tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-930120922627919768.post8392169841134804962..comments2024-03-28T22:07:26.861+00:00Comments on SCOT goes POP!: Blaming the interviewer for Tavish Scott's Newsnight meltdown won't washJames Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01516007141763230886noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-930120922627919768.post-21943445263142304702011-04-15T09:24:27.461+01:002011-04-15T09:24:27.461+01:00I don't think he went any easier on Nicola las...I don't think he went any easier on Nicola last night. He tried the usual tactic of not listening or letting her answer but she handled it like a politician should and she is not even the party leader...I wonder how Mike Rumbles would have done?Munguinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16475165830302054002noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-930120922627919768.post-41628884843641004922011-04-15T01:27:50.704+01:002011-04-15T01:27:50.704+01:00"He admitted the Lib Dems couldn't leave ...<i>"He admitted the Lib Dems couldn't leave the coalition as it would lead to another general election where they would be wiped out."</i><br /><br />Jim, what I found equally bizarre is that he then claimed to know for certain that the Tories would go on to win any such general election. Where's he getting that from? The Tories are several points behind in all the GB-wide polls that I've seen.James Kellyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01516007141763230886noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-930120922627919768.post-65156437252165307002011-04-15T00:33:00.925+01:002011-04-15T00:33:00.925+01:00"You don't really understand a party with...<i>"You don't really understand a party with a federal structure, do you? Put simply, Tavish can't tell Nick what to do and Nick can't tell Tavish what to do."</i><br /><br />But he seemingly can tell Tavish Scott's deputy as Scottish Lib Dem leader precisely what to do - indeed Clegg can get the whips to take disciplinary action against any Westminster MP elected on a Scottish Lib Dem ticket if they don't vote the way he wants on an exclusively English issue. Are you quite sure that it's me who doesn't understand the concept of federalism, or is it the federal UK party leader and the enforcers in his command?<br /><br />As for your explanation about not having two classes of MP, that's fine as an argument, but its crebibility rests on you dropping the pretence that the federal principle is being consistently applied within your party. You simply can't have it both ways - Tavish Scott cannot claim that the Scottish Lib Dems aren't accountable for higher tuition fees for English students when his own deputy as party leader helped to vote them through at Westminster.<br /><br />As for Gordon Brewer, I've got no reason to expect on past form that he'll go easier on Salmond, and who knows, I may even end up thinking that some of his questions are unfair. I do anticipate that Salmond will be better at handling them, though. Time will tell.James Kellyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01516007141763230886noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-930120922627919768.post-51582657067444535742011-04-14T22:19:26.212+01:002011-04-14T22:19:26.212+01:00Federal. Lovely word. What does it mean?
It means...Federal. Lovely word. What does it mean?<br /><br />It means that the regional units of a government, party, or organisation have their rights protected in a constitution or other founding document. It doesn't meant that the regional units are powerful or that they are in any way separate organisations with decision making powers beyond their federally circumscribed powers.<br /><br />In the Lib-Dems case it means that the Scottish section of the Lib-Dems have the right to do anything they like as long as it doesn't have an impact on any UK policy in which case the UK party over-rules them as per the constitution.<br /><br />Tavish might be willing to be flexible on an independence referendum in a future coalition in Holyrood but as it will have an impact well beyond Scotland's borders across the entire UK I can't see him being capable of making the decision without permission from his boss Clegg. When it's a UK matter when Nick says jump Tavish says how high?<br /><br />As to a federal structure in the UK I've never been able to pin the Lib-Dems down on what geographic regions they want to create with federal powers, Scotland, Wales, NI and English regions or just Scotland, Wales, NI and England and I've never been able to pin down what powers they want to give to each region.<br /><br />They've only had 23 years to come up with a solution.DougtheDughttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02952281599715356995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-930120922627919768.post-58068995279763810392011-04-14T22:19:23.647+01:002011-04-14T22:19:23.647+01:00I couldn't believe how poor Tavish Scott was.
...I couldn't believe how poor Tavish Scott was.<br /><br />He admitted the Lib Dems couldn't leave the coalition as it would lead to another general election where they would be wiped out.<br /><br />HE admitted that he was part of the goverment that wanted to shut Monklands and supported that decision at that time, but that the SNP were correct to save it.<br /><br />He admitted that he didn't want free prescription charges but wouldn't change it.<br /><br />He admitted that the Lib Dems had criticised Labour for copying SNP policy and handed Gordon Brewer the easiest tap in ever seen in a political interview by then conceding that the Lib Dems had come around to copying at least 3 other major SNP initiatives...<br /><br />This election as far as I can see will come down to those who can't bring themselves not to vote Labour, those who will vote SNP and those who will refuse to refuse to vote. The Tories will get some of those who've always voted Tory and see no reason to change. The Lib Dems might lose a few deposits at this rate though, which is a damn shame as they seem such decent types - maybe just not cut out for politics.Jimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00797359279671022904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-930120922627919768.post-5573228932811570802011-04-14T20:54:38.425+01:002011-04-14T20:54:38.425+01:00Loving the attention you are giving me at the mome...Loving the attention you are giving me at the moment:0).<br /><br />Brewer behaved like a bully and his aggressive style of interviewing was appalling and entirely off-putting. I have a hunch that he'll go easier on your guy, though. Let's wait and see.<br /><br />Don't you think, though, that out of a 19 minute interview, to give less than 6 minutes to the policies being advocated by that party in this election was simply a disservice to the viewer?<br /><br />Look at Brian Taylor and Laura Kuenssberg. They often get much more clarity out of people. They may have a nice manner, but they are incisive and clever. Their results are much better than Brewer's.<br /><br />You don't really understand a party with a federal structure, do you? Put simply, Tavish can't tell Nick what to do and Nick can't tell Tavish what to do. Nick leads his parliamentary group and Tavish leads his parliamentary group. <br /><br />As for the issue with the West Lothian question, we as a party have taken the view that we don't want to have 2 classes of MPs. Who votes on what in Westminster needs to be determined by a wider constitutional debate and settlement. <br /><br />I hope one day we will have a proper federal structure in the UK and then all MPs will only vote on things which affect the whole of the UK and Northern Ireland.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04988201531739344840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-930120922627919768.post-70578077052186503192011-04-14T19:56:58.819+01:002011-04-14T19:56:58.819+01:00Excellent post James.
Everyone is entitled to be ...Excellent post James.<br /><br />Everyone is entitled to be a little biased when reviewing how their own party leader comes across, but I read Caron's post this morning with growing incredulity.<br /><br />Your analysis is just perfect.<br /><br />I was amused to read that she felt that Brewer might have the same level of responsibility in the BBC that Tavish, as a senior party leader might be expected to have in the LibDems.<br /><br />The guy simply did badly. From what I can see he is a nice enough bloke, and probably relatively sincere in his beliefs, but he is no national party leader.<br /><br />As with Iain Gray, he has been promoted well above his capabilities. I see Tavish as an environment spokesman on Shetland Island's Council, and Gray as the housing convenor in the central belt.<br /><br />It speaks volumes for the disdain that the unionist parties feel for Scotland that they put forward such weak candidates for first minister.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com