Take Your Pick

A slightly different TYP this week. At this link you can listen to the experience of an American who wanted to help build a school in Hiati. The podcast is 22 minutes long but you can listen while you do your usual morning browsing.

Also, sent to me by Edward was the following taken from the Spectator blogs:

Thanks to David Maddox for this gem. During a debate on BBC Scotland last night, marking a decade of devolution, Iain Gray, leader of the Labour party at Holyrood, boasted of the parliament’s achievements:

Has it [the Scottish Parliament] made a difference?" he asked rhetorically. "Yes it has. When the Parliament started one in five children in this country lived in poverty. That’s now one in three. That’s significant progress."

God knows, mind you, how much more of this progress we can take.

Oh, Iain Gray was once a teacher. His subject? Mathematics, obviously…

To think this man was the leader of the Labour party in Scotland!

Tweet

Labour's Latest Leader Of Their MSPs?

Since Labour's humiliating defeat in May in Scotland and Iain Gray's announcement that he will be standing down 'later in the year' the grapevine has been hard at work with the MSM attempting to forecast who will be the new leader of Labour's MSPs.

For some weeks now the Scottish press have been hinting an MP could take the position as it's not necessary for a leader to be a member of the Scottish Parliament. Alex Salmond, when elected leader of the SNP - second time around - stayed as an MP until the next Scottish parliament elections and his decision caused few, if any, problems within his party.  Of course he ran for the leadership on a joint ticket with Nicola Sturgeon who then had the opportunity to show her skills and effectiveness as a senior politician. She was first-class in that role and continues to be so as Alex Salmond's deputy.

Yesterday the Herald stated Jim Murphy had been approached by his fellow Labour MPs to become Labour's leader in Scotland and in due course stand for Holyrood. There could be slightly more than a grain of truth in this because Labour in Scotland are in dire need of a high-profiled leader and they have nobody within their MSP ranks.

Jim Murphy's comment shows he may well be giving the proposal consideration:

“I have set my sights on trying to be a Cabinet minister in the next Labour Government and that’s all I am focused on.”

As shadow Defence Secretary at Westminster he's more or less invisible and he doesn't appear comfortable in the role.

Would he take up the baton which includes a rather large drop in salary? He has four years until his party has any chance of being re-elected at Westminster and five years to wait for the next Scottish parliamentary elections if he chooses to change course and become an MSP.  There are other ways such as by-elections but these may be few and far between.

Apart from Scottish Labour's need to totally restructure there's another problem facing Labour if Jim Murphy, or any MP for that matter, choses to lead by proxy.  Who would be his deputy? Labour has little talent on its benches at Holyrood and if the MSPs were to be led by an absent leader, the deputy would require to be a strong, effective voice.

If I recall correctly, last week at FMQs Alex Salmond paid tribute to Iain Gray as leader of Holyrood's MSPs.  Iain Gray responded by saying (I'm paraphrasing): "I haven't gone yet."  Would he be the man Labour would choose to keep Jim Murphy's seat warm?  Allan Massie certainly thinks Iain Gray deserves another chance at the leadership and not as anyone's deputy.

Tweet

Holed Below The Waterline

It was trailed as 'a major change in strategy' when the beleaguered leader of Labour in Scotland relaunched his party's election campaign by preaching to the converted - his own supporters.  Iain Gray's problem is his party has no strategy to change.

Until now Labour has focused on 'Tory cuts' until last week when they suddenly realised they were receiving little enthusiasm from the voters who know the current state of the economy is due to UK Labour's mishandling over the past 10 years.

So yesterday Iain Gray decided to try another tack: 'Alex Salmond's only plan is a plan for separation'.  Oh dearie me, it's becoming embarrassing to listen to his interviews, but all is not lost.  The heavyweights are visiting Scotland this week in the form of Milliband and Balls who will be accompanied by the destroyer of the UK economy, Gordon Brown.

The very thought of the three Mouseketeers on the ill-fated Labour campaign trail will have the SNP riveted with fear nae doot.  Unfortunately for Labour, yesterday's performance was less like a relaunch and more like a distress signal.

If enthusiasm, commitment and dedication were to be counted on 5 May, then the SNP will win hands down.  My only concern is the postal voting 'system'.  All I can hope is that the SNP's scrutiny is par excellence.

Tweet

Labour Attempts to Plug Into the Future

I trust you've remembered the Westminster government's New Year present to us all - a £5,000 electric car grant - all part of the process of meeting carbon targets.  Surely you haven't forgotten such benevolence from the Coalition.

Motorists will have a choice of just one subsidised car to buy outright this year - the Mitsubishi e-MiEV - but should have a choice of nine or ten fully electric and plug-in hybrids by 2010.  The AA's president said a car such as the Leaf (pictured) would cost 3p per mile to charge and run, compared to around 14p per mile for a similiar-sized petrol or diesel vehicle.  They also pay no road tax, have cheaper insurance premiums, are exempt from London's Congestion Charge and can be charged for free at some public car parks.

Some Scottish councils have purchased electric cars for their staff by way of a £105,000 low carbon vehicle support grant from the Scottish government.

These cars currently cost over £30,000 - minus the £5000 grant - and only the reasonably wealthy would be in a position to give them consideration. Even the best reviews emphasise they are only for city driving as they require frequent recharging.  The Institute of Engineering and Technology magazine claims it could take a day to recharge with a domestic electric socket and they could be restricted to less than 100 miles while batteries would only last two years.

But, if you do fancy one of these new-fangled modes of transport, although you're worried about recharging facilities, all in not lost.  Chugging into the picture is Labour's Iain Gray with a manifesto pledge of 10,000 new charging points for your new toy.  Who could ask for more?  Possibly the current owners of the few cars on Scottish roads because there are just 10 sites with public charging points for electric vehicles in Scotland.

Friends of the Earth are over the moon at Mr Gray's policy.  Says Beth Stratford:

“A less obvious benefit is that electric vehicles can help smooth out the peaks and troughs in demand for electricity.

“If demand is high then the charging process could be deferred for several hours, and with expected improvements in battery technology, it will be possible for energy to be drawn from the batteries to help cope with temporary shortages of generation.”

Ah, I see the purpose of these cars now.  Their use will be controlled by power suppliers. Why didn't I see that coming?

Mr Gray's policy will be seen by most as supporting electricity suppliers rather than making life easier for the general public.  If the best Labour can do is copy SNP policy and build power points for cars, which will only be owned by the better off, they won't win support from floating voters.

Between the despicable manipulations of Eric Joyce and Iain Gray's latest major Labour policy I've no idea why anyone with an iota of sense votes for them.

Tweet

"If I am First Minister..."

"If I am First Minister, a Labour government will not introduce any upfront fees or graduate contribution for access to higher education in the lifetime of the next Parliament.  There will be no price tag on education".  So says the Gray man pictured above.

He also announced that letters are being sent to 100,000 students across the country broadcasting his policy and the National Union of Students are to hold a jamboree to celebrate the "great news".

Charlie Kennedy, the newly re-elected rector of Glasgow University, accused the SNP and Labour of becoming embroiled in a "Dutch auction" to offer students the most money for their votes ahead of the election.  He, more than most, should know that it's not necessary to keep your word to the student population; keeping them convinced until 6 May is suffice.  Surely he learned something from his boss Nick Clegg.

The SNP have constantly stuck to their commitment that access to higher education should be based on the ability to learn, not the ability to pay and until today Iain Gray has regularly stated a graduate contribution was "inevitable".

Labour really have no scruples and surely our students will now realise they have no policies either.

Let's not forget, Labour are the party which voted against the Scottish budget and by taking that stance they voted against the council tax freeze, 25,000 modern apprenticeships, maintaining police officer numbers and a £2.5 billion infrastructure investment programme in health, education and transport.

Also let's not forget Tory Derek Brownlee's comment on budget day:

"It is obvious it is not a Labour budget - it balances and doesn't add another £200 billion to national debt". source

Only last month John Rowan, a former aide to Gordon Brown, criticised Iain Gray over his 'right wing' stance on justice:

"The danger is it sends out the wrong signal and we will lose some of our more thoughtful voters." source



Gray is becoming reckless in his desperation to become First Minister.  Once the campaign officially begins I wonder how many other U-turns he will attempt.

Update:  Ed Balls has been speaking to the Scotsman.  For your amusement a brief excerpt:   "The issue in politics and when it comes to the ballot box is who do voters think will speak up for them and their families, for their town, for their country. In those election tests, Iain Gray has won and Alex Salmond has lost."

Tweet

Tory Troubles

It the Scottish Tories thought their troubles were over once they recovered from the shock announcement that Jimmy Buchan was stepping down as their candidate for the Scottish Parliament election, they were sadly mistaken.  Their election campaign has taken a few more knocks in the past few days but I doubt if the majority of the Scottish electorate will be shaken or even gently stirred by the latest events. 

Bill Aitken (pictured above) was ousted from his position as Convenor of the Scottish Parliament's Justice Committee because of ill-advised comments he gave, by telephone, to a journalist.  Mr Aitken is stepping down as an MSP in May.  An undignified end to a 12 year career but an unacceptable incident which could not go unpunished.

More Tory troubles. The above photograph shows David Cameron expounding the wonders of Tory policies to Davena Rankin (Tory candidate) and Annabel Goldie during the Glasgow East by-election campaign.

Ms Rankin, who has stood for the Tories in council, Holyrood and Westminster elections, is said to have decided to leave the party in protest at child benefit cuts.  Where's she off to?  Join Labour of course.  A loss to the Tories but Iain Gray is thrilled by her defection.

“I am delighted to welcome Davena Rankin to the Labour party. Davena joined Labour because she knows we are the party that stands up for ordinary working people now facing the onslaught of Tory cuts.

“People in Scotland are furious at David Cameron’s government. Even people in the past who backed them are appalled at their slash and burn approach to child benefits, tax credits for working parents and local services.

“Every time David Cameron says ‘We’re in this together’ the more people stare in disbelief.”

How anyone can change from Tory to Labour astonishes me although I suspect there is more than a little self interest in her change of heart.

source

Tweet

Iain Gray Interview

For those of you who are unable to view BBC Scotland or missed the Politics Show yesterday lunchtime, Moridura has kindly uploaded the video section in which Isobel Fraser interviews Iain Gray.  I presume this was Mr Gray's attempt at gaining a higher profile after the poll results last week.  It backfired spectacularly.

Like many I congratulate Ms Fraser on her accurate research and incisive questioning. My cynicism compels me to think she unfortunately, may be replaced shortly once labour inundate the BBC with complaints about her performance today, because that's how they operate.

She's certainly been a breath of fresh air on Newnight Scotland and the Politics Show in the past few weeks.

Tweet

Iain Gray - A Man With An 'Honest Haircut'

Iain Gray, in a desperate bid to be the holder of title of First Minister, gave an interview to the Observer this weekend.  I describe his bid as desperate not just because of his pedestrian performances at FMQs but because the interview is riddled with inaccuracies.

'...When they took over, the jobless total in Scotland was lower than anywhere else in the UK; now it's the highest...'

When the SNP took over the governing of Scotland Mr Gray's party in Westminster was throwing money right, left and centre and creating 'non-jobs'.  I know someone in a non-job and she's appalled by the waste of money and extraordinary salaries given to those with limited abilities, in her organisation.  The organisation was set up by the previous labour/libdem government to reduce the jobless totals. A fake charity. Of course the jobless total will increase during a recession.  The SNP has announced a Youth Employment Scotland package yet it's not enough for Labour. They want every young person with appropriate qualifications guaranteed an apprenticeship and also propose that any small business prepared to create a new job for a young person unemployed for over six months will be eligible for the scheme (my italics).

'Appropriate qualifications' is a get-out phrase and asking small businesses to create jobs will create a return to the Youth Training scheme where badly run training provider businesses exploited trainees (now to be called apprentices).  In defence of the YT scheme, there were professional training providers who successfully arranged training and authentic work placements, resulting in many thousands of young people entering full-time employment, but they were few and far between.

Another inaccuracy:

Several of their flagship manifesto promises have had to fall by the wayside, such as the student debt issue, policemen on the beat and lower class sizes,


The SNP government has ensured that further education is free at the point of access.  I'm surprised Mr Gray disagrees with that.  As for policemen on the beat his comment is untrue.  But he knows that - he's been told it often enough at FMQs that we have an extra 1000 on the beat.  Could it be his sympathetic journalist had lost concentration by then?

' ...and no matter how they try the release of Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, the man convicted of the Lockerbie bombing, just won't go away. Nor, inconveniently, will he.'

This remark is derisory.  Last week Mr Gray was nowhere to be seen and Labour's incompetent justice minister was given full reign on the MSM. It was impossible not to wince at the man's discomfort.

There are reports of problems within the Scottish Labour party and the breathtaking exposure that Labour's manifesto pledges haven't been costed.  Is that why Mr Gray never talks policies and spends so much time personally attacking Alex Salmond?

Is anyone else becoming weary of his continually reference to his years working for Oxfam?  Many of my generation gave a great deal to Oxfam when we were younger but none of my friends does now.  We were disgusted to learn how little of their income - from our unwanted belongings - was being spent on 'good causes'.  Iain Gray will have been well rewarded for his work as it's now widely known that Oxfam employees were, and still are, paid handsomely.

Last, but by no means least, can anyone describe an 'honest haircut'?

Tweet

Iain Gray - The Outsider

It wasn't a good week for Ian Gray last week and this week didn't start any better for him either.

Jason Allardyce, in the Sunday Times, didn't exactly do a hatchet job but was obviously struggling to find positive examples of Mr Gray's political skills.

Even his critics accept Gray has helped stabilise the party after the “train wreck” of Wendy Alexander’s leadership. But with his approval ratings in the doldrums, there is little evidence of the party’s fortunes taking off under his leadership. “Nobody views Iain as a presidential figure. He was never going to be a performer,” said one insider.

It's noticeable to all those interested in Scottish politics that Iain Gray has been completely overshadowed by the Scottish Secretary Jim Murphy. That's the Jim Murphy who will lead labour's election campaign in Scotland and says the SNP is irrelevant.

The same Jim Murphy who intends to put a picture of David Cameron on his election literature. His excuse for this strange action is he's 'so sure Mr Cameron is an electoral liability for the tories'.

The tories are delighted with this idea. They claim to have private polling from Mr Murphy's East Renfrewshire seat which shows that Cameron is very popular in this Labour-Tory marginal.

What type of election candidate puts a picture of the leader of the opposition on their election leaflets? Don't all answer at once!

source

Tweet

Iain Gray's Acting Lessons

Often I've suggested Iain Gray, the leader of the Scottish Parliament labour group, has some help with his public speaking.

My idea was he may benefit from a few hours at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama but no, Mr Gray's gone one better than our national drama school and he's been taking lessons from Silverfish Productions.

The lessons, for which Mr Gray claimed £3,450, trained him for television interviews and showed him how to present himself and answer difficult questions. I trust they taught him how to answer the easy ones first.

If the picture is anything to go by the taxpayers have certainly had their money's worth don't you think?

If any readers know of any other politicians (other than David Miliband) who have charged taxpayers for skills, with which they should have been equipped before they accepted the position of an elected representative, do let me know.

Source

Tweet

Scotland's Recession Will Be Worse than the Rest of the UK

According to Strathclyde University's Fraser of Allander Institute, Scotland's recovery from the recession will be much slower than the rest of the UK, as the economy is hit by particularly hard by serious cuts to public spending.

The think tanks blames the deeper recession in Scotland mainly on a bigger drop in the output of its financial sector. It is also though that the Scottish economy may confound earlier predictions by not achieving growth in the fourth quarter.

Finance Secretary John Swinney said the report showed there were grounds for "cautious optimism" though any economic recovery was "fragile at this stage", while labour's Iain Gray warned it painted a "worrying picture" and blamed the weak recovery on the SNP government.

Professor Ashcroft of the FOAI said: "This hasn't happened before, certainly since the Second World War, in terms of the output loss being greater in Scotland than the rest of the UK

"That is because of the nature of the recession - the financial services crisis. There has been significant cutback in financial services activity."

The FOAI now forecasts a much greater rise in unemployment this year than it did in its previous forecasts in June.

Tory finance spokesman Derek Brownlee said he hoped the prediction that Scotland was emerging from recession was true, while LibDem leader Tavish Scott said the report showed that labour's handling of the "banking Shambles" was a key reason for Scotland being hit so hard by the recession.

Doesn't surprise me Scottish labour blame the recession on the SNP. After all they can't say it is Gordon Brown to blame can they? Wouldn't want to upset the saviour of the world.

Source

Tweet

The 'Beefed Up' Scottish Report

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

Tweet

A Gift for Iain Gray from his Scottish Labour Colleagues

click to enlarge

Tweet

Why Labour is Still Losing

Six Problems, No Solutions

Bob Thomson explains why Labour is still losing.

I made a couple of visits recently which brought home the problems for Scottish Labour. Last December I was in the Palace of Westminster for first time in three years. It reminded me exactly why I have stayed away and reinforced my intention not to go back any time soon. Westminster is an unreal world which is out of touch with reality (the expenses debacle shows just how badly). It contrasts starkly with the accessibility of Holyrood. In London, even soft left Scottish Labour MPs are in complete denial over loss of power in Scotland and seem to think the best solution is to be more vicious against the SNP than they are against the Tories. Probably because they know that in Scotland there is an alternative to voting Tory.

Then I was at the Scottish Labour Party Conference in Dundee in March. There were few MPs (perhaps not so surprising) but there were also few MSPs and indeed few ordinary party members present. If it hadn't been for Trade Union delegates the conference could have been held in a side hall. In debate after debate I was struck by the hypocrisy of front bench speakers attacking the SNP for not implementing policies Labour failed to implement over eight years in power such as teacher and police numbers and student debt. And since the party isn't exactly bursting with front-bench talent they don't even do it well. There was no serious analysis of why Labour lost the Scottish Parliament election and why we were failing to make an impact in opposition. Most trade unions act and think as Labour loyalists when in fact they were being New Labour apologists. On PFI/PPP the platform, except the trade unionist Chairman, continued to support this disastrous policy while rubbishing the SNP's only sl ightly better Scottish Futures Trust alternative. The three UK Cabinet Ministers who spoke did not address the Scottish dimension or provide any Scottish solutions.

 We lost because of the neo liberal economic and war policies of UK Labour government. Scottish Labour failed - unlike the Welsh Labour Party - to put 'clear red water' between them and New Labour. The people who inhabit the Labour Party bureaucracy either don't know about devolution or more probably arrogantly ignore it. I am constantly getting emails about policy initiatives which only apply in England but fail to say this. When I point this out, I receive no reply.

 So much has been said and written on this subject that it is not worth running over it all in depth. So let me simply give you what I see as the six big problems Labour faces in Scotland if it is going to do anything to make the country fairer and more left-wing:

 There are no leaders. Scottish Labour in Parliament is filled with competent people and padded out with some incompetent people. But any really good people have either been forced out (by Rosemary McKenna's hit squad before the 1999 election) or have just walked away. Realistically, there isn't a single serious leadership candidate from either the left, centre or right of the party who it is possible to imagine actually making an impact on Scotland. Only followers are left.

 There is no party. The membership has at least halved in recent years. Labout used to be a grassroots organization but now party meetings - on the occasions where they are quorate - are filled with only two kinds of people; those who have jobs and those who want jobs. There are no activists and there are almost no enthusiasts. It is an organisation without a party and nothing good can come from that. There is no independence. In my view Labour has actually been saved in Scotland by being forced to go into coalition with the Lib Dems. In my view, if they had been able to, they would have been even more cautious and New Labour. If you look at how Labour in Scotland talks about things it mainly seems to be about how little they could get away with doing before anyone would start to complain. And while I was no fan of Wendy Alexander, at least her high opinion of herself made her more likely to do something different and independent. Iain Gray has lived of Westminster patronage since he lost his seat in 2003 and the signs are he is paying it back with New Labour nonentities like Rhona Brankin and Richard Baker trotting out a London-friendly line wherever they go. It has no friends. The unions ought to have been helping Labour to realise its situation and find a way out of the hole. They haven't. In fact, the main thing the unions have done is to cover the party's backs while it just kept on digging. And in ten years Labour has had almost nothing to do with all the other political movements in Scotland (such as the anti-war movement) and so have just been written off by most. The Party has no friends to have a quiet word in its ear. There are no big ideas. All Labour in Scotland talks about is the same set of non-policies that get trotted out in London. There is nothing new or different about what they are saying. You can probably guess a Scottish Labour speech before you hear it - for any half-good idea there will be five times as much effort spent attacking other people's ideas. Labour needs to have some kind of purpose if it wants to achieve anything. Getting power back is not itself a purpose. It doesn't know how bad things are. Perhaps the biggest problem the party has is that it doesn't even seem to realise how bad things have got. Scottish Labour MPs seem almost to be in an alternative universe in which they didn't lose in 2007. Glenrothes sorted that out so now its back to getting MSPs to do what London tells them and things will be fine. But they won't. MSPs, meanwhile, are only a bit better. They think they are working as an effective opposition and, in any case, surely everyone hates Salmond so just keeping up the attacks will do the trick. They keep believing they can win by throwing mud at others, but they don't know it isn't working and they won't admit they are a poor opposition for it.

 Scottish Labour's structure and bureaucracy requires real devolution from London. It is ridiculous that Ian Gray is Leader of Labour MSPs not Leader of the Scottish Labour Party. And at least I got a vote in his leadership election which I didn't get for Gordon Brown; indeed we have not had a say in our UK Leader since 1994. More importantly Scottish Labour must fairly quickly devise a new, radical policy agenda. Real powers for the Scottish Parliament such as tax raising and borrowing, re-nationalising Scotrail, encourage co-operatives and community enterprises, more social housing, regenerate rural areas, act against poverty, promote income fairness and last but not least oppose Trident renewal. Only then will Scottish Labour revitalise/regain members and reconnect with Scottish voters.

 Bob Thomson has been a member of the Labour Party for 45 years and is a former chairman and treasurer of the Scottish Labour Party. 

http://www.scottishleftreview.org/li/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=236&Itemid=1

(On my Mac I'm getting the message this site is corrupted so please be aware. This whole post was sent to me by email and is from a most reliable source)

Tweet

FMQs 30 April 2009

A rather subdued FMQs today I thought but of course the main subject matter warranted it. Ian Gray's questions were all concerned with the swine flu virus which led to the First Minister giving some interesting facts about the present situation in Scotland and pandemic processes. Of particular interest was the FM's explanation of why the WHO has raised the level from 4 to 5.  It seems that in accordance with pandemic WHO structures, once they have proof that a virus can travel human to human and enough evidence is available in two countries to verify this, then the WHO have no option other than to raise the warning level.  There was evidence in both Mexico and the US and it was this which triggered the level increase.  As well as these details the FM explained the testing system used in Scotland and the differences between possible and probable cases.  

Alex Salmond detailed the preparations for a pandemic in Scotland and suggested perhaps we are better prepared than any other country.  The exchange between Mr Gray and the FM was all rather cordial, a pleasure to see.

Annabel Goldie also questioned on the flu's progress but also asked if we were prepared for a pandemic where gatherings in public places may be banned.  The FM stated he was concentrating on the present and immediate situation but Scotland's NHS and other agencies were fully briefed on how to handle further developments.

Tavish Scott decided to go with the alleged fall in teacher numbers.  (A bit of advice Tavish, don't try to put so many puns into one paragraph).  Of course the FM suggested Tavish's sums were quite incorrect but hoped he agreed Scotland's budget was being cut by just short of £500m.  I've heard that before somewhere.

All in all an informative FMQs with regard to our public health system.

Note:  Several times I've criticised Ian Gray and said he really does need to show some sparkle at FMQs. Seems I'm not the only one. Perhaps now there are two of us he may take heed.

Tweet

A PICTURE of DOUR IAIN GRAY: a WILDE TALE

Just couldn't resist this post on Blether with Brian.  My thanks to forfar-loon.

The Picture of Dour Iain Gray: a Wilde tale 

Once upon a time there lived a fine young man by the name of Iain Gray. A keen student in his day, and blessed with a social conscience, he decided to impart some of his learnings to the younger generation, even travelling to far off lands to educate the poor children there.

Then one day Iain fell in with the wrong crowd and heard of an exciting new idea: the only thing worth pursuing in life was duty. Now, young Iain was a most dutiful young man, and he set to work, dourly focussing all his efforts on doing his particular duty, namely to obey all diktats from his Labour overlords without question. Other considerations, such as 'Is this good for Scotland as opposed to Labour?', soon disappeared from his mind altogether.

Dour Iain Gray blundered on, his meek obeisance earning him favour among his masters. With each errand run Dour Iain became ever more intoxicated with his own duty. 

In contradistinction (just for you Brian!), the picture the electorate had of him grew ever more hideous. Nakedly self-serving, spiteful, bilious, intellectually anorexic - these were some of the more printable opinions that were forming.

And there dear reader, we must leave Dour Iain. Blind to the damage his dutiful nature causes him, he is to be pitied rather than disliked.

Eventually Dour Iain will be confronted by the grim picture he has painted of himself, and we can only hope that he retains conscience enough to regret his foolish actions.

Tweet