Given the extremes that Scottish politics has oscillated between over the last three decades, with repeated wipeouts or near-wipeouts of the Scottish Tories and Scottish Labour at Westminster, there have been a number of occasions when someone has found themselves as either Secretary of State for Scotland or Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland on a "last person standing" basis. Presumably, or at least one would hope, both Peter Duncan and David Mundell had some self-awareness or insight into the fact that they only had the job for that reason, but in the case of Ian Murray we don't even need to wonder - he clearly has no insight whatsoever. He honestly believes himself to be a political colossus, and thinks that the reason he was the only Scottish Labour MP left after the 2015 and 2019 general elections was his unique skill-set and political vision - not because of his immense fortune in being the candidate in Edinburgh South, the constituency which just happened to be most conducive to mass unionist tactical voting in favour of Labour. He imagines that there are now 30-odd Scottish Labour MPs simply because they all followed the Murray Blueprint. To him it makes perfect sense that he was converted from Shadow Scottish Secretary to Scottish Secretary last July, even though Starmer had just gone from having no choice to having dozens of alternatives. But it made sense to practically no-one else. Murray is an unlikeable character, and the most noteworthy thing about him was his previous principled stance in opposition to Trident, which he abandoned at the drop of a hat when it proved necessary to cling on to office. You shouldn't have bothered, Ian - now you have no ministerial job, and no principles either.
The shock of dismissal doesn't seem to have jolted Murray into a more realistic appraisal of his own abilities - we're told he is "genuinely shocked" and "flabbergasted" to have been given the push. Seriously, Ian? You can't conceive of any of your dozens of Scottish colleagues being more able or charismatic than you are?
Still, we shouldn't underestimate Starmer - he's perfectly capable of stunning us all by appointing someone even worse.
We'll see won't we? As an indy supporter I liked having Murray as Scottish Secretary. Being both consistently incompetent and fundamentally unlikeable will be a tough act to follow.
ReplyDeletePrior to their departure from Westminster in 2015, few Scottish MPs were more unlikeable than Douglas Alexander and his colleague Jim Murphy. A pair of unionist party hacks! Murray is a dud but no worse than either of that pair.
DeleteEnter -(Fanfare) Blair McDougall
ReplyDeleteThere goes that brief moment of happiness
DeleteAccording to SNP members in his constituency back in 2015 who posted on Wings in those far off and different days, Murray was a good constituency MP. I'd say it's a genuine shock to many in Scotland and yet another incredibly stupid move by Starmer. It's not going to do Labour's support in Scotland any good at all, he's a well-kent figure like him or hate him.
ReplyDeletePersonally I don't join in with the intense dislike some have for him, and wish him well. Perhaps he'll replace his UJ jacket with a Saltire one ...
Good luck with that.
DeleteIndeed :-) If Murray becomes a YESser, then support for Indy would be at about the 90% level. I'd say 80% for Alistair Darling, 70% for Douglas Alexander and just 60% for Blair McDougall - with just 55% for Johann Lamont.
DeleteIf only Carlsberg made politicians. Well, Tennents or Miller.
"Actually Ian Murray was a fine chap" has got to be the most yesindyref2 post ever.
DeleteAnon coward at 6:38 PM
DeleteBut I didn't say that did I you lying cheating dishonest twisting moronic drooling coward, and that's your good points. Off you toddle now to obsess over IFS as always.
Alistair Darling will never join the Yes movement. I can say that with absolute certainty.
DeleteYI 2 is a Labourite of the right
DeleteAnon 10:23 is a typical WGD poster and 10 to 23 is a good estimate of its IQ
DeleteWee Doogie Alexander is the new Scottish Secretary 😂😂😂
ReplyDeleteDaft Doogie. If at first you don't succeed, fail, fail again.
DeleteOT
ReplyDeleteGlad to see the National carry this story: "Fife shipyard set to win £1bn Danish navy contract".
The T31 is a winner, designed by BMT off the Danish OMT hull and design. Cheap as chips. Babcock is an asset to Scotland, with or without the "i".
You are completely wrong, Babcock are asset to England not to Scotland. 2024 Labour party conference: “The New Statesman will also be hosting an event at this year’s conference, which is being held from 22 to 25 September in Liverpool, sponsored by the arms firm Babcock. Between 2008 and 2021 Babcock applied to the UK government for 12 arms export licences to supply weapons, components, or military technology to Israel.
DeleteThe UK-based company has also previously worked in partnership with Israeli arms companies including Elbit Systems, Rafael and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI).”
If you were to say that the UK including Scotland should start to move away from working with Israeli defence and security including cyber firms I'd agree with you. Meanwhile, whatever the "official" version might be, the UK is heavily dependent on Israeli defence firms which is perhaps why the UK Government doesn't make stronger protests.
DeleteAlexander simply follows in the pigmy footsteps of Murray.
ReplyDeleteJust another self-loathing, totally subservient, totally spineless and totally maleable wee 'Scottish' mouthpiece for whatever crap his bosses in London spout.
Thoughts on the East Lothian MP who is now Scottish Secretary of State? I know next to nothing about him, hardly heard of him TBF. Who's that? kinda guy, to me, albeit that won't last now he's got his new job.
ReplyDeleteDobbed his sister in when she said "bring it on" re an indy ref.
DeleteWendy was one of many that have been leader of Labour in Holyrood.
Their dad was best friends of Donald Dewar so they got the political shoe in. As a minister one of his elders was Dame Goldie. Tories and labour all under 1 roof.
DeleteThink back to your school days and remember the wee clype that haunted every class. That's Alexander.
DeleteTechne, Westminster voting intention, field work 1 - 4 Sept.
ReplyDeleteHeadline: RefUK 10% lead.
3% higher than last sample from pollster 8 weeks ago.
No “regional” breakdown.
And still Mr. Swinney's latest version of the road to 'independence' seeks the permission of the crumbling Westminster. He makes Parnell look like a giant among men - time, family, spend more with !
ReplyDeleteTrurly amazing that such a down at the heel politico as Murray is could actually say that on his sacking his flabber has been gasted.
ReplyDeleteSuch sentiment as he has expressed reinforces utterly how low brow politicos come to think of themselves.
But there are others of exactly the same ilk and low standard.
The butcher Starmer, and he is an absolute butcher in his military support to Israel in its utter destruction of Gaza is politician off the same ilk. Elected, if that be the word, through a Labour party with an utterly minority share of the vote, is the same. At least Murray, or as farcas we know, didn't fill his boots with designer freebies or property tax evasion. But his party, and here in Scotland has an unenviable record of filling their personal boots.
So good luck to him for getting the boot. But as James says, who next.
I nominate political giant Frank Roy.
Delete