HERE's the speech I would have advised Wendy Alexander to make to the Scottish Parliament today: “Presiding Officer, the report by the Standards Commissioner and the ruling by the Standards Committee concerning the late registration of donations to my leadership campaign fund throws up questions for all of us here in this chamber.
“It cannot be right that members seeking the advice of Parliament officials can still be held to be in the wrong if they act on that advice.
“However, given that by the time I sought advice I had already breached the time limit this does not really apply in my case. I sought and received no personal financial gain but it is clear that I committed a technical breach of the Parliament's procedures.
“For the good of this Parliament, for the sake of the integrity of its procedures, and to avoid undermining either the Standards Commissioner of the Standards Committee can I make clear that I am accepting the penalty imposed on me.
“Overturning the committee's decision would avoid me being suspended for half a day but at an unacceptable cost to this Parliament in the court of public opinion. I urge members to vote in support of the committee's decsion.”
Of course, Ms Alexander made no such speech. Instead she sat grim-faced while friends such as Jackie Baillie and Cathie Craigie attacked both the Commissioner and the committee. Ms Baillie called on “wiser heads” to overturn the committee decision. Ms Craigie ploughed through a six-page speech. All her own work? I have my doubts.
Labour are furiously spinning the saga as a Nationalist witch-hunt against their former leader. That rather ignores the role of the Commissioner, Dr Jim Dyer, or of the Liberal Democrat committee member, Hugh O'Donnell.
Yes it is true that most complaints against Ms Alexander came from SNP staffers and researchers so of course the whole thing was political. But it is also possible to accept that while seeing Ms Alexander as the author of her own misfortunes.
I think that of all the millions of words written about the saga the best flavour is given in an appendix to the Commissioner's report, in the transcript of his interview with Ms Alexander.
Moran taing Robbie
Everyone of every political persuasion should read the transcript that you've hyperlinked. It is little wonder that people have lost complete faith in politicians in general - but particularly with New Labour.
The sad thing is that the very righteous Wendy really believes she's done nothing wrong. She's a millionairess, married to a millionaire, with a wee brother in London who is - yup - a millionaire.
And yet she had to go scrabbling around for 950 here and 950 there - for an election charade where she was the only candidate.
Unbelievable.
Slainte Mhor
Moran taing Robbie
Everyone of every political persuasion should read the transcript that you've hyperlinked. It is little wonder that people have lost complete faith in politicians in general - but particularly with New Labour.
The sad thing is that the very righteous Wendy really believes she's done nothing wrong. She's a millionairess, married to a millionaire, with a wee brother in London who is - yup - a millionaire.
And yet she had to go scrabbling around for 950 here and 950 there - for an election charade where she was the only candidate.
Unbelievable.
Slainte Mhor
Posted by: Phil Mac Giolla Bhain at 12:36pm on Sat 6 Sep 08
Robbie
as ever right on the money.............
Many thanks for your insights on my recent trip to the Scottish parliament.
Enjoy the blog:0)
www.philmacgiollabhain.com
Robbie
as ever right on the money.............
Many thanks for your insights on my recent trip to the Scottish parliament.
Enjoy the blog:0)
www.philmacgiollabhain.com
I just hope that the rest of the people of scotland will be as disgusted by ms alexanders martyr anctics. As you say she was the author of her own misfortunes, deliberately asking for donations below the threashold for declaring, which was suspect in itself. Her serious inability to accept responsibility for her actions is quite worryingly a sing of being a sociopath!!
I just hope that the rest of the people of scotland will be as disgusted by ms alexanders martyr anctics. As you say she was the author of her own misfortunes, deliberately asking for donations below the threashold for declaring, which was suspect in itself. Her serious inability to accept responsibility for her actions is quite worryingly a sing of being a sociopath!!
From this side of the water Wendy does look like a bit of an amateur I'm afraid.
We have had a decade of tribunals lloking into the cash only transactions of some our most senior politicians.
In terms of corruption in high office I think the Scots are quite well off.
From this side of the water Wendy does look like a bit of an amateur I'm afraid.
We have had a decade of tribunals lloking into the cash only transactions of some our most senior politicians.
In terms of corruption in high office I think the Scots are quite well off.
Politics
