Wednesday, July 02, 2008

Nicol Stephens and the Self Serving Lightweights

So first it's Wee Wendy and now Non-entity Nicol, you really couldn't make it up. Apparently the reason is he wants to spend more time with his family! Well, given his leadership performance since the election then I cannot imagine he's spent much time away from his family, other than that as a regular MSP, because he's been practically invisible. The sad and somewhat worrying thing about all this is the imploding nature of Scottish politics. You'd really think that most of them were in it for the money and the opportunity to be important, because there seems so little of substance going on right now.

This all plays right into the hands of the SNP who are making everyone else look pretty silly and ineffectual while they themselves are hardly doing a stellar job, but it's a bit like anything in life. Why waste a lot of effort when you don't really need to. The opportunity to serve one's country is so important yet we seem to be lumbered with a lot of self serving lightweights.

4 comments:

Fitaloon said...

The problem seems to be that with three parliaments to work in the spread of what little talent there is, is very thin. The tories have virtually no-one who is a household name. The lib-dems have Kennedy and Cable, the SNP have Salmond, and Labour have some well known names who aren't performing. There are precious few younger politicians coming through as well.

Anonymous said...

Consider this question.

Why would someone resign at 9.15 on a Wednesday evening, completely out of the blue, if it was simply to spend more time with their family? Surely they would advise their close associates and constituency party of their decision and arrange a press call for the following day?

The Libs had no idea Nicol was even contemplating standing down, and they have been thrown into complete disarray.

Factor in that they are now about to select their third different candidate for the Aberdeen South Westminster seat, maybe there's something rotten afoot in the locale?

There's more to this one than meets the eye.

Richard Havers said...

Spot on Anon. The more I've thought about it, the more it seems strange.

That thought occurred to me last night, which is, in part, where I was coming from with my practically invisible remark.

When all is said and done, too much of politics is about self-interest. Someone on Iain Dale's blog suggested I was cynical. To some degree they're right, but is it any wonder?

Anonymous said...

And what are you, Mr Havers, doing about all this angst you spout? Politicians are a necessary evil. Unlike keyboard warriors taking up vital air.