Iain Gray, Labour's Holyrood leader, in a frantic effort to gain some press coverage, has issued Alex Salmond with an "anytime, anywhere" challenge to debate the future of Scotland.
Last week we had the man with the title Scottish Secretary make a similar challenge but his was dismissed with a nonchalant wave of the hand.
“Alex Salmond has refused to debate with the Scottish Secretary but he cannot run and hide from his direct opposite number at Holyrood,” said Mr Gray.
“If Mr Salmond has any faith at all in his plans he will accept a debate with me on his disastrous plans for separation.”
Both Iain Gray and Jim Murphy will address the labour conference consecutively today in what labour officials described as a 'beefed up' Scottish report.
As I type Jim Murphy is on the stage at Brighton and talking to a hall which certainly isn't filled to the gunnels - it's hardly a third full. Off to hear the man who nobody knows now - we all need a little light-hearted entertainment at times!
Update 10.05am: Jim Murphy attacked the Tories while Iain Gray's target was Alex Salmond. A decent performance from both but nothing inspiring. I very much doubt either man persuaded one person to vote labour. If that was a 'beefed up' double act it makes me wonder what a 'veggie' one would have been like. Not that it matters in the least because it was all mince.
Source: Herald
Posts
15 comments:
Salmond didn't refuse, Murphy simply wanted cheap publicity by claiming he could force a debate but was snubbed by Salmond. Salmond was first on the running order at the conference they both attended so Murphy knew he was never in a position to drive a debate - moreover the organisers of the conference (a commercial company - Mackay Hannah) would never have sanctioned such a debate.
Oohh to think I used to support these weasels...
It was another attempt at some press coverage polaris. Such a shame that in their desperation for coverage they have no policies to offer or anything of substance.
Herd Gray on GMS this morning, i thought he was completely cringworthy - "Salmond's washing his hair that day". To think that this man seriously thinks he might ne First Minister in under 2 years...
I see Mr Gray has said that Scots may want a referendum ...but not at moment according to himself.
...and it would be wrong to hold it in an recession,
...and it would be rigged too, apparently.
or so the BBC News website reports.
I have an idea that whatever the season, whatever the political or financial climate; Mr Gray would have a mind to say it would be wrong to hold a referendum.
...unless it was rigged, naturally.
Mr Gray said, "the SNP are not a government, they are a campaign."
Is that a fact?
I though campaigning for something or against something was a civic duty if the cause was just and bettered the lot of the community.
So Mr Gray thinks the SNP are campaigners. My, that's the first honest utterance from a Labour partei aparachnic that I've heard in a long time.
So it's back to the time dis-honoured, people party's slogan of, "If you don't vote for us then you'll let the Tories in."
Would that apply to "Tartan Tories", then? Mr Gray.
So the future electshun is just a divi of who gets what between the Westmidden cabals then? A more of a sameness, be it tweedledee or tweedledum is assured.
I prefer a campaigning government, Mr Gray. Particularly one who campaigns for Scottish interests, concerns and the well being of folk there of;
...and not merely servitude to the interests of other people, in another country, someplace else.
But give credit where credit is due.
Westmidden people's parties have the campaigning for this and that as well.
The campaigning for de regulation of the banks,the campaign to make the £ worth less, the campaigning for WMDs and the campaigning against them in foreign parts.
...and they're still cmpaigning to have British subjects killed or maimed for life in foreign adventures. Other folk might perceive yon to be campaigning for the advancement of terrorism at home and abroad.
Then there was the NL campaigning against the financial interests of pensioners and folk of low income.
Mustn't forget the campaigning for more NL stealth taxes. Indeed, they were quite successful at yon.
But the SNP campaign for us, Mr Gray.
Unlike others, who merely campaign for themselves and their special interests of benefit to themselves.
I see there is a remarkable surge in the campaigning by organisations hoping to persuade the Tories of the righteousness of their becauses.
Would you be against that then, Mr Gray? Would you be against the campaigns involving Tory Westmidden lobbyists, consultants, Beezness obligers and those with the spending habits?
Like the campaigns yourselves have been involved in for the last twelve years ...and dare I say, benefit exceedingly from.
Tell me, Mr Gray. If I voted for the peoples partie, would they campaign for a plain truth, flagship policy?
Aye right, ah would, so ah would.
Allan, he was introduced to the sprinkling of folk in the hall this morning as 'the next First Minister'.
Can't understand why I laughed.
That's what he said wisnaeme, I watched it.
He also mentioned Alex Salmond snubbing Diageo for a TV programme etc.
I wonder if he will answer you? I doubt it, mainly because he knows full well his answer would be more lies.
Here it is, in all its glory
http://www.labour.org.uk/iain-gray-speech-conference
There is so much wrong with his speech, its worth a look. But here's a Gray marker for a U-turn on the Referendum issue...
"The day may well come when the people of Scotland want a referendum to settle their constitutional future once and for all. But not now, in the midst of a recession. And not on a question rigged by the SNP".
Thanks Cruachan, good to have it in print because it's difficult to remember everything word for word.
Didn't you find the 'my Scotland' irritating eventually? I certainly did.
Aye, Subrosa. he's Scottish, you know.
Strange that you should comment so.
Noo Labour politicos appear to have dropped the 'we' in their platitudes of plausibility bawjawing recently.
Listening to Millie and Cuddles's bawjawing today the word 'we' appears to have been dropped from the English language. Cuddles has made the front page of the Mirror as the born again whatever and I have no doubt variations on a theme will appear in the local IC Trinity Group rags.
I wonder what McCavity Broon will have to say in 'we'; descriptions for the sake of union solidarity if for nothing else of substance.
Aye Noo Labour, Scottish branch, are Scottish and more Scottish than the rest of us who choose to differ from them. Doncha know.
Cuddles mentioned extending the car scrapage scheme today, by the way.
But failed to mention the extra revenue generated by post manufacture 2007 vehicle tax based on the new CO2 emissions scam.
Cuddles is cute, eh.
...and so is Darling.
I'm smiling wisnaeme, aye I do know he's Scottish.
I've just read the transcript and he said it 4 times but it seemed like 14 watching it live.
Are you suggesting I scrap ma car? That banger's got to last me a lifetime doncha know?
Aye, I've a friend who was daft enough to go for this scrap your car business and now she's moaning the road tax on her new one is 4 times as much as the banger.
I'll keep my £35 a year road tax wheels thank you very much. It can jog along nicely and does 85 if I'm in a real hurry, which of course I never am, because I'd be the last person to dream about speeding on an empty road late at night.
Aye Subrosa.
I've bought two new all talking (and they do), all dancing top of the range convertables in the past three years. But ah'm buggered if I'll do the same come next March.
I'm gonna flog this present posing machine and buy me a mint two seater, pedigree classic with a premium reg plate of fwuck aff if I can obtain such to avoid the taxation.
There's plenty of foreign plates on the cars round here. Polish and what not. Maybe folk should buy,tax and register their new cars in one of the other EU countries, eh. Just like savy folk hereabouts seem to have done.
Aye, we'll be seeing the new car dealerships nackered by folk aquiring their new cars from elsewhere, shortly. Just like the away day ciggie and booze trips.
Oh wisnaeme, a two seater? Ain o they cars that ye cannae get yer shopping in the back seat?
I know a lad who fell out with his girlfriend and, in a fit of independence, bought a ZR4. He rues the day now because he can't get all his golf kit in it and of course he's back with the girlfriend who never stops complaining (unless its sunny and the top's down).
Quite a few folk have been registering and buying their new cars abroad recently. The pal who was part of the scrapped scheme had to wait 9 weeks for her new Skoda. Later she was told she could have got one even cheaper in Germany and RH drive too - within 3 weeks.
Europeans laugh at us because we pay the prices here but I've always said they should offer more RH drive cars for us. Seems like they've listened.
Let me know what you decide on. I had a two seater long long ago, an Alfa Romeo. Rusted sills within a year and it was kept in a garage. Put me off the thing having to get so much new bodywork but I got my money back when I sold it because of the low mileage and it looked pristine after the weeks in the body shop.
Subrosa, just forget about them BMW Z4s. I had a test drive in one of the new convertables when they were available last May. with the metal roof that slides into the boot. I asked the salesfella if a proper matching spare wheel could be stored in the boot instead of that wee container of whatever for inflating flat tyres. Me being a bit old fashioned that way. My , you should have seen the condescending look he gave me. I fancied the midrange with all the extras that nearly added up to the top range model's basic cost of £39 grand. I had the choice of silver or a darkish blue but the interior fittings were pretty basic.The attitude of the salesman put me off. He was sure if I would be allowed to test drive his prestigue car, Not with my blue collar overalls and the dog shite i might have aquired on my shoe heels or so that was the impression i got from that snob.
I wasn't impressed by vork stum tecnik or the stark interior.
Put me right off the idea so when I finished the test drive I felt like parking in a place that it wouldn't fit, just to make yon snob's eyes water.
...and walk away never to darken their doors again. Besides, BMWs seem to be of aplenty over here now. So where's the notion of having just another set of German wheels?
I'll bet your Iti job wasn't such a rust bucket like that Lancia Fulva I aquired in the late seventies. That was a real rust trap that was.
I had in the seventies.The moggie minor traveller that I had after that was a real joy to drive. But the front wheels had a tendency to part themselves from the steering joints going round corners and as for replacing the brake cylinder ruber seals. Oh what a joy of a job. It had it's good points though. When there was ice and snow on the road it was just subline the way it's narrow tyre dug in and gripped the road; with the aid of a big lump of concrete in the back of the moggie.
Whilst folk with their trendy cars and broad tyres that just spun out at the slightest application of power whom I left slithering and sliding behind me. Aye, moggies rule. ok.
I'll be happy with an MGB with the four speed*( non of yer overdrive switch nonsense) circa 1971- 4 with the wire wheels and perhaps a new body on it.Converted to run on unleaded naturally.
...and chrome bumpers if you please, non your rubber rubbish.
...and the knunts can go take a hike as far as the tax is concerned.
i like Vauxhalls myself, Subrosa and I have one of those turbo twintops with all the extra goodies in it,That Z4 didn't even have Sat nav. But I'll spite my nose and lose those modern comforts just to stuff the racketers and their blackmail and extotion tax scam..
The laddie I've mentioned has had experience of BMW now. The security alarm kept coming on when driving and he took it back 3 times. He explained what he thought it was but they initially insisted it was the door lock and replaced that. Then of course it was something else. More money. Turned out, with the help of the AA, the actual horn was corroded at the contact points which is more or less what he told them initially - him being an electrical engineer.
They refused to repay any money or even discuss it. Unfortunately his job takes him abroad a lot so I think he let it slip although he did write and complain to BMW.
I've had lots of cars in my time wisnaeme. Bought my first one when I was 18 back in '64, an Austin A30 for £95. The old Ford escorts were super cars, the saloon model from around '73, successor of the sloping back model.
Possibly my favourite make is Mazda, not for style but dependability.
My present car scares me in a way. I don't even get a satisfying 'click' when I shut the door and as you say, the bumpers are thin plastic (not even rubber on mine).
I usually try to attend the vintage car rally at Glamis Castle every year, just to see what chrome and quality metal look like.
Post a Comment