Friday, August 17, 2007

A NEW LEADER

Wendy Alexander will be the new leader of Scottish Labour. Yesterday at the Wynd Centre in Paisley Wendy announced she would stand and along with others, some of them big hitters, I was, as her agent delighted to share the moment with her and other comrades, along with the gaggle of press people who, probably for the last time felt obliged to be nice to her.

I doubt if I could be civil to journalists who vilified me the way they did her over clause 28 but she was. The press of course have been trying for years to find some way of damaging her to no avail and they are now stirring up rubbish about a no contest being a bad thing for a leader.

If you want a real stinker of a leadership story look at Salmond's career, how many defeats (and Sturgeon) how many walk outs and still leader and deputy leader, where are the rest of them ? the truth is that there has never been any Nat. with the courage to face up to the bully Salmond, remember the paper tiger Mike Russell, one of their big names being dragged before the angry boss ? " make the following changes to your new book or you will not be a candidate for Holyrood" said Alex "yes boss" said Mike "three bags full boss" It's Alex's party and no mistake he can come and go as he pleases and lose as many times as he has and he still rules the fainthearts of the SNP - where are the 'fundies' what's happened to them ?

Jack McConnell has fought hard for the cause and been a constant source of strength to members and I congratulate him and thank him, this however isn't the SNP one man band and I know Jack would not have it any other way.

It's time for a change and Wendy will provide that, she brings a commitment second to none as well as a fierce intellect and the stamina of a long distance athlete, I think she will be a force to reckon with and a great asset to Labour and to Scotland when she becomes first minister.

48 comments:

RfS said...

Minister conducts Scottish Election campaign so bad Labour are booted out of office. His sister takes over?

Sounds like a stitchup to me.

And just for the record nominations for the position of leader close on the 21st of Aug so she is not the leader yet.

Anonymous said...

God, it must be hard having a political career in which you're defined by your hatred of another party. You can't deal with an issue of any kind without reference to someone else.

Anonymous said...

Why did you not vote for her then ????

Surreptitious Evil said...

I can do no better but refer you to Mr E's paean to Wendy.

Anonymous said...

"I doubt if I could be civil to journalists who vilified me the way they did her over clause 28"

No they didn't! They villified Brian Soutar! For the sole crime of expressing a legitimate opinion that didn't fit in with the liberal consensus. Even today, Soutar is still a hate figure for many on the liberal left.

Sometimes you have to wonder if the comments made by Pat Robertson at that time were really so daft.

Cllr Terry Kelly said...

RFS - riddled with mistakes - if you want to see a real stitch up check out the half-witted Churchill Dynasty.

Cllr Terry Kelly said...

jim lewis - as stupid as ever.

Cllr Terry Kelly said...

surreptitious evil - well done, when Wendy draws this kind of fire from this kind of source, you've made my case for me.

Cllr Terry Kelly said...

Anon - wow ! support for Soutar and Pat Robertson - no wonder you're anonymous.

Cllr Terry Kelly said...

Rumbold - not like you to get it so wrong - the 'few British hoodlums' were our upper class masters as well as our beloved Royals and the Americans were of course the lovely old 'rum runner' Joe Kennedy and his family.

Still maybe FDR didn't know what Kennedy was up to, whit ?

RfS said...

No I won't. My claim is that Douglas Alexander was the election coordinator, it is a matter of substantial public record at the time that went unchallenged and indeed formed a central plank of the SNP attack. The election is very poor and as a result his sister now takes over the party. How can anyone expect anything better then? And you fail to address that point as always.

You also fail to address the fact your post is misleading. As of now there are no challengers but nominations are still open which makes her a shoe-in but still only a candidate.

I can see how being a Labour councillor from Renfrewshire you would confuse "candidate" with "elected".

RfS said...

Abuse Watch:

Comments left: 5

Avoided points: 1

Answering a post you forget to publish: 1

Personal attacks on the character of posters: 3

How long before Wendy starts to suggest to you that maybe being her election agent is too much for you at this time of life?

Anonymous said...

I think Wendy will make a good leader. In the last few years Scottish Labour have had the appearance of being a bit directionless and apathetic which is what cost us the election. However there is no doubt in my mind that Wendy has the brains and talent to turn things round. Looks like we'll be seeing the back of Salmond sooner rather than later!

RfS said...

at 14:37 on the 21st you could now call her the leader. But that is still to be ratified by the party next month.

Cllr Terry Kelly said...

RFS - more nonsense, Douglas and Wendy go to great lengths to be taken as individuals, he's at Westminster she's at Holyrood when was the last time you saw them share a platform ? an interview ? A photograph ? Wendy has no locus at Westminster, I sometimes wonder if you really do have any idea about this stuff.

My post might have confused you but I think everyone else would have seen that I was giving my opinion about the outcome of the Scottish Labour leadership, unlike you most people would know that she could be challenged. You are not making much sense here.

Cllr Terry Kelly said...

RFS - Just how insecure are you ?

Cllr Terry Kelly said...

RFS - Where would the rest of us be without your guidance ?

RfS said...

I am very secure.

So you are saying that there is not a culture of cronyism in the Scottish Labour party?

Terry, you call me naive? Please.

And I take it you are not going to correct your misleading article then? Someone has to guide those poor unfortunates who take you at your word. And I fully understand how the process works, indeed my comment to your post shows that, reading it on face value, I understood it better than you. This was a misleading statement which is not the best start for her leadership is it?

Cllr Terry Kelly said...

RFS - OK why don't you say just once, I've made another blunder -
You are saying that Douglas Alexander was responsible for Wendy's success ? That's stupid and typical.

If this was misleading it was only misleading to you and we both know that that is not unusual. You're just not up to it.

RfS said...

No terry, I am not surprised by your failure to grasp the central point. D conducted a very poor election and W gets the leadership. If it is not cronyism then it is the starkest example yet that Labour rewards failure.

Anonymous said...

Still, at least you're not the only Labour politician who failed to vote for Wendy now.

Sir-C4' said...

Without that so-called half-wit Churchill, You'd be either dead or a German-speaking Nazi.

Then again, you and Adolf both have a lot in common. You're both members of fascist organisation (the Nazi party and New Labour) and you both hates those evil 'joooooooos'!

Cllr Terry Kelly said...

RFS - This shows that you are completely ignorant about politics or you are fibbing again to hide the fact that you look silly --again !

Cllr Terry Kelly said...

anon - with such a wit and debating style is it any wonder you are anon ?

RfS said...

"This shows that you are completely ignorant about politics or you are fibbing again to hide the fact that you look silly --again ! "

No - it shows that there is something going on there and rather than clear it up you choose to resort to personal attacks as a smokescreen.

I know a lot more about politics than you realise Terry and it is you that is looking silly. Although you did not vote for her so I can hardly expect you to up to speed with things.

Anonymous said...

"anon - with such a wit and debating style is it any wonder you are anon ? "

Careful Tel. You wouldn't want to be caught using the 'd' word

Cllr Terry Kelly said...

(c4) you've got that wrong without Stalin I would be dead or a German speaking Nazi.

I thought you already were one !

Cllr Terry Kelly said...

RFS - The fact that you seem to think that they got where they are because of cronyism and not their abilities does I'm afraid scream rather loudly that you haven't a clue about politics.

Cllr Terry Kelly said...

jim lewis - I doubt if I'm alone in saying this but I long ago gave up trying to work out what goes on in that head of yours, still you are sometimes good for a laugh.

What did you mean by answering yes and no in one of your latest posts - it seemed to be a conversation between you and RFS whom you of course don't collude with.

RfS said...

"got where they are because of cronyism and not their abilities does I'm afraid scream rather loudly that you haven't a clue about politics. "

Hmmm.....

Care to explore their relationship with Brown and Dewar paying particular attention to their father?

If you think that cronyism does not exist in politics then perhaps that screams something about your experience in this world?

RfS said...

"What did you mean by answering yes and no in one of your latest posts - "

I understood that. You asked him two questions, he answered them in order. What is not to understand?

And of course I collude with him. He and I spend hours at night in a pub plotting how to bring you down. So far the only idea that has any legs is "help him keep the website up".

Anonymous said...

"Cllr Terry Kelly said...
Jim lewis - was this misdirected, did you mean it to go to RFS."

"Jim Lewis said...
No, and yes "

" Cllr Terry Kelly said...
jim lewis - what am I missing here ? "

"Jim Lewis said...
You asked two questions. I answered them. Since big words seem to bother you, I thought I'd keep it simple."

" Cllr Terry Kelly said...
jim lewis that's a cowardly answer."

(I don't quite get that one Tel, but we'll let it go)


Now, I spend quite a lot of time addressing you in my posts. Does that suggest I'm colluding with you? RFS had questioned your reference to me as a babbling clown and mentioned what I'd been through in the last month. I expressed appreciation for his concern, which seemed to annoy you. Are we a tad snippy that someone might use our blog to reply to someone who isn't you?

So, if neither you nor the sock puppet can work out what was meant by my replies firstly to RFS and then to your questions, then you are right. You have no chance of working out what's going on in my head. Christ, you have trouble working out what's going in your own.

Cllr Terry Kelly said...

RFS - 'if you think cronyism doesn't exist in politics' It can't get ant easier than this can it ?

I'll give you one name that proves that cronyism does exist beyond any doubt.

Churchill.

Cllr Terry Kelly said...

RFS - I don't know what you or Jim Lewis are on about but, I think it more likely that Jim has made a clown of himself again and now can't admit it. If he deliberately sent me that then why, surely that's not difficult ?

Cllr Terry Kelly said...

Jim Lewis - See if you can find some courage and tell me why you felt it necessary to send that post to me.

We both know the answer don't we, but you are too much of a coward to say it.

RfS said...

I don't know what is more worrying; the fact you cannot recognise a public thank you for a public show of sympathy or that you honestly think that somehow you can "mistakenly" post a comment to the wrong blog with your blog name at the top, a word verification underneath and a submit button.

He did not submit it by accident, he just wanted to thank me publicly for my words rather than at the club or on one of the three email addresses he holds for me.

Does this clarify it or do you want to continue making a fool of yourself?

Cllr Terry Kelly said...

RFS - a complete pack of lies, he made a fool of himself, again, and you are trying to rescue him.

We all know what it was about, now it's backfired and you are both squirming.

Anonymous said...

" Cllr Terry Kelly said...
RFS - a complete pack of lies, he made a fool of himself, again, and you are trying to rescue him.

We all know what it was about, now it's backfired and you are both squirming.

Wednesday, August 29, 2007 3:40:00 PM "

What the hel are you on about Terry? You asked two questions, I answered them monosyllabically. Prior to that, I did exactly waht RFs has just suggested. I thanked him for his concern. It was neither addressed to you nor aimed at you. I can't begin to imagine what you took from my reply to RFS as an insult to you, and if you can't tell me, let's chuck it now. Oh, and what cowardly act is it you suspect me of?


One final thing. Karla, I hope you've kept up with this exchange. Save yourself now. This man is out to lunch.

Cllr Terry Kelly said...

Jim lewis - "I can't begin to imagine what you took from my reply to RFS as an insult to you" where did I say it was an insult to me ? We all know what you were up to don't we ? The cowardice is in what you did and your failure to own up,

I'm not surprised you want to 'chuck it now' You can't get much more pathetic than this.

Anonymous said...

"We all know what you were up to don't we ?"

No, we all don't, but feel free to enlighten us. Tell you what, is there anyone reading this series of posts who has the slightest clue what Terry is referring to? I'm not holding my breath.

fake consultant said...

for the benefit of the ignorant foreigners, would you be so kind as to describe the "agent" role; and is it roughly equivalent to the role played by those who promote congressional or parliamentary leaders?

Cllr Terry Kelly said...

fake consultant - 'agents' are responsible for running the candidates campaign.

Anonymous said...

I thought not.

Cllr Terry Kelly said...

jim lewis - curiouser and curiouser.

fake consultant said...

thanks for the follow up.

much appreciated.

Anonymous said...

Indeed.

Anonymous said...

"Anon - wow ! support for Soutar and Pat Robertson - no wonder you're anonymous."

"anon - with such a wit and debating style is it any wonder you are anon ?"

Terry, it would be more impressive if you could think of anything to say to your anonymous critics other than "wow, no wonder you're anon." Sometimes people have a good reason for being anonymous - it's because there's normally an inverse proportion between intelligence and ability to tolerate opponents' viewpoints.

Cllr Terry Kelly said...

winner - I'm making the point that anyone who publicly supported Brian Souter and Pat Robertson would be able to take the flack for it.

Clearly that's not you is it ?