Help Sitemap Home Skip Navigation Contact Us Disability Statement

The hunt is On.
Sponsored by
The hunt is On.
Can you track down Scotland's wildest beastie?
 
 
Friday, 5th December 2008

Premium Article !

Your account has been frozen. For your available options click the below button.

Options

Premium Article !

To read this article in full you must have registered and have a Premium Content Subscription with the The Scotsman site.

Subscribe

Registered Article !

To read this article in full you must be registered with the site.

Sign In
Register

Labour choose headteacher to fight for seat



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: 02 September 2008
By David Maddox
THE rector of Prime Minister Gordon Brown's old school was expected to be confirmed as Labour's candidate for the crucial Glenrothes by-election last night after his main rival was excluded from the selection process.
Lindsay Roy, 59, took over at Kirkcaldy High School this year after it was dubbed a failing school by HM Inspectorate for Education (HMIE).

Stiff competition was expected from Kay Morrison, a local councillor, until members of the party's Scottish Executive Committee excluded her from the final shortlist of three presented to constituency members.

Labour has denied she was blocked because she may have beaten Mr Roy, who many people suggest is the Mr Brown's favourite in the by-election caused by the death of John MacDougall.





The full article contains 129 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
Page 1 of 1

 
1

druidh,

edinburgh 02/09/2008 00:14:45
Why are the good people of Glenrothes being denied proper representation when this was deemed unsuitable for Glaswegians?
2

ochone,

Sauchie, Clack's 02/09/2008 00:45:27
Why was she excluded?

Pity we couldn't have been told more about the final selection meeting, like how many turned up and how many voted on the issue?
3

subrosa,

02/09/2008 00:48:43
Ministry of Dirty Tricks still at it I see.
4

Edward,

02/09/2008 01:31:27
So when is the crucial by election then?
Labour were in such a ruch over the Glasgow East by election. Now they are dragginng their heels!
5

REAL Doonhamer,

Scotland 02/09/2008 02:16:35
Just shows u how hopelessy out of touch you are Maddox if u think Kay Morrison was blocked (as opposed to not very good!) and you think she would have offered competition!!!!! Local journalists in Fife are p****ng themselves at u!
6

TommyKaye,

UK 02/09/2008 04:48:48
Did he teach economics to Gordon Brown by any chance?
7

donald,

glasgow 02/09/2008 06:13:41
He didnae learn Gordon right.
8

MacGillicuddy,

02/09/2008 07:49:16
Roy WAS selected at the meeting. So much for HIS commitment to anything. Six months into the job of supposedly being the person to turn around the badly failing alma mater of Broon, he is seeking pastures new. Says it all we really need to know about him.

PS: The by-elections in Crewe & Nantwich and Glasgow East were speedily arranged so that their electorates could have proper continuity of representation according to Roy's Liebour Party. Could Roy now tell us why, for the Glenrothes electorate, this is no longer important?
9

glassbenmhor,

02/09/2008 07:51:49
Is it not amazing London twisting the hand of local Scottish labour, totally amazing,

jeeeesssss these idiots just don't learn, but that's fine by me--- it's time alright!
10

glassbenmhor,

02/09/2008 07:53:51
I remember years ago in the Black Watch as a Perthshire lad you *uck with Fifers at your peril!
11

Linda,

Edinburgh 02/09/2008 08:28:49
It taks a long spoon to sup with Gordon
12

Benarty,

Fife 02/09/2008 09:39:48
Kay Morrison is able, intelligent, and a first rate councillor. But she is not at all combative. This is a by election, not a general election. The media focus will be on Glenrothes and Levenmouth, and the big guns from all mparties will be booming. Kay would be great at representing people in Parliament, great at championing causes dear to her heart. But in the climate of a by election, her decency, niceness,and fair-mindedness would dilute her ability to rebut
the slavering frenzy of the press and the sheer nastiness of some of the opposition.

Linsay Roy has had a lifetime of dealing with bad boys and bullies. Nobody can say he's just another Party hack who has acheived nothing in his own life. Nobody can say he's failed in real life, so wants to try politics. Nobody can say he's just one of the usual Labour suspects. Nobody can say he's another MSP/councillor abandoning his constituents for Westminster. And nobody can say he wants to get his snout in a trough where he'll earn more than he does in his present career.

I think the Scottish Executive came up with a good shortlist. That's why it bothers some SNP supporters.
13

Truth Teller www.oilofscotland.org,

b4-u-vote-read-the-mccrone-report 02/09/2008 09:43:39
I wonder if Lindsay Roy considers himself as being set up as a "Lamb for the Slaughter" by Gordon Brown who intends secretly lead his party for Kirkcaldy. The question is is their enough hotels in Glenrothes to put up all the Labour MP's and MSP's in the Country that he is likely to force to go to Scotland like he did for the Glasgow East by-election. Latest Glenrothes By-Election News http://www.oilofscotland.org/scotlands_news.asp
14

Rickie,

02/09/2008 09:47:48
#8 Correctly said

#12 Nice try at dodging the question

Why would this golden boy wish to bail out so soon, why would labour want to drag him away from doing a good job?

Simple - sod what's good for the people and get the PR waggon back on the road.

If this man is doing such a good job should he not be proud of that and wish to continue to do so in a sector that so badly needs it.

Or is his commitment so fleeting?
15

gus1940,

Edinburgh 02/09/2008 10:09:41
Does this mean that there were actually 4 individuals queuing up to commit political hara kiri?

Who were the other 2 masochists allowed on the shortlist?

16

John S,

02/09/2008 11:48:36
Parliament 2 July 2008-The Prime Minister: It is right that the constituents of this area of Glasgow (East) have a new MP as soon as possible.
Scotland Office Minister, David Cairns,claimed that a writ for the Glasgow East by-election had to be rushed through to ensure the constituency was not without an MP for months.
17

Brian Hill,

02/09/2008 12:04:09
Labour can rightly be accused of selfishness in the selection of Lindsay Roy as their candidate.

Mr Roy, a first class headmaster was chosen earlier this year to revive the fortunes of one of Fife's flagship schools, Kirkcaldy High.

Labour is effectively saying to the parents and students of KHS, sorry but the needs of our Party are greater than yours. We need Lindsay Roy to try and fend off the SNP challenge.

When Mr Roy loses and returns to KHS asking for loyalty for the school from students and staff he will find himself on a sticky wicket. KHS is the loser all round in this case.

Thank you Labour Party, your reward will come very soon now.
18

kimba,

02/09/2008 12:30:24
17.You arrogant gomper, you do not know who will win and who will not, so when Mr Roy wins,you'll have egg all over your stupid face!
19

MacGillicuddy,

02/09/2008 12:43:19
#12
So what you are REALLY saying is that Roy has no political "form". As for sorting out bad boys and bullies I don't think much of his chances of trying to do that in the present Liebour Party plethora.

#17
Well said. This alleged first class heidie is sticking up two fingers at KHS. Seems HE's learned much from Broon and the Liebour Party.
20

Scythia,

02/09/2008 12:58:01
No 12 - If Mr Roy is such a good guy , why would he want to associate with a party of self serving toe-rags ?
21

Brian Hill,

02/09/2008 13:09:45
no 18 kimba. I think you'll find that my 'stupid face' has seen more campaigning in a year than you've seen in a lifetime. Mr Roy will lose the seat but either way Kirkcaldy High School loses out and the voters will realise that and vote accordingly.

That said. Mr Roy is one of the strongest candidates Labour could produce.
22

,

02/09/2008 14:54:37
Comment Removed By Administrator
Reason:
23

morris,

edinburgh 02/09/2008 16:54:06
18

For once you may have said something remotely sensible!

We do not KNOW who will win.That has indeed to be decided.
However opinion polls say that Labour will get their butts kicked just like at Glasgow East.
Glenrothes will at least be a disaster for New Labour,and we know that just from walking around Scotland these days.Its the same everywhere.

He is not arrogant therefore,but he may be clairvoyant!
Its certainly an educated guess.

Your assertion that Mr Roy would win,whilst anything is possible, it is extremely unlikely,(but he could secure a personal vote from parents of pupils and former pupils at his school),and I can see why adopting him appeals to New Labour.It might be enough to hold with a destroyed majority,but I doubt it.
NEW LABOUR NEED A MIRACLE and if Glasgow East couldnt bring themselves to back Labour,Glenrothes would look a bit stupid when the rest of Scotland increasingly wants Labour out.

Its still asking a lot and the mood in Scotland is dump Labour ASAP because we will have to dump them anyway when Cameron is elected.

Thats probably hard for you to understand,but what Stockton thinks and what Scotland thinks have increasingly no connection.
24

Col. Blimp­IV*,

02/09/2008 17:26:08
I wonder if KHS will be holding a mock election?

When the Heidie gets his electoral butt kicked at the bi-election and comes skulking back to his desk, he will have zero credibility with either the pupils or staff.

This does not bode well for his chances of success with his recently accepted mission, of turning around the fortunes of the "Failing" Kirkcaldy High School.

Lets give him the benefit of the doubt and assume that he is not daft; this leaves us with the fact that he has engineered for himself a WIN/WIN situation.

W1) Win the bi-election and hop aboard the Westminster gravy train.

W2) Lose the bi-election and be guaranteed a golden goodbye to his recently signed contract and a whopping big early retirement package.

This man is the embodiment of Nu Labour.

25

Active Sassenach,

Luton, England 02/09/2008 21:17:09
"Lindsay Roy, 59, took over at Kirkcaldy High School this year after it was dubbed a failing school by HM Inspectorate for Education (HMIE)."

According to the Parliament UK website, the MP for the constituency containing Kircaldy High School is the Rt Hon Gordon Brown MP. Mr Roy has been brought in to remedy the school and will, of course, stand for Glenrothes, not against Gordon Brown.

Please excuse me for being thick, as I only had a secondary modern school education. But it seems that the High School in the Prime Minister's constituency failed while the Prime Minister was in office and MP for the area. Indeed while his big mate, Ed Balls, is Secretary for Schools.

Now, if I had been Prime Minister, and I wanted someone to trust my judgement, I would not have allowed that to happen. I would have had tentacles all over the place making sure none of the schools failed and nobody shut my local hospital as these are guaranteed to get an MP kicked out, much less a Prime Minister.

I expect Mr Roy is a decent man and would work really hard if he got elected at Glenrothes. His loyalty to Gordon Brown is misplaced, though, because Mr Roy will get none in return - just a good kicking from the SNP and then nobody will want to know him. He has been set up for a "lose, lose" situation. Gordon Brown should be ashamed.
26

MacGillicuddy,

02/09/2008 21:32:27
#25
You are quite correct to state that Kirkcaldy High school has "failed" under the period of the Liebour Westmonster Government. As you also say KHS is in Brown's constituency, indeed it is his old school.
Much as I loathe Ed Balls, he is only the Education Secretary for England & Wales.
Education is a devolved matter and responsibility for Scottish schools is a matter for the Scottish Government at Holyrood, which has of course been SNP for some 16 months. However it is without doubt that KHS failed as a school under both a Liebour administration in Holyrood AND the Liebour education authority in Fife.
Mr Roy has not been in his new post long enough to "turn round" KHS failing status and is about to abandon the school in favour of access to the John Lewis shopping catologue!!
27

stracathro,

02/09/2008 22:01:52
#23 morris
she didn't say something sensibsible for once - as she contradicted herself!

good to see dm has written a decent article.

even if mr roy is a good candidate, the scales are continully tipping in the snp's favour.

the unionist don't have a good argument - no matter what unionist party they vote for.
28

Active Sassenach,

Luton, England 02/09/2008 22:23:28
Thanks, #26, MacGillicuddy. Education was a devolved matter when, Wendy, the sister of Gordon Brown's International Development Secretary, Doug Alexander, was breaking party funding rules in Scotland and 'leading' the Labour Party there.

That was why 'tentacles' were required and not just an expression of Prime Ministerial demand. Something like, "Ed, mate, cover my back on the schools in Kircaldy with Wendy could you please? Doug should be able to give you a hand." I agree it was a bit late for than when Alex Salmond formed his cabinet, but Kircaldy High School didn't just 'fail' over night.

Above all, the children of Kircaldy were owed better. It was Gordon Brown's old school!
29

Rickie,

Fife 03/09/2008 09:02:37
So now they've selected the kamikaze pilot, when's the by-election?

No reason to postpone it any longer, or is there?
30

IdontknowbutIdothink,

beautifulpostwarhome 03/09/2008 14:22:00
You guys don’t know very much. By-election date is Parliament’s decision. That’s on hols till October. Unless the Speaker, very unusually, moves the writ.
Regarding Morrison. Decent is not a word I would use about the woman and I know her so very well. She is an inveterate self-publicist who responds to even the most tragic of circumstances with a joke and inane Irish laughter.
She was an education spokesperson for the previous, Labour, Administration in Fife, by the way!

More significantly, the short leet for Labour Members to vote on is well-known through the media.
Can anyone tell me where I can find the other Parties’ choices before Candidates were picked?
These idiots with their “Liebour” claims would appear to support these other (very secretive) Parties.
Mm.

For the lot of you, the Constituency is called Glenrothes County. A stupid name, most certainly.
The Constituency includes much of Levenmouth plus parts of Kirkcaldy, Cardenden and Kinglassie.
So you predictors of DOOM don’t know the Rules, don’t know the truth about a silly bitch councillor and don’t even know the geography, but you’re quite happy to accept the secrecy of Labour’s opposition. Get a life. Even better, get a bet on ‘cos this ain’t an odds-on certainty.
31

Rickie,

Fife 04/09/2008 10:45:48
#30 - Did you have a point there? It all sort of got lost.

Apart from one thing that is, you mistyped part of your screen name.

 

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 Scottish Labour Party

More Scottish Labour Party >>

More Glenrothes by-election

More Glenrothes by-election >>

Today's Vote

Who would make the best Scottish Labour leader?
Iain Gray
Iain Gray
Iain Gray
Cathy Jamieson
Cathy Jamieson
Cathy Jamieson
Andy Kerr
Andy Kerr
Andy Kerr

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.