Alex Salmond's Position Is Secure

Somehow I have an overwhelming desire to throw something at the television whenever Danny Alexander appears.

Often I've pondered on my dislike of the Libdem MP and only today I realised what irritates me.  Apart from his immaturity - which can be excused perhaps - it's his inability to express himself without avoiding a direct question and his obvious effort to stick to his pre-prepared script regardless of any question.

Johann Lamont has a similar style although I couldn't possibly accuse her of being immature, except in verbal debate.

Both are poor speakers but that deficiency doesn't make a poor politician.  Not all politicians are orators and the public understand for some it's a struggle to look comfortable in front of television cameras. Some take lessons, at taxpayers expense, yet improvement isn't always noticeable.  Iain Gray springs to mind and the Labour politician David Miliband who spent £7,000 on 'speech' lessons.

What does make a poor politician is one who pointedly insists on ensuring those who disagree with them are ridiculed.  The truth doesn't matter as long as they manage to get their insults recorded.

This past week, along with Danny Alexander, the leaders of the unionist parties have all criticised the character of the First Minister.  Their efforts were feeble and they only resulted in displaying how professional and competent Alex Salmond is when in the scrutinising eyes of cameras.

Yesterday I had a telephone conversation with a tory-voting friend and it was a more pleasant occasion than usual because for the past four weeks I had lost my voice (no sniggering please) but the third course of antibiotics seem to be solving the problem.

During our chat I asked what she thought of Ruth Davidson's performance at FMQs last week. 'Horrendous' was the reply. We discussed the 'legal advice' issue and both agreed it wouldn't cause Alex Salmond any long-term damage. "The public really aren't interested in politicians' petty squabblings and childish insults," she insisted.  I agree, although I don't think Jackie Baillie's latest nonsense should go unchallenged by the Scottish Government.  Telling the public that the removal of Trident would cost 11,000 jobs, when a Freedom of Information request by the Scottish SND revealed only 520 jobs at the Clyde Naval Base were directly dependent on Trident is lying. Surely?

We both said details of how an independent Scotland would survive enough to have the social policies and economy Alex Salmond desires were far more important.  Let Danny Alexander and his ilk continue to fill our screens with their soundbites, but none will produce a knockout blow on the First Minister - unless his economic proposals for an independent Scotland leave room for ambiguity.  We need clear details backed by international economists and figures which can be understood and verified by the voter.

I'm not a gambling woman but I would bet that, at present, Alex Salmond's position is safe in the hands of an opposition who are third rate by comparison.

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"Dysfunctional Morons"

Yesterday I was slightly surprised Paul McBride didn't appear on the Politics Show, but having the new Scottish leader of the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party - she insists upon the full title - as a guest, then it's perhaps as well Mr McBride wasn't invited.

Paul McBride QC was the youngest person ever to be appointed to the Queens Council at the age of 35. He is no shrinking violet, but which QC is?  They're all performers with a intricate knowledge of the law, but without Equity cards. His legal career is as colourful as his political opinions and he's a man I think I may enjoy having to dinner, mainly because he's unafraid to change his political thinking.  Unfortunately I doubt if I could persuade him that Scotland should be an independent country, but the discussion would be vibrant.  I dream.

Mr McBride, who appears to have always held strong political views was a lifelong member of the Labour party until he decided, in 2009, after growing sick of seeing his former clients shopping on the high street when they were supposed to be locked up, he would join SCUP. His reason was that they were 'the only party serious about tackling the Scottish justice system'.

He was adopted as justice adviser to the ex-leader Annabel Goldie and now, hours after the tories have elected a new leader, he's resigned.  He said he quit over the tories' opposition to anti-sectarian and minimum pricing laws, yet I feel that's not all.  Resigning within hours of the election of Ruth Davidson must be a a blow to her and her henchmen.

“It had nothing to do with Ruth winning. I resigned over their performance on criminal justice, in particular their approach to the Offensive Behaviour Bill.

“They are the most moronic, dysfunctional, introspective bunch of MSPs I’ve ever seen.

“They have no interest in the people of Scotland. Their only interest is their careers."

Oh dear, not an positive endorsement of the new leadership.  I wouldn't dare to suggest Mr McBride has little time for the new leader Ruth Davidson.

He says he will not join another political party. Good for him.  Nobody needs to be a member of a political party and his decision will allow him to act on the political stage without having to toe the party line. Welcome to those of independent thought Mr McBride.

Meantime, Ms Davidson is off to London today to be congratulated by her boss colleague David Cameron on a job well done. She must keep him on side as finances are short in SCUP and CallMeDave will be writing the cheques for their anti-referendum campaign.

source

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Scottish Tories Miss A Trick

Ruth Davidson is the new leader of the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party.  She beat off her rival, Murdo Fraser, by 566 votes and certainly surprised some who voted in this poll.

Ms Davidson was reported as being the favoured candidate of the Westminster Tory leadership, although she only managed to acquire the support of two MSPs - in contrast to Murdo Fraser who garnered support from seven of his parliamentary colleagues.

The only tory MP in Scotland, David Mundell, who avidly supported Ms Davidson at every opportunity, said:

“I’m delighted with the result. Clearly the members want change.

“Ruth is a dynamic young human being who’s not a stereotypical Tory. She’s not a toff for example.

The members want change?  Maybe, but they'll certainly not get it with Ruth Davidson in charge.  By electing Ms Davidson they know there will be no change. During her campaign she was articulate and quick witted but she offered little other than a 'fresh face' to the near demise of her party.

Is David Mundell, with his 'not a toff' remark, suggesting Annabel Goldie and previous tory leaders were toffs? Ruth Davidson may not be a toff in David Mundell's eyes but when I discovered she'd used - and presumably paid for - one of Edinburgh's elite restaurants to make her first leader's speech on Friday, I was convinced she's toffier than 90% of the Scottish population.

 I've attending meetings where Murdo Fraser has been speaking and he's certainly not a toff. He may have the character of a plodding politician but he is aware that many of his grassroots supporters now vote SNP.  Why?  Because they want change; mainly in the form of separation from London.

Robbie Dinwoodie reports part of Ms Davidson's acceptance speech, in the Herald:

“With the radical, generational change that I represent, this is a unique opportunity for us to rebuild the party and to once again become a powerful, meaningful and relevant force in Scottish politics and in Scottish life,” said Ms Davidson.

Radical, generational change? A little too much gilding of the lilly there, but then Ms Davidson is an ex-BBC employee. Generational change is natural and certainly not radical, particularly when she intends to stick with old policies and has nothing new to offer.

The only hope for the Scottish tories was Murdo Fraser's intention of creating a new party. Many would say he was foolish to expose his thinking during the campaign and if he'd stuck with the 'party line' he would have been a shoo-in.  However, he disagrees and insists 'the principle was everything'.  Will Murdo Fraser be encouraged to break away and establish his own right of centre party?  He really has nothing to lose because SCUP will continue slowly dying and he would have time to establish his party before the next Holyrood elections. I don't know the man well enough to suggest that he would have the courage to do so, but I do know that many tories in this area, who now vote SNP, would be anxious to support him.

The tories missed a trick not electing Murdo Fraser. Not only was he the hope of Scottish centre-right voters but he was the only candidate who would have brought back SNP-voting tories to the fold, so the SNP will be very content with the result. His ideas were radical but seemingly too radical for over half of the two-thirds of members who voted.  With fully half of the tory Holyrood group backing him he may surprise the Scottish political scene yet.

(The photograph is from the Herald.  It's rather too evangelical for my tastes).

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Will Dave Admit His Choice For Scottish Leader?

click to enlarge

The last of the unionist party conferences will be over by the middle of the week and once the Sundays have filled their pages with excruciatingly boring prose, perhaps the Westminster coalition will find the time to attend their respective offices and undertake some work on behalf of their constituents and the country.

But Call Me Dave won't have to look too far for a problem now that Guido has highlighted the fact that he supports Ruth Davidson in the Scottish Tory leadership election and is content to permit  the tory head of media, who has to be neutral in the contest, to attend a meeting at Ms Davidson's home with her campaign strategists.

It would appear to be a fierce fight within the Scottish Tory campaign and Murdo appears to have some very sharp eyed and eared supporters.

I wonder if the BBC will show the hustings which are set to take place this afternoon?  They could be interesting enough to entertain the most fervent independence supporter while they wait for Scotland's conference at the end of the month.

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Is Murdo Quietly Confident?

I jumped the gun publishing this poll because on deadline day, last Friday, the list MSP Margaret Mitchell entered the fray.  Would her candidacy have made any difference to the poll results? No.

Murdo Fraser, my Tory spies tell me, is doing a sterling job on the campaign trail assuring the grassroots fully understand his plan to abolish the party and establish a new one completely independent of Westminster control.  His support for a move toward full fiscal autonomy is being less well received as many traditionalists view any further transfer of power from London to Edinburgh as a betrayal of the Union.

Ruth Davidson's political immaturity has been highlighted by her staffing problems and she, like Jackson Carlaw and Margaret Mitchell, is yet to produce any substantive proposals for the desperately needed overhaul of the party's internal structures.  With the exception of Murdo Fraser, all the candidates are far to the right of the Scottish mainstream on the issue of constitutional reform.

The campaign is still young and there is time for someone to see the light and join Murdo in his effort to survive on the political scene in Scotland, yet why do I feel nobody cares?

Rebranding, regrouping, reinventing - call it what you will the Tories, along with the Libdems, will be a fringe party in Scotland for many years to come. The result of the leadership contest in November isn't going to set the heather on fire.

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Scottish Tory Leadership Race

L-R  Jackson Carlaw, Ruth Davidson, Murdo Fraser

Political party leadership races can be fairly murky affairs and the campaign for the top job in the Scottish tories is no exception.

If political pundits are to be believed the race is between Ruth Davidson and Murdo Fraser, although Jackson Carlaw's support is said to be 'small but exceptionally loyal'.

For the benefit of those not acquainted with the Scottish electoral system none of the candidates was elected to office by the Scottish electorate.  They all achieved their positions as MSPs through the party list system, which I consider to be undemocratic.

Ruth Davidson's campaign has achieved a mention at Guido's place where few - if any - politicians receive gracious compliments.  Will the Herald's exposure damage her chances which, if the views of the local grassroot Tories are to be believed, are slim enough already?  Several have mentioned it would be foolish to vote for a leader who only entered the Scottish Parliament in May, although a few aren't too keen on Murdo Fraser's proposals.

I've placed a poll in the sidebar for those who like a say.

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Who Will Win The Poisoned Chalice?

While Alex Salmond basks in the glow of ex-Labour MSP Andy Kerr's compliments, I wonder if he will spare a thought for Tory MSP Murdo Fraser.

Murdo, the deputy leader of Scotland's tories, got his leadership campaign underway yesterday with his bid to dissolve the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party (SCUP) and create a new party built on "new unionism".  About 80 Tories attended the launch but the party's biggest single backer in Scotland, Sir Jack Harvie the transport tycoon, wasn't impressed in the slightest and has thrown his weight behind newly elected MSP Ruth Davidson.  Although Murdo is currently in the lead the odds have reduced today.

I think he's on the right track if the words Scottish Conservatives are not to be buried without ceremony but, try as I may I can't find anything of substance in Murdo's proposals other than a name change and that's a shame because I thought he had his finger on the pulse of disillusioned members.

The other contender, Jackson Carlaw, considers the proposal is 'dividing the party rather than uniting it.'  What he doesn't realise is that the party has been divided for years and requires a complete restructure.  Of course such rebuilds take time and it may be some years before former Tory voters, who now vote SNP, trust their natural party enough to support it.

If a complete restructure is rejected by the Tories then they will die a slow death here. If a rebuild is approved it will be some years before the Tories just may be able to become a major player.

Who will win the poisoned chalice?

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