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Scots Labour MPs blind to prospect of extinction



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" The Westminster branch of Scottish Labour seems impervious to the real and present danger the SNP poses"
Published Date: 20 May 2008
By David Maddox
SCOTTISH Labour MPs seem to share similar traits with the pandas which Edinburgh Zoo hopes to be breeding in the near future. Pandas are famously obstinate about reproducing only after eating bamboo, which is the main reason they are on the verge of extinction.




Scottish Labour MPs have an obstinacy, too, that appears to make them blind to the need to adjust themselves to the change in the political climate in Scotland – also raising the prospect of extinction. Looking at them through the Holyrood ...



The full article contains 1024 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
Page 1 of 1

  • Last Updated: 19 May 2008 11:36 PM
  • Source: The Scotsman
  • Location: Edinburgh
 
1

Angus Ogg,

19/05/2008 23:00:57

With one or two notable exceptions, most Scottish Labour MP's are dinosaurs.

There time is up.

They deserve to be consigned to history, if not extinction.
2

The Scottish Executive,

20/05/2008 00:13:11
Which Alexander is the saviour sibling?
3

Senga Jean,

20/05/2008 00:37:24
The SNP is only a "real and present danger" to politicians who do not stand up for the rights of Scotland. The SNP is a real and present bonus to the rest of us.
4

Teofilio Cubillas,

20/05/2008 00:38:58
Along with the supporters of Rangers Football Club, the west of Scotland also produces that other national embarrassment, Scottish Labour MSP's. Both factions comprised of overweight, inarticulate Glaswegians nursing a whingeing sense of entitlement.

One only has to take a drive through Glasgow and Lanarkshire to see the damage done to that city by 50 years of municipal socialism, nepotism, cronyism, sectarianism and now welfareism. And no, I've never voted SNP in my life. But the past year has been a breath of fresh air compared to the stultifying dead hand that preceded it.
5

Jwil,

20/05/2008 00:48:26
I hope that Labour just carry on banging their heads against a wall until their brains hang out. (sorry? what did you say? They have no brains? Very good).
6

a proud doonhamer,

Dumfries 20/05/2008 01:05:12
The Scottish section of the recent YouGov poll for the Times has a chilling result for Labour

For the first time in any poll or section of a poll, the Conservatives have outpolled Labour in Scotland.

Results are as follows

SNP 30
Tories 28
Labour 25
LibDem 14
Others 3
7

Scotindy,

Los Angeles 20/05/2008 01:08:34
I think that the Scottish labour MPs and MSPs are doing a great job of what they do best, NOTHING!!!Cannot wait untill we the SCOTTISH PEOPLE vote for INDEPENDENCE and get rid of those waisters once and for all.
8

BrianHill,

Edinburgh 20/05/2008 01:58:29
Excellent analysis of the current political state of Scottish Labour. If anyone ever doubted the role of psychology in politics this is a glaring example.

Labour politicians are only people and as people they are still shell shocked by their defeat in May.

Faced with 'Intelligent
Government' in Holyrood they were initially knocked from pillar to post by the SNP's performance. Their reaction was inevitably to draw a line in the sand and say enough!

Big mistake. Politics is life, life is fluid. Labour is slowly killing itself. Henry McLeish has a better handle on the current situation than most, fortunately for the SNP few are listening to him.

Labour's plane is in gentle freefall all over the UK and it's going to take a miracle to get them out of it. The Crewe by-election doesn't look as if it will help their cause either, nor will the 42 day vote, no matter what happens.

It's time to stop panicking and start thinking, but even if the SNP stands still, it's unlikely that Labour will have time to catch them before the referendum.
9

Pilrig.,

Livingston 20/05/2008 06:15:52
Scottish Labour MPs - the biggest clique in the Best Club in London.
10

Ubi,

Edinburgh 20/05/2008 06:30:17
Do we need all these governments to manage us?
11

Teamdroid,

20/05/2008 06:40:40
Rabbits in the headlights, Scottish Labour. That You Gov result should have them sh*****g themselves. However instead, several of their big beasts are finding cushy numbers for themselves outside politics, e.g. John Reid and Brian Wilson. No doubt Gordon's angling for a bank position.
12

,

20/05/2008 06:51:07
Comment Removed By Administrator
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13

,

20/05/2008 08:29:28
Comment Removed By Administrator
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14

,

20/05/2008 08:36:22
Comment Removed By Administrator
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15

Rev. S. Campbell,

Bath 20/05/2008 08:45:16
The YouGov survey is only based on the Scottish fraction of their UK-wide poll, and therefore is only based on a tiny sample of 166 voters. But even so, it must be terrifying for Labour to be behind the Tories in ANY sort of Scottish poll. What an achievement - from Government to third place in a single year, and falling still.
16

Alan B,

20/05/2008 09:38:39
Part of the problem with labour is they do not have a constitutional message to tell.

They are split over devolution. some did not want it. others wanted it just to stop the nats. and others genuinely wanted it.

As a result they created a parliament that is weak. If u actually believe in devolution as a concept what we have not is not short of ridiculous.

Together with this they have no anwer to the west lothian question. so have left a festering sore that will get worse if not treated.

On top of that they have the lunitic that is brown. Rather than work with the snp, and show that devolution can work, he has thrown his toys out the pram. I have never witnessed a prime minister act so childish.

Brown has also stifled the development of the labour party in scotland by his stalinist control. Firstly he vetoed Mcconnell. Then he place wendy into a place in power that she clearly is not up to. Using his influence to get the press to tell us how intelligent she is etc, protraying labour members that do not support her as lacking intelligence (ie if u do not get on with wendy it is becuase she does not suffer fools).

Every time a leader puts in his choice of leader it turns out to be a disaster. thatcher with major, salmond with swinney.

Most scots in opinion polls by a big margin want more powers for the sp. Yet labour have fought against this, even though their own first ministers have supported it.

It has got to the stage though, mps voting for more powers for the sp will be like turkeys wanting xmas. If the uk is to stay together, in the long term it must adopt some sort of federal model. A small central parliament will mean that most scottish mps would lose their jobs. Even if we just move to dev max soon. Then what would the point be of these westinster mps. there would be very little for them to do.






17

morris,

edinburgh 20/05/2008 09:40:06
15

You are correct and such a small sample is always going to have a degree of doubt over its reliability,but that does not detract from a result which would have been considred impossible 10 years ago of course.
Scotland is leaving the UK .Its not officially announced/declared as yet.......................but its coming as sure as Cameron is on his way to no 10.

When Scotlands Labour voters have finished congratulating themselves that "they didnae get in here in Scotland" as they did during the Thatcher Years maybe someone will point out to the cupid stunts OH YES THEY DID (AND ITS ALL UNIONIST VOTERS WHO PUT HIM THERE including the Labour faithful).
At least the Tory voters in Scotland will get what they voted for.
The Labour numpties got what they consider to be the opposite!
I find it hard to imagine anything more stupid than that!
18

Foulkes Off the CyberNat,

Edinburgh 20/05/2008 09:52:39
And ultimately it is all for the good of Scotland.
If we cannot win Independence from this Labour party then we simply dont deserve it.
19

Dr. James Wilkie,

Vienna 20/05/2008 10:09:25
And congratulations to The Scotsman, for once, for an incisive and analytical article.
I look forward to many more in the same vein.

20

,

20/05/2008 10:25:11
Comment Removed By Administrator
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21

Nikostratos,

20/05/2008 11:20:49
Still they could always try 'SOCIALISM' and benefit ordinary people.......You know like helping those less fortunate by redistributing through taxation money from the rich and greed mega-rich...................

Don't suppose this post will be here long not when you use the word......'SOCIALISM'
22

James Donald,

Newbridge 20/05/2008 12:10:00
#19 Dr. James Wilkie,Vienna - "And congratulations to The Scotsman, for once, for an incisive and analytical article" - You sound surprised almost as if this was a rare event.
23

LEAL,

20/05/2008 13:04:39
Most Scots labour MPs are only in their positions because of nepotism and favouritism,and because central belt voters continue to ignore the damage 50 years of labour representation has done to their communities.Now it seems Labour voters have dicovered they have been conned all those years and realise Independence offers the best hope for the future.
24

Guga II,

Rockall 20/05/2008 13:07:38
"The Westminster branch of Scottish Labour"

That is utterly wrong, for starters. Scottish Labour is the North British Branch of the Westminster New Labour Sleaze and Corruption Party. Scottish Labour, led by the Mouth of the South, has to do exactly what it is told by Westminster.

The whole ethos of the Labour Party is to maintain Labour control in Westminster. Scotland is of no consequence to them other than to give them the numbers to keep that control.
25

CRAGman,

20/05/2008 13:26:25
Loads of people at my work still say "get rid of the Scottish Parliament - what a waste of space".
26

The Tam ,

Puerto Bella 20/05/2008 13:48:05
The endless round of rumours, revelations and scandals about party funding has already become the defining characteristic of Alexander's tenure. These donation embarrassments will continue to cast a long shadow over Scottish Labour Street for years to come.

Reports of the vanishing accounts (presumably through Goudie's shredder) of the SIF will not go away.
27

a proud doonhamer,

Dumfries 20/05/2008 14:18:45
25

I didn't know you worked at John Smith House.
28

911 was an inside job.,

20/05/2008 16:37:04
Vote UKIP.

Ron Paul Revolution!
29

David MacVicar,

web 20/05/2008 17:57:47
"If the need to neutralise the SNP had been properly understood, a referendum bill could have been pushed through Westminster on Labour's timescale with a question of Labour's choosing. Instead, they seem to have left it in the SNP's hands to be done exactly when Alex Salmond wants.

There was some spin coming from Westminster that Ms Alexander's antics actually scuppered a referendum bill in Westminster – but to believe that, you need faith in Gordon Brown's ability to make a decision. The feeling was the spin was another way of humiliating the severely damaged Scottish Labour leader at a time when she needed help, yet another example of Westminster arrogance."

This section is interesting because it contradicts (Eddie Barnes)the Political editors article in the Scotsman on Sunday over a possible UK Bill for a referendum on independence. I said at the time the editor was either duped by Labour spin or party to deceiving the public and readers. Guess it was the latter since they now admit it is Labour spin!

Well done Eddie - a true unionist!
http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/politics/Wendy-gaffe-39holed-referendum-plan39.4095317.jp
30

ThePeter,

Glasgae 20/05/2008 18:09:29
ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha etc

I'm not a SNP man

But Labour you deserve it.....
31

donald,

glasgow 21/05/2008 04:57:11
Monkey business may mirror our human culture, says chimp expert
http://news.scotsman.com/latestnews/Monkey-business-may-mirror-our.4103162.jp

 

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