Regrettably I haven't been elected to the Alba NEC. This is not a surprise given that there were eighteen male candidates with only four spots available, however it's still a big disappointment after I came so close to being on the NEC as of right with 49.5% of the vote in the Membership Support Convener election. I now dearly wish I had done the extra bit of campaigning that might have got me over the line in that vote, but how much to do is always a "how long is a piece of string" question. I can console myself that I still have an elected position on the Appeals Committee.
If I'm being honest, I think it's a matter of some concern that ordinary party members are only being informed of who the successful candidates were, and not of the actual election results. Even I as a candidate will only be told my own result and the stage at which I was eliminated if I request that information by email (which I have done). For the life of me I can't understand the logic of the secrecy. If not many people voted, I suppose there might be some mild embarrassment in revealing that, but come on, Alba is supposed to be setting a new standard, not falling straight back into the bad old ways of the SNP.
To the extent that we know them, the results are actually quite startling. I had always assumed that Barrhead Boy had such a huge following among Alba members that he would be a shoo-in at every NEC election, but in fact he initially wasn't elected and was only bumped up to fourth place due to Craig Murray withdrawing after the election was over. I'm also a bit surprised that Craig only came fourth given his very high profile. I think this can be partly explained by the issue I was raising throughout the campaign - the vote was restricted to the small minority who registered for the conference, and was thus really about who organised well, rather than about who party members actually wanted on their governing body.
The one heartening thing is that because I raised that issue so persistently, other candidates started saying the same thing, making it less likely that it will just go away. And for that reason I probably did achieve something by standing. Many thanks to everyone who voted for me - even if I still don't yet have a clue how many people that was! And many congratulations to the eight successful candidates (four male, four female).
Unlucky, especially on the 49%.
ReplyDeleteI think it should be open to all members by email ballot.
On the other hand, over all those years ..let's say 1999 to 2013 did any SNP supporter know much about these positions, how they came about, how they were dished out? And these were successful years.
It seems to me the SNP became more tribal, factional and (probably) less successful as more and more of these quasi official positions were created.
I think there should be freer elections but fewer positions too. The SNP officials list is bizarre and seems designed to create cliques. Less is more here. I hope Alba learns the lesson here too.
Success comes from the politicians and particularly the leaders. I'm not sure these positions really make the difference anyway.
All the best.
You are quite high profile in terms of Alba and I thought you were a shoo in. It strikes me that someone in an influential position didn’t want you on the NEC.
ReplyDeleteDisappointed with the result, however I think you may well have highlighted the issues around voting. I don't understand the delegate thing myself, I live in Sutherland how on earth am I supposed to get to these conferences in the central belt, with three buses a day to Inverness? What about islanders? Bizarre! Hope you are not too disappointed yourself. Good try at 49pc. Well done.
ReplyDeleteWT not WY
DeleteJames, it may well have been the beard that you were sporting at Edinburgh zoo. Your pics had a Che Guevara look about them and it may have frightened too many into thinking you were a bit too radical for them. I mean wanting more democracy in the party - one member one vote - it'll never catch on. Far far too extreme.
ReplyDeleteOnly joking of course you suited your beard. Better luck next time and use the time till then to analyse what you could do better at the next election unless of course Alba are following the SNP standard model and pochling elections.
As I understand Alba are only standing 12 candidates and I have a feeling East Renfrewshire won't be one of them I can only hope Colette Walker, being local, will stand for ISP at the UK GE. Although I cannot stand Oswald, SNP MP the thought of a Tory supporting the daily massacre of Palestinian children being my MP turns my stomach.
Throughout the world do we really get the politicians we deserve?
I used to stand by that phrase “we get the politicians we deserve.” But then you look around the world. Do the Gazans deserve what they get? Who’s standing up for them? What did they do?
DeleteNah. I can blame continued union on us Scots as we voted wrong in 2014. But as we have seen since then: rare is the opportunity for power to fall into the people’s hands. Far more often it’s just pick your rogue and don’t complain, at least the Tory didn’t win.
" What did they do." Well according to the Israeli government they voted for Hamas to govern Gaza 17 years ago and that therefore makes them all Hamas terrorists and deserving of being wiped out. So with that logic all Israelis are war criminals just like the government they voted for. Of course that is all a nonsense of a position to take by the Israeli government but that is their pathetic excuse for their daily massacres in Gaza. However, it does not work as an excuse for Israeli soldiers shooting defenceless children to death in the street or in their home I n the West Bank. The British Army carried out a small number of such atrocities in N. Ireland but the IDF do it with impunity on a regular basis. This is what Westminster supports. Colonialism - the occupier occupies and the oppressor oppresses.
DeleteNeil Findlay British Labour in Scotland Now Knows How We Feel
ReplyDeleteStarmer ( Sturgeon ) is a liar, a fraud, a cheat and an imposter, he (she) is an affront to Labour Party (SNP) and betrays its historic mission - what is the party under his (her) 'leadership' offering working class ( independence ) voters? The party is ahead in the polls not because of anything he ( she ) has done.
Yes it sucks Neil when you are betrayed.
Sorry to be a prophet of doom but I've remained non party, since I finally couldn't stand SNP bureaucratism any more sixteen months ago, because I've been half expecting what seems to be happening in Alba.
ReplyDeletePlease think about it folks. Here we are trying to carry through radical, socially inclusive change in our country through independence. We have a vicious, grasping and undemocratic British state to deal with. We claim to stand for something better but now it appears that BOTH of our largest political parties wont even let their own members have proper democratic input into the shaping of our struggle.
It bodes very badly for the nature of governments in the new Scotland. Will being run by a bunch of self serving elitists in Edinburgh be fundamentally different from the parasites in London ?
Why are they so afraid of us ?
Now nasty WGD numpty Dr Jim posts so many factual inaccuracies that it is hard not to conclude that he is just a liar who posts lies to bolster his arguments and that Jimbo makes you no different from Britnats.
ReplyDeleteDr Jim says:- " The population of Scotland is almost identical to what it was 300 years ago yet England allowed itself to grow by a factor of 9x."
In 1707, Scotland's population was thought to be around 1 million people. By 1855, official records show that Scotland's population stood at 2.98 million. Since then Scotland's population has grown to 5.46 million in 2019.
So to summarise, Jimbo thinks 1 million is almost identical to 5.5 million. I have no problem with the overall point that England has suppressed the population of Scotland while at the same time favouring growth in England but you should not post silly lies to try and bolster your argument. For that Jimbo you are truly a WGD numpty and a liar.
Barrhead Boy is not taking up his position on the NEC. Anyone know why?
ReplyDeleteI see barrhead boy has declined his seat on the NEC.
ReplyDeletePoint of principle apparently?
ReplyDeleteFeel like this needs an explanation unless it's something deeply personal.
A bit like Mhairi black going for the deputy leadership and then resigning not long after. Why put yourself forward if you don't intend to take up the post?
Craig Murray and Barrhead boy recused, maybe James will get in anyway?
Josh Robertson was sixth in the vote, so he takes the final slot.
DeleteI'm of the view that all political parties that are represented at national level should have to run their internal elections in the same way. IE, a standard process, largely for the reasons you set out.
ReplyDeleteSo the Scottish government once again make an absolute fool of themselves in court. The three judges in the court of session today didn't even leave the courtroom to consider their judgement. A wee huddle at the back of the room for a few minutes followed by telling the Scottish government their case had failed. Another misuse of public funds. Funny how they have no money, according to Robison and she says jobs will go but they always have money for their court cases. So just what is in the papers the Scottish Government don't want the public to see?
ReplyDeleteA reminder - Sturgeon was found to have misled the Scottish Parliament by Hamilton but Hamilton said he believed she didn't mean to do so - she forgot - so Hamilton said she didn't break the Ministerial code. How many burglers claim they forgot breaking in to someone's house is against the law and the judge finds them innocent. Sturgeon said she forgot - just like all the times she couldn't recall in her 8 hour session in front of the Parliamentary Inquiry and this diddy just takes her word on the matter. Sturgeon is writing a book which with her bad memory and predilection for lying will be a work of fiction.
So as WGD numpties are always saying Sturgeon was cleared by Hamilton of not breaking the ministerial code so what's the problem with the Scottish Government releasing the papers through the FOI request? Surely they will just reinforce Sturgeon's inocence - aye right.
Sturgeon's gang don't go to all this bother unless they have something to hide in the papers and boy do these crooks have a lot to hide.
While we disagree on some issues, I remain of the view that you are far more able than most who want to enter politics and that this experience merely confirms my view that Alba is more populist and cliquish than democratic.
ReplyDelete