A Stand-in, A Sub, A Caretaker, A Viceroy, Second Rate - Call Him What You Will
In today’s Scotland on Sunday there’s more on the debate of whether or not the SNP are fit financial managers. According to Professor Arthur Midwinter in a new paper the SNP's budget plans constitute "an uncosted wish list" with a £1.8bn hole at its heart. He goes on to put a good deal of financial flesh on the bones of his argument. There is an opposing view from Professor David Simpson (s the former chief economic adviser to Standard Life and founding director of Fraser of Allander Institute), but it only addresses some of the issues and leaves out other tricky areas.
I suspect this argument will just run and run between now and May 3rd and it’s going to be for some a question of who you believe the most. Ultimately though the battleground is do we want more of the invisible man McConnell or the man who has been honing his chops in Westminster, Alex Salmond. I think many people have grown tired of Labour here in Scotland – a sense of sloppy seconds in the politicians we get compared with those who see themselves as too big for Holyrood and head south to London. Even the fact that the Labour party have to continually trot out the likes of Brown, Blair, Douglas Alexander, Darling and the others gives the impression that Joke is a stand-in, a sub, a caretaker, a viceroy, second rate, call him what you will. The rest of the Labour party hot-shot MSPs seem very low key. If I were them I’d use Wendy Alexander more, but I’m sure Joke is none to keen. Perhaps more to the point why don't the SNP attack harder on the argument over importing mercenaries from London?
UPDATE
Just went to Iain Dale’s excellent blog and he quotes a story on the Sunday Herald about Wendy Alexander and the leadership. Read it HERE
2 comments:
Perhaps more to the point why don't the SNP attack harder on the argument over importing mercenaries from London?
Perhaps it is because ever since the advent of devolution the SNP have been doing the same? Main man Alex Salmond has sat in Westminster while Holyrood has been left for the "second raters".
That has changed now of course, but I guess the SNP recognise the hypocrisy that would be involved if they were to criticise Labour for doing the same thing.
I take the point Duncan about the Salmon and his hypocrisy, but at least he's coming back. I know he's coming back because this is his one big chance for the big one. Much as I’m not for independence I at least admire his guts or opportunism!
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