tweet

FMQs 20 January 2011

The Scottish government were caught red-handed doctoring evidence on Scotland's future claimed Iain Gray, the leader of Labour in the Scottish Parliament claimed in his first question.  The FM responded by explaining the grammatical applications of 'square' brackets, but Mr Gray found that unacceptable and continued his questioning  of the evidence given to the committee investigating the Scotland Bill.  Alex Salmond stated the independent academics stood by their analysis accused the committee of refusing to examine the evidence.  The committee had found the evidence wanting replied the FM.

Then Mr Gray became personal by accusing Mr Salmon, when a boy soprano, of exaggerating his range of four octaves because Pavarotti's range was only two.  What that has to do with governing Scotland defeats me. Let me inform Mr Gray that is not an unusual range for a boy soprano and he really ought to do his homework more carefully.  In fact he'd do much better at FMQs if he attempted to write his own script.  Let me amend that comment and say he may do...

Alex Salmond's broadcast on the popular programme Desert Island Discs wasn't ignored.  Did Mr Gray seem rather petulant?  I shouldn't think there is an invitation in the post.

It was difficult to dissociate the jokes, posturing and party politicing from the serious points of Mr Gray's questions.  Then again, it could be there were no serious points.  The only one relevant to the country was Mr Salmond's announcement of 150 green jobs for Glasgow and the prospect of hundreds more.

Ms Goldie, for the Tories, centred on the Salmond Supertax, which is sending out the message to business that if they grow and are successful the SNP will punish them with a super tax.  When faced with difficult economic conditions it is entirely reasonable to look at efficient ways of raising revenue to protect services was the FM's answer.  He added it was reasonable to ask those with the broadest shoulders to pay their fair share.   It was a reasonable question from Ms Goldie but also a reasoned response from the FM.

Tavish Scott returned to one of his old hobby horses high public sector pay, which he says has gone up £53 million in the last year.  The FM agreed and explained that was why the Scottish government was proposing a public sector pay freeze for those earning more than £21,000 a year.

The SNP MSP Ian McKee wanted to know what economic impact the UK government's paternity proposal would be on Scotland's economy.  Alex Salmond welcomed the proposals although he admitted there would be an impact but that supporting parents is one of the pillars of the early years strategy and fathers being able to spend more time with their children is welcome.

The Tory MSP John Scott asked what action was being taken about fish discards to be told that the Catch Quota System is designed to help reduce them.  Maureen Watt also queried fish discards to be told by the FM that land-locked EU states have more say in fisheries negotiations than Scotland currently does.

Margo MacDonald (Independent) suggested to the FM that if Scotland was getting such a bad deal from the EU regarding one of its main industries, wasn't it time he considered leaving the EU. Alex Salmond disagreed with that proposal.

I will upload a video of the session as soon as it is available.

Tweet

FMQs 13 January 2011

Munguin's Republic has this week's comments on yesterday's FMQs.  I've published the video for my overseas readers.

Tweet

FMQs 23 December 2010

My apologies for the delay in posting this but there were difficulties with the video.

Not a scrap of tinsel or even a shiny bauble was visible in the chamber yesterday during FMQs.  In fact the half hour session was cheerless and dispiriting although, given that two opposition leaders' questions involved the present weather, the atmosphere was perhaps understandable.

The last FMQs of 2010 finished with a whimper and I suspect many unheard sighs of relief.

Tweet

FMQs

My apologies for the delay in giving you the link to an informed assessment of yesterday's FMQs.  I blame the weather.   Why not.

Here it is.

Tweet

FMQs 9 December 2010

Today's FMQs discussed the weather in centimetres.  (Since when did Scots move from feet and inches to centimetres?)  The sudden heavy downfall of snow over the central belt (Edinburgh-Glasgow area) on Monday morning seems to have annoyed the unionists.

All three opposition party leaders were itching to pin blame on Stewart Stevenson the Transport Minister, but the First Minister would have none of it.  He staunchly supported Mr Stevenson's actions, although he admitted communications hadn't been perfect.  I don't believe Mr Stevenson's scalp will be adorning the top of the Holyrood Palace gates this week, but would say his coat is on a shoogly nail.  He has an unfortunate demeanor which conveys a surplus of arrogance that doesn't help him in public situations.

Sitting here surrounded by 12 inches of snow, with the temperature, for the first time for a fortnight, a balmy one degree today, I'm bemused by all the fuss.  Nobody made a noise here when nearly two weeks ago we had two days of continual snowfall.  Maybe it's because in rural areas we consider travelling more seriously, who knows.

There were slow and wrong decisions on Monday in the central belt.  Everyone headed for the motorways thinking they would be clear, but appeared to forget motorways are more exposed to the elements than many other roads.  Many drivers were not prepared for bad weather situations.  How often are drivers advised to put a shovel, blanket, warm footwear in their cars over winter and ensure they have a small supply of food and drink in case of emergencies?

Schools opened then, within a couple of hours, closed.  Parents had to battle back from work or home to collect their little darlings after delivering them to the education authorities.  Why schools couldn't have continued normally defeats me.  The children will all have been dressed for cold weather.  The schools would have been warm.  Why discontinue lessons?

I'm in agreement with Iain MacWhirter, although I do think we should be obliged to use winter tyres (which can be used all year round in our climate).

Alex Salmond asked the opposition parties to bring forth positive resolutions.  Sorry to tell you Alex but they don't have any.  One important fact that the First Minister did disclose is that the government are in talks with the road hauliers about the use of snow/winter tyres on lorries.  It appears jack-knifed articulated vehicles were a major cause of the congestion on the M8.  So were the hundreds of abandoned cars which prevented the roads being ploughed.  It would be unfair if the hauliers had the expense of winter tyres thrust upon them through legislation and yet the motorist had no such responsibility.

Backbencher questions:

Christina McKelvie asked the FM what impact a decision to lift the cap on tuition fees at English universities would have on Scottish education.  Lewis MacDonald asked, in the light of the decision to close the Sustainable Development Commission in Scotland, where will the Scottish Government seek independent advice from on energy use in the future and Bill Aitken wanted to know what discussions the Scottish Government has had with the Scottish Prison Service regarding additional entertainment for prisoners over the festive period.

The FM's answers can be found in the video.

Tweet

FMQs 2 December 2010

The Chamber was wanting for bodies today but Labour members showed up in numbers.  Obviously the snow in the west is nothing like here in the east.  The FM confirmed that my saying Edinburgh airport had had five times the amount of the white stuff than Glasgow airport.

Read more at Munguin's Republic.  He has the lowdown.

Tweet

FMQs 25 November 2010

No guesses as to the main topic today. The Scottish Variable Rate (SVR) took precedence. The three opposition party leaders continued their  SVR attack on the First Minister, who also offered his apology for not informing the Parliament of the issues surrounding the SVR and admitted Parliament should have been informed that the HMRC were asking for millions of pounds to keep the system 'alive'.  He also emphasised when the SNP took over as government in 2007 the SVR was not in a condition to be enabled within the 10 month timetable.

The First Minister, in reponse to preliminary questions told the Parliament that he had requested an urgent meeting with the Prime Minister and also the Scotland Office minister to discuss the forthcoming Calman legislation.

Iain Gray started well enough, but when he compared the SVR issue with the now defunct LIT, he started to dig a hole.  It's most unfortunate he's unable to move from his script, because his third question had already been answered.

Ms Goldie's prodding produce the admission from the First Minister that he is Spartacus and he reiterated his defence of John Swinney's actions although he again apologised for not informing Parliament of the SVR process.

Tavish Scott wanted Spartacus to refer the matter to the independent advisers on the Ministerial Code, the former Presiding Officers.  The response side-stepped an answer and the FM again stated the rate is not implementable unless the Parliament is prepared to pay many millions of pounds to the Inland Revenue.

I can understand the opposition parties anger at not being kept informed about issues in connection with SVR, but surely they don't think the Scottish public would approve of millions being spent on a system which was never going to be triggered by this government.  Wailing that the Scots voted for the SVA and therefore their hard earned tax should be spent on keeping it 'live' shows just how out of touch they are with the electorate.

LibDem Iain Smith asked the FM if he supported his stance that RAF Leucheurs should not be played off against RAF Lossiemouth in the Westminster governments cutbacks.  Alex Salmond said Scotland should not allow itself to be divided and ruled over the issue and it was not acceptable that either closed.

Labour's Richard Baker, is his usual foot-in-mouth pose, questioned the FM about a PWC report that predicts that the number of police officers in Scotland will fall by 2000.  The FM gave a brief response citing, in part, the Scottish government's 2.6% cut agreed with COSLA.

A robust and interesting session today.  Worth watching if you'd like a little entertainment and to see party leaders practicing for next May's campaign.

Tweet

FMQs 18 November 2010

Tris has the lowdown on yesterday's FMQs.  You can read it here.

Tweet

FMQs 11 November 2010

There couldn't have been many MSPs dozing in the Chamber today.  The debate was fast and furious - even humorous at times.

The Scottish Futures Trust and the employment of consultants to quangos were what Iain Gray homed in on today.  Good questions from Iain Gray and a good defence from the First Minister.  Statistics were bandied about without detail and that can weaken the argument about the use of consultants.  What needs to be investigated is the work consultants have done and if it was beneficial to the organisations concerned.

Autonomous schools was Annabel Goldie's subject.  She wanted to know why the Scottish Government were so opposed to giving schools independence when it was so pro national independence.  The FM said he was open to all suggestions about improving our schools and, although England were looking at the Swedish model, he considered at present the Finnish model was perhaps more appropriate to Scotland.  Ms Goldie, at her best, responded, "I realise I'm no competition for Finnish models" - raising much hilarity in the Chamber.  She proceeded to state the FM kept his Education Secretary 'on a leash' - to which the FM smartly replied he would 'rather have a Scottish terrier like Mike Russell in charge of education than the lap dogs on the Tory benches."

Tavish Scott must have found it difficult to follow the wit of the previous few minutes, but he did his best highlighting the recent conference NHS Education for Scotland (NES) attended in Miami, courtesy of the tax payer.  The FM was able to state the Health Secretary had been in touch with NES asking them to be mindful of the financial climate.

Jamie McGrigor (Conservative) wishes to know what help was being given to Campbeltown with it's recent 'unemployment triple whammy' and he was informed the Enterprise Minister will be meeting with those involved in the next few days.

Stuart McMillan (SNP) asked if community service workers would again be employed this winter clearing snow.  Johann Lamont (Labour) wanted a 24-hour help line set up to help older people trapped in their homes by bad weather.  The respective answers were yes and no.

Tweet

FMQs 4 November 2010

Munguin's Republic offers you a splendid analysis of this week's FMQs in the form of a entertaining post from Tris.  Not to be missed!

Tweet