Help Sitemap Home Skip Navigation Contact Us Disability Statement


Angry MSP storms out in row over Aviemore plan

Click on thumbnail to view image
Click on thumbnail to view image
Click on thumbnail to view image
Click on thumbnail to view image
Click on thumbnail to view image

Published Date: 06 March 2008
A LIBERAL Democrat MSP stormed out of a Holyrood committee yesterday, accusing its Nationalist convener of playing party politics.
Mike Rumbles had tried to question Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) witnesses about a controversial planning application for the Aviemore Highland resort. SNP ministers have been accused of interfering in the process.

Two Sepa officials were giving evidence to the rural affairs committee's inquiry into flooding and flood management, and Mr Rumbles tried to question them about the Aviemore application.

The convener, Roseanna Cunningham, said: "I don't want these two witnesses to start going down the road of Aviemore. I'm ruling on this."

But Mr Rumbles hit back: "I want this information. That's not correct."

Ms Cunningham refused to budge, prompting an angry Mr Rumbles to leave. "This is a disgrace," he shouted as he left.

He later accused Ms Cunningham of being "extremely partisan and party political".





Page 1 of 1

 
1

Sanny,

Glasgow 06/03/2008 00:08:47
This seems to becoming a habit with the Lib Dums. For all the use they are they might as well not be there. If they are not leaving the field of play then they are sitting on their hands.
2

J J MAROONER,

06/03/2008 00:14:17
Cunningham - partisan and party political - never!
3

subrosa,

06/03/2008 02:24:57
Total losers. Fence sitting as usual.
4

KampungHighlander,

Jakarta 06/03/2008 04:59:26
What is it with the LibDems and planning? Anytime they seem to get their hands on any planning issue they act like total fools.
5

yockel,

06/03/2008 06:54:40
Trying to get SEPA to give "evidence" was kind of futile anyway!
6

nabodican,

Rural Scotland 06/03/2008 07:11:48
I am not a lib dem supporter but when they want to build on a flood risk area I see nothing wrong with asking pertinent questions.
Perhaps Ms Cunningham had other reasons for not wanting the questions answered !!!!!!!!!!!!
7

donald,

glasgow 06/03/2008 08:48:04
He should have taken all his frien#ds with him.
8

Edward,

06/03/2008 09:13:28
8 nabaodican
It was after all the rural affairs committee's inquiry into flooding and flood management. So if the question had been about flood management, Rumbles would have been absolutely right to ask about that.
The only problem though was he wasnted to ask about another issue entirely, which was NOT related to flooding and flood management. Or do you think Aviemore which is in the mountains is subject to floods??
Rumbles was trying it on and trying to play politics, he was sussed and denied, quite correctly.
His atitude was appalling (I listened to it on the BBC website) and stromed out of the meeting like some spoilt child
9

Old MacD,

06/03/2008 09:40:47
Did this have something to do with donors to any party?
10

MoragfraeEdinburgh,

Edinburgh 06/03/2008 10:08:01
There is an ongoing Scot Nat agenda to limit free speech in this country and this is just a minor example.
11

Daibhidh,

Edinburgh 06/03/2008 10:19:16
Hang on, hang on...the question had NOTHING to do with the topic being discussed. Yes, the Aviemore issue related to flooding, but it was a specific case, this was an entirely different case and the information Rumbles demended was irrelevant.

The SEPA staff, who may well not have had any involvement in the Aviemore case, should not have their time and expertise wasted by Libdem political game play...they already have enough to do without becoming the Libdems' political footballs...
12

Jeeemy,

St Andrews 06/03/2008 10:45:08
Mike Rumbles, yes he rumbles on. He did not raise the Aberdeen by-pass did he? No he had to have ago at resurrecting another of Nichols sleaze questions that has already bitten them where their brains are. Like all juveniles throws the toys out of the pram.
13

Porty Nat,

Edinburgh 06/03/2008 11:15:40
Care to expand on that remark, Morag #12?
14

GP,

06/03/2008 11:20:27
More evidence that the LibDems were never fit to be in power with the other bunch.
15

Miss H,

06/03/2008 11:22:02
12 What do you mean?
16

Auld Twa,

Edinburgh 06/03/2008 11:32:20
Does Mike Rumbles expect every SEPA official to know the detail of every application ?
The chair was quite right to refuse to allow him to make life uncomfortable for the SEPA staff who were not there to deal with the Aviemore case.
What would have happened if a SEPA official had innocently given incorrect information to the committee ?
17

TheTerminator,

Edinburgh 06/03/2008 12:00:22
I am not surprised at the actions of this committee. The Health and Sport Committee refused the petitioners of Public Petitions PE1037 and PE1042 permission to speak at the meeting held on 12th Sept 2007 and also stated that there was no new evidence in support of the petitions. This was totally wrong and will be proved in due course.
18

Daibhidh,

Edinburgh 06/03/2008 12:12:20
If the petitioners are not allowed to speak under the Committee's standing orders, they cannot speak regardless...that's the way it is...same in many local councils...
19

Resolutions,

06/03/2008 12:26:07
#12 Could you explain please?

In this case, it appeared that the question did not allude to the general floding schemes, but to something specific. Sorry but Rumbles was wrong and the tantrum just showed who was playing party politics!
#13 You put it well
#10 Edward - Aviemore can be as subject to floods as anywhere else. Surface water running off the hills/mountains can be as much of a problem there as anywhere else. But in this case, the question was NOT relevant to the wider topc being discussed.
20

Calum Crubag,

06/03/2008 12:48:57
More Libdum theatrics. Why are they so pathetic?
21

G,

dundy 06/03/2008 12:59:17
So a chariman of a committee uses their power to prevent something happening? Where have we heard this before?

This looks and smells bad - the SNP have questions to answer over Aviemore and they prevent these questions being asked...looks bad!
22

A Scott,

GlaSGOW 06/03/2008 13:26:32
HONESTLY WIT ARE THEY FIB DEMS LIKE ??
If they are not having a hissy fit in London then its Edinburgh.
Talking about sleaze. What about the alteration to the new ring road south of Aberdeen .....allegedly to please a Fib Dems donor.
And has anybody looked at the Scotland Against Crooked Lawyers website and read Nicole Stephens entry. Worth a look........
23

Geomac 1,

Kinross 06/03/2008 13:35:40
Never a day without something to laugh about at our Palace of Varieties
Remind me! What are the Lib Dems for?
24

Resolutions,

06/03/2008 14:06:18
#23 Maybe there are questions to be asked but it is usually better to raise these in the relevant forum and not try to points score in the wrong one, making you look a complete idiot!

Sorry that is what Mike Rumbles is this time.

#24 That ring road - you are right a lot of questions to be asked about that and more relevant than Rumbles carry on - in the right forum of course
25

Jock Politicaljunkie,

Glasgow 06/03/2008 15:03:04
Where do the Libdums go when they storm out?

Do they have a secret "Communications Room" a la Yes Prime Minister's visit to a dry arabian country?

Certainly the performance of their leadership, both Stephen and Calamity Clegg, would be enough to drive anyone to drink.
26

Liberal for life,

Dunblane 06/03/2008 15:38:35
Mike Rumbles is no "loser" so be warned Republican Rose as he will return and challenge on these issues again until fairness in these sensitive planning issues is apparent to everyone. At present it smells of (sleaze - oops must be careful how we use that word) a cover up to protect vested (donors to the gNATS)interests.

Any other explanation doesn't hold water, and the SEPA representatives know that for sure.
27

Resolutions,

06/03/2008 15:50:21
#28 But this was not the place to raise that question! And #18 gave the reason why not among many others.
28

Miss H,

06/03/2008 16:24:52
23 What questions were asked is what I would like to know. Was it the danger of being flooded at Aviemore? Because that was what the committee was looking at. You would have thought Mike Rumbles would know the answer to that one - they had their conference at the Aviemore Highland Resort just last week! Did Mike take his wellies? I think we should be told ....
29

Miss H,

06/03/2008 16:28:42
27 I think they go to their nearest MacDonald Hotel for a wee snifter or two. Of drink I mean ........
30

Mcsnagpile,

06/03/2008 16:38:16
Libdems said they would not aviemore about Aviemore. So you tak the high jump an al tak the lo jump. SEPAS said WELL, ..on the other hand there are five fingers.
31

John Blackley,

Winter Garden, FL 06/03/2008 17:29:58
In politics, as in so much of life, "storming out" is an admission of defeat - not to mention immaturity.
32

Miss Jean Brodie,

06/03/2008 20:40:55
Get paid for being an MSP - have an easy life - Storm out - nae paper wurk, nae responsibility . . . just be a lazy b@st*rd!

 

Comment on this Story

 

In order to post comments you must Register or Sign In

 
 
RSS Feed of this article's comments
Delivery formats: RSS, Atom, Javascript & Email
 
  

 
 

More Scotland's holiday industry

More Scotland's holiday industry >>

Today's Vote

Is Bum the dog worthy of being commemorated with a statue in Edinburgh?
Yes, he triumphed over adversity and brightened children’s lives
No, there are more worthy – and human – candidates
No, this town’s not big enough for two famous dogs

Web Links:

Featured Advertising



Sister Newspapers:
Press Complaints Commission

This website and its associated newspaper adheres to the Press Complaints Commission’s Code of Practice. If you have a complaint about editorial content which relates to inaccuracy or intrusion, then contact the Editor by clicking here.

If you remain dissatisfied with the response provided then you can contact the PCC by clicking here.