The Statement and the Questions

I arranged my afternoon in order to watch Kenny MacAskill's statement on the Megrahi decision and the subsequent MSP's questions.

His statement was a repeat of his statement last Thursday but he was much more relaxed.

The questions varied in quality with Ian Gray later insisting, on Sky News, that none of his questions was answered. Perhaps he wasn't listening because in my opinion they were answered fully.

Annabel Goldie's idea that Mr Megrahi could have been transferred to his temporary home in Newton Mearns, a hospice or a hospital was quite ridiculous. Even to the most disinterested person the policing of any of these situations would be a nightmare. I'm sure Ms Goldie doesn't live in Newton Mearns or has ever been in a hospital when a criminal is also a patient. The freedom of patients is seriously curtailed and inconvenience is caused to staff, visitors and patients. With a man of Mr Megrahi's criminal status it would be quite impossible to ensure security and allow normal business to proceed. The same would apply to a hospice situation.

The least said about Tavish Scott and Nicol Stephen's contributions the better. Very disappointing performances from both whose desperate attempts to score political points drifted into the ether. The subject matter is far too important for this type of behaviour.

The MSP who deserves a mention is Malcolm Chisholm, a man not unused to sticking his head above the party line and voicing his own opinion - dignified, brief and to the point. I see others agree with me.

As a result of this afternoon it would seem the unionist parties intend to push for a full debate in the Parliament next Wednesday and a vote thereafter. Interesting times indeed.

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Ian Gray Makes Formal Complaint against First Minister

Lord Steele and George Reid are to investigate a prison escape complaint made by Ian Gray.  The complaint has been referred by the First Minister to a panel comprising of the two former Presiding Officers.

Labour has accused Mr Salmond of an inexcusable failure to mention, in Holyrood exchanges last Thursday, that inmate John Brown, serving life for murder, had absconded the previous day from Castle Huntly open prison near Dundee.  The exchanges concerned an earlier absconding by a different Castle Huntly prisoner who handed himself into police after a week on the run.

In a letter to Mr Gray, Mr Salmond said: "I believe your complaint to be publicity-driven rather than procedural, and pursued without any solid basis whatsoever.  However, I set up the independent procedure for the purpose of referring complaints to the panel of former Presiding Officers.  On that basis I have made the reference that you requested to the panel."

What a waste of public money.  Labour are so devoid of policies that the only way they can substantiate their presence in the Scottish Parliament is by behaving in this immature manner. We know Alex Salmond had complete support from the police service for not making any public statement prior to their own, so what does Ian Gray expect to gain from this?  It certainly can't be votes.

 

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FMQs 28 May 2009

A criminal theme today from the opposition and a return to last week's subject by Ian Gray and Annabel Goldie.

When the BBC programme commenced Alex Salmond was announcing there is to be a one-off £2,000 payment given to apprentices who discontinue employment and to ensure they move into gainful training.  I would have liked to have heard more about this new policy but that was not to be.

Ian Gray tried hard to pin the First Minister down to the matter of the latest abscondee from Castle Huntly but the FM was having none of it. In stauch defence of Kenny MacAskill the Justice Secretary, Alex Salmond explained the information flow had been inappropriate and that had been explained yesterday. He added with the present government absconds had reduced to one-fifth of the last administration's level.

At this point the Presiding Officer raised himself from his throne to vent his rage at the squabbling members. "When I say order I expect order," was his message.  Personally, I wish he had added that if they didn't conform then it would be an open prison for the guilty.

The Open Estate and early release were Annabel Goldie's hobbyhorses and she made little impact because, as the FM pointed out, the tories had been the ones to introduce the Open Estate in the first place, but now they want to abolish early release Mr Salmond said he would be expecting their support for the forthcoming proposal to do just that.

Tavish Scott changed to the mattert of climate change, something which the public either love or ignore.  It appears Stop Climate Chaos Scotland had commented on the climate change bill calling it 'deeply ambitious'. The FM countered such claims with his own commenters' quotations.

Frank McAveety was seeking reassurance that all was being done to help pupils, parents and staff at the school in his constituency which has an outbreak of swine flu. Reassurance was given by the FM and he told Parliament the public health officials were at the school this morning to give parents the guidance they need.

Ian McWhirter was 'the voice of the media' at the end of the programme.  Three points he made are worth noting.  He gave credit to Alex Salmond for the way he uses the microphone and continues to talk even through the unruly shouting of members, knowing full well that viewers could hear him even although his words were nigh on impossible to hear by those present in a noisy chamber.  Point two - he felt the opposition had missed the boat regarding acquiring the scalp of Kenny MacAskill. "If they had got together last week and had a cohesive attack they may have achieved, it but now it's too late."  Point three - the government are getting away with abandoning their 3% climate change policy and introducing a softer one.  Time up, fade out.

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BBC Question Time - Dunfermline

David Dimbleby, Ian Gray, Nadine Dorries

Nicola Sturgeon, David Steel, Bruce Anderson

Purely by chance I happened to watch Question Time tonight and it held my attention for the whole 50 minutes.  Would that be Ian Gray's first appearance on such a programme?  Somehow I think it was.  He really has to stop reading from a script although I admit he improved as the programme continued.  Constantly looking down to read is off-putting to viewers who may well be entitled to think he didn't have a good grip of the subject.

Why was Nadine Dorries shipped up from England and with little or no preparation?  She didn't even know Rosyth existed and admitted that. Not good from the Tories.  What's wrong with an MSP being on the panel; I suggest Derek Brownlie.  Do hope someone in the Scottish tory party reads this because I'm more than sure my tory friends will say the same.

In the past I've criticised David Dimbleby for side-stepping Nicola Sturgeon, but he certainly didn't do so tonight.  She is such a steady performer and never disappoints.  Even the most anti-SNP viewer must agree.

David Steel loosened up and by the end almost looked relaxed.  Last time I saw him was a couple of years ago at Stobo Castle, but he had reserved the posh suite and didn't emerge to mix with the hoi polloi.

Tonight was the first time I've seen Bruce Anderson although I've read his work and heard him on radio.  I like his direct responses and his common sense - that doesn't mean to say I agree with him!

Three questions stood out for me:  Gordon Brown, Faslane and DNA record keeping.  A good balance between the audience and panel was achieved and the panel's contribution was fairly good.  Ian Gray should have quit when he was ahead with regard to his contribution on the DNA question as he sounded as if he was repeating a directive but couldn't explain is reasons. 

The stars were Bruce Anderson and Nicola Sturgeon but credit has to be given to Ian Gray for attending and also doing not too badly for a first time panelist. It's a shame he's not a natural speaker and needs so many notes. I reiterate, the Scottish tories do need to get their act together and use a Scottish MSP for these events because they do the Scottish party no favours using Westminster MPs.

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FMQs 7 May 2009

A windy Thursday in Edinburgh I believe and another FMQs in the Scottish Parliament.  The First Minister opened his answers with asking everyone to appreciate the benefit the Scottish parliament has been to Scotland over the past 10 years although he of course qualified it by saying further powers were required.

Ian Gray gave a spirited performance listing the SNP government's 'broken promises' but if he expected to land a hit on the First Minister, he was disappointed.  Alex Salmond had his own written list of successes in the past two years and it was like a game of ping-pong watching the old sound bites whisking back and forth.

Annabel Goldie (rather smart hairdo Annabel) tried hard to achieve an answer to her question which was where was the First Minister intending to make the cuts in the light of the £500m deficit imposed on Scotland from the Westminster budget.  The First Minister mentioned an all party committee had been organised but he did not give a detailed response to her question. A very difficult question this was for Alex Salmond and one which I think he has certainly discussed with John Swinney and others, although I'm sure they will not make their opinions public until it is absolutely necessary.

Tavish Scott broached the subject of al-Megrahi and the Libyan authorities request for his transfer stating he wished that al-Megrahi should serve his sentence in Scotland. As with all legal matters it was a balancing act of information, but not much of it, from the First Minister. He reiterated what he said in 2007 that it would have been "greatly preferred if the judicial processes of Scotland were allowed to take their course."  He repeated that the decision which is made by the justice secretary will not be made on economic grounds or political grounds but judicial grounds alone.

A couple of backbencher questions completed the BBC TV recording session. I really must listen to it on radio and because removing the cameras from the Chamber when there is still a third of FMQs to be heard, is becoming more and more frequent.  Why can't we just see the whole 30 minutes?  I can't see any problem.

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Oh Dearie Me

Oh dear, just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, labour members have demanded the result of the Edinburgh East candidate selection process be overturned after accusing officials of presiding over a postal votes scandal.  The poll was won by former councillor and housing convenor Sheila Gilmore earlier this month.  She beat lawyer Catriona Munro by a single vote.

But 15 members of the party, including one of the two scrutineers, have written to Labour's ruling National Executive Committee, condemning the result as 'tainted'. Twelve breaches of the Labour Party's own rulebook and of Electoral Commission guidelines were identified by the members, including the lack of postal vote verification.

Discrepancies highlighted in the petition include that there was no list of verified postal voters. The postal votes were not kept in a secure sealed box at the hustings but were transported in a plastic bag.  There were also only two scrutineers, both of them male, rather than the requisite 12, of whom half are mean to be women.

A Labour spokesman said, "Of course we will look at the letter but there is no evidence to suggest that this was anything but a well-run selection process."

What hope have labour when they can't even read and follow their own rule book. Poor Ian Gray, he certainly doesn't have to seek his troubles does he.

Source The Scotsman

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