50 YEARS AGO TODAY IN A GALAXY FAR FAR AWAY.

50 years ago today Yuri Gagarin became the first human being to leave the planet earth and Scottish Actor Roddy McMillan wrote this charming wee children's song about the event, to the tune of "oh dear what can the matter be" Gagarin's fame as one of the Family of Man's greatest explorers might well outlive the song but it was a great way for kids at the time to learn about this, one of mankind's greatest ever adventures.

Chorus

Oh dear, Yuri Gagarin,

He flew tae the moon when it looked like a farthing,

He said tae the boys at the moment of parting

"Ah'm juist gaun away for the Fair"

Now inside the ship he lay down like a hero,

The doors were sealed up and the countdown was near- o

Ten-nine-eight-seven-six-five-four-three-two-one-zero

An Yuri went up in the air

Now when he took off he was shook tae the marra

He circled the poles and he saw the Sahara,

He gave them a wave as he passed over Barra

The day he went up in the air

Now when he went up it was juist aboot dawning,

The time when the rest of the world wis still yawning

Then Yuri returned to the land he wis born in

Withoot even turning a hair

When he came tae London they tried the saft pedal,

A wee bowler hat and a rolled-up umbreddle

But the foundrymen went an they struck him a medal

An gied it tae him at the fair

SNP CANDIDATE MACKAY HAS DONE A RUNNER !

It seems that SNP candidate for Holyrood Derek Mackay has folded his tent and run aff tae think again.
I have now asked him to explain on 6 separate occasions why the cuts that I have been highlighting were described by him at a recent full council meeting as being "about right" I know he reads my blog because he has said so several times in council so where is he? Why is he not answering? The SNP's Holyrood opponents must be shivering and shaking with fear at having to face this Scottish Braveheart warrior eh?

SPEAKING ON THE TORY/LIBDEM BUDGET, SNP COUNCIL LEADER DEREK MACKAY SAID “THE CUTS ARE ABOUT RIGHT” (PART 6)

A few months back the Labour Group on Renfrewshire Council put forward a motion condemning the proposed cuts in the Tory / Libdem budget. The motion fell because the combined votes of the SNP, Tories and Libdems voted it down, they refused to condemn the Westminster Tory budget cuts. Those cuts are now biting and I will highlight some of them on a regular basis.

The SNP and Libdem candidates for Holyrood in our council Mackay SNP, McCartin Libdem, Adam SNP and presumably the other SNP candidate Doig who is not a councillor refused to criticise or condemn the Cameron Clegg attacks on the poor and vulnerable, these people are now asking you the people of Renfrewshire to give them your vote.

Example 6 – Do you agree with me that people who are disabled are entitled to a living allowance? Do you agree with me that the Government should provide mobility support for the 80,000 people who live in care homes? It has been eight months since the government announced a 20% cut to Disability Living Allowance (DLA) Disability charities have witnessed massive levels of concern over the future of support. Despite a huge backlash and many complaints the DWP have announced that they do not intend to change the proposals, the government is going ahead with a £2.17 billion reduction in support. They also remain committed to axing mobility support for almost 80,000 disabled people living in care homes.

I would like Renfrewshire Council leader Mackay SNP to tell us if this is one of the cuts which he is on record as saying "are about right" perhaps he could do this before people go to the polls for Holyrood.

SPEAKING ON THE TORY/LIBDEM BUDGET, SNP COUNCIL LEADER DEREK MACKAY SAID “THE CUTS ARE ABOUT RIGHT” (PART 5)

A few months back the Labour Group on Renfrewshire Council put forward a motion condemning the proposed cuts in the Tory / Libdem budget. The motion fell because the combined votes of the SNP, Tories and Libdems voted it down, they refused to condemn the Westminster Tory budget cuts. Those cuts are now biting and I will highlight some of them on a regular basis.

The SNP and Libdem candidates for Holyrood in our council Mackay SNP, McCartin Libdem, Adam SNP and presumably the other SNP candidate Doig who is not a councillor refused to criticise or condemn the Cameron Clegg attacks on the poor and vulnerable, these people are now asking you the people of Renfrewshire to give them your vote.

Example 5 – ( Child Poverty action group ) – Is it a good thing for Government to provide assistance to children who are born into poverty? I say yes it is a good thing. Tory/Liberal Democrat cuts will mean that these children and their families will lose £1,500 a year according to the ( Child Poverty action Group ) I think that is a disgrace, what do you think?

I would like Renfrewshire Council leader Mackay SNP to tell us if this is one of the cuts which he is on record as saying "are about right" perhaps he could do this before people go to the polls for Holyrood.

SPEAKING ON THE TORY/LIBDEM BUDGET, SNP COUNCIL LEADER DEREK MACKAY SAID “THE CUTS ARE ABOUT RIGHT” (PART 4)

A few months back the Labour Group on Renfrewshire Council put forward a motion condemning the proposed cuts in the Tory / Libdem budget. The motion fell because the combined votes of the SNP, Tories and Libdems voted it down, they refused to condemn the Westminster Tory budget cuts. Those cuts are now biting and I will highlight some of them on a regular basis.

The SNP and Libdem candidates for Holyrood in our council Mackay SNP, McCartin Libdem, Adam SNP and presumably the other SNP candidate Doig who is not a councillor refused to criticise or condemn the Cameron Clegg attacks on the poor and vulnerable, these people are now asking you the people of Renfrewshire to give them your vote.

Example 4 – Clyde Coastguard. Is it a good thing to have a coast Guard Service? I say yes it is a good thing. Does the Coast Guard Service save lives? I say yes it does.
What do you say?
Under current UK government proposals, Clyde Coastguard will close with the loss of more than 30 jobs.

I would like Renfrewshire Council leader Mackay SNP to tell us if this is one of the cuts which he is on record as saying "are about right" perhaps he could do this before people go to the polls for Holyrood.

 

 

 

 

 

 

SPEAKING ON THE TORY/LIBDEM BUDGET, SNP COUNCIL LEADER DEREK MACKAY SAID “THE CUTS ARE ABOUT RIGHT” (PART 3)

A few months back the Labour Group on Renfrewshire Council put forward a motion condemning the proposed cuts in the Tory / Libdem budget. The motion fell because the combined votes of the SNP, Tories and Libdems voted it down, they refused to condemn the Westminster Tory budget cuts. Those cuts are now biting and I will highlight some of them on a regular basis.

The SNP and Libdem candidates for Holyrood in our council Mackay SNP, McCartin Libdem, Adam SNP and presumably the other SNP candidate Doig who is not a councillor refused to criticise or condemn the Cameron Clegg attacks on the poor and vulnerable, these people are now asking you the people of Renfrewshire to give them your vote.

Example 3 – The Paisley Daily Express recently revealed that people with Learning difficulties who use our Day Centres are having their allowance of £2/week stopped and they are also now being forced to pay for what was previously free transport.

I would like Renfrewshire Council leader Mackay SNP to tell us if this is one of the cuts which he is on record as saying "are about right" perhaps he could do this before people go to the polls for Holyrood.

SPEAKING ON THE TORY/LIBDEM BUDGET, SNP COUNCIL LEADER DEREK MACKAY SAID “THE CUTS ARE ABOUT RIGHT” (PART2)

A few months back the Labour Group on Renfrewshire Council put forward a motion condemning the proposed cuts in the Tory / Libdem budget. The motion fell because the combined votes of the SNP, Tories and Libdems voted it down, they refused to condemn the Westminster Tory budget cuts. Those cuts are now ready to start to bite and I will highlight some of them on a regular basis.

The SNP and Libdem candidates for Holyrood in our council Mackay SNP, McCartin Libdem, Adam SNP and presumably the other SNP candidate Doig who is not a councillor refused to criticise or condemn the Cameron Clegg attacks on the poor and vulnerable, these people are now asking you the people of Renfrewshire to give them your vote.

Example 2 – Following recent attacks on women in the Glasgow area Police set up a special rape investigation unit yet the city's rape crisis centre is having to curtail it's work in several parts of it's service because of funding cuts.

I would like Renfrewshire Council leader Mackay SNP to tell us if this is one of the cuts which he is on record as saying "are about right" perhaps he could do this before people go to the polls for Holyrood.

SPEAKING ON THE TORY/LIBDEM BUDGET, SNP COUNCIL LEADER DEREK MACKAY SAID “THE CUTS ARE ABOUT RIGHT” (PART 1)

A few months back the Labour Group on Renfrewshire Council put forward a motion condemning the proposed cuts in the Tory / Libdem budget. The motion fell because the combined votes of the SNP, Tories and Libdems voted it down, they refused to condemn the Westminster Tory budget cuts. Those cuts are now ready to start to bite and I will highlight some of them on a regular basis.

The SNP and Libdem candidates for Holyrood in our council Mackay SNP, McCartin Libdem, Adam SNP and presumably the other SNP candidate Doig who is not a councillor refused to criticise or condemn the Cameron Clegg attacks on the poor and vulnerable, these people are now asking you the people of Renfrewshire to give them your vote.

Example 1 - More than 135,000 people suffer serious head injuries and a network of specialist rehabilitation units all over the country tackle the problem of getting them back to health. One such unit of 15 beds is to be closed as a cut in the service provided by the NHS. service.

I would like Renfrewshire Council leader Mackay SNP to tell us if this is one of the cuts which he is on record as saying "are about right" perhaps he could do this before people go to the polls for Holyrood.

MORE EMBARRASSING SQUIRMING FROM THE SNP/LIBDEM COMEDIANS AT RENFREWSHIRE COUNCIL.

Today at 1pm to the council main chamber for the Leadership Board Meeting, a fatally flawed title when you consider that the Leadership Board is in fact chaired and led by Mackay the SNP? Council leader which of course means that it is completely rudderless and meaningless. They still think that trotting out figures from "consultation exercises" such as 6o% agree with the council decision is valid, it's not because they never include the size of the sample who were consulted, it could be 6o% of 50 people which would be 30 and representative of hee haw, Mackay doesn't seem to grasp yet that people are not as stupid as he likes to think.

Another example of SNP leaders Mackay's lightweight intellect and glaring inexperience came back to haunt him today at this meeting. 2 or 3 weeks ago when I asked him a question he was a bit harassed and blurted out "I'm not going to debate with you Kelly" 'OOEEE OOAAA' gasped the meeting in mock horror at how he had stripped me of my title of councillor and reduced me to plane old 'Kelly' he refused to listen to advice to correct his childish error and pressed on, today he paid for that immature, childish error. I raised my hand to speak and he said "yes Cllr. Kelly" and I said with a smile "oh so I'm councillor again am I, thank you for that, MACKAY" poor lad what could he do but allow it he looked as if he was ready to bolt because he knew what was coming as he rightly guessed that I would and did use every opportunity at the meeting to refuse to call him councillor and refer to him as Mackay, poor C.E. David Martin looked miserable sitting next to him with a look which said "why me, why have I got to be saddled with wet behind the ears kid, he keeps making fools of all of us" I will now consider whether to call him Councillor in future, if he can get away with dropping my title of Councillor then so can I and so can anyone; he set the precedent and was too naive to see the consequences, perhaps he will apologise to me to save himself further embarrassment.

Here are 3 items which I picked up on at the meeting, 1 from Mackay and 2 from Cllr. McCartin in the case of Cllr. McCartin the council witnessed an occasion which has never been seen before, which I will return to in a moment. During the recent budget meeting I mistakenly voted for the Tory budget 'mea culpa' I did it and I took the ribbing for it, today Mackay stated while making a point that Cllr. Kelly (I'm a Cllr. again) voted with the Tories, which I of course did, Mackay tried to say that I did it deliberately, make of that what you will. I'm not the biggest name in politics but I'm confident that if you told people that I voted with the Tories without an explanation you would be asked what you have been drinking, that is how utterly stupid Council Leader Mackay is. McCartin then said while mounting her regular disingenuous attack on the last Labour Government that someone from Labour left a note in a drawer in Downing Street which said "sorry there's no money left" like Mackay's infantile accusation about me supporting the Tories she wants people to believe that this note was meant to be serious, the only place where you can find people who believe this now is within the SNP/Libdem administration to be found at Renfrewshire Doo Lally Council.

The SNP Libdem bunker is also the only place where the belief that the world recession was the cause of the last Labour Govt. and Gordon Brown can be found, I pointed out that Mervyn King the Governor of the Bank of England and no friend of Labour recently stated that the Labour Govt. were not to blame. It was also stated by someone that Labour and Gordon Brown responded best of of all the countries affected; that someone was a Mr. Paul Krugman who also happens to be the holder of the Nobel Prize for Economics.

So! Mervyn King and Paul Krugman listen up, are you aware that Libdem leader and chief jersey seller Councillor Eileen McCartin and the Boay Mackay disagree with you, perhaps you should think again?

The occasion referred to above which has never been seen before was as a result of my repeated invitations to McCartin to come in and discuss the recent by election where her and her party were humiliated by crawling in 5^th. To the astonishment of everyone she ignored the invitation and refused to comment on the by election. When someone as arrogant and ignorant as she is abandons the habit of a lifetime which was to show no respect or contrition for anything and disdain for everyone runs away from defending her party; it is safe to say that the Libdems are toast. They are finished here and over the country as well. They quite simply are paying the price of their sins, the lies told to the electorate are now haunting them and it couldn't happen to more deserving people.

 

GAGARIN THE FIRST SPACE HERO - "THE COLUMBUS OF THE COSMOS"

Approximately 50 years ago at the age of 11 I started looking at the sky and have been doing so ever since, not just looking but gazing and wondering. One of the greatest happenings in the history of man had just taken place and the name on everyone's lips was Colonel Yuri Gagarin the first human being to venture into space. Like most 11 year olds I didn't think much about anything other than football, another lifelong passion but: even for a football mad youngster this was impossible to ignore, everyone knew something mind boggling had happened and we all wanted to find out more.

Gagarin became the most famous man on the planet overnight and the people of the world took him to their hearts, the Soviet Union had put a man into orbit which was astonishing: until then we only knew about Dan Dare and Emperor Ming as comic figures but this was real and almost too much to comprehend.

We quickly learned about him, he was 27 years old and he left and flew round the Earth and returned in 1hr. 48 minutes. The actual orbit of mother Earth took 1Hr. 29.34 minutes. He flew at a height of 327,000 meters and travelled at 23,766 miles an hour in Vostock 1. Or as me and my brothers worked out rather crudely Glenburn to London in about 50 seconds that's what grabbed us, Glenburn to London in 50 seconds! I remember we sat looking at each other dumbstruck and unable to explain such a phenomenon, Glenburn to New York? 13 minutes wow! Yuri was described by his fellow cosmonauts as a brilliant mind with ice water in his veins, completely without fear and popular with everyone. He was able to withstand 13G's in the centrifuge and as part of psychological training spent 24 hrs. In a soundless, lightless room the instructors described him as "very difficult, if not impossible to upset"

He was one of 20 cosmonauts who were competing to be the first human in space, Gagarin got the nod not because of his brilliance as a pilot or his unflappable temperament, such things counted of course but he was chosen because he was the smallest of the 20 and the capsule was tiny, world shattering events can be dependent on such mundane things.

Yuri Gagarin left the Earth, no one had ever done that before, since the big bang until April 12 1961 he was the first to leave our planet quite a claim right? What the Soviets did not plan for was the reaction of the world, Gagarin was not just the first man in space he was also as a bonus the most charismatic of men with a megawatt smile who made friends with everyone he met, he was down to Earth (poor pun) and the world could not get enough of him, he did more to change people's opinions of the Soviet Union than anyone could imagine he was a PR dream and to me and millions of others he was one of the greatest if not thee greatest heroes in history.

Gagarin however did not like life as a famous personality all he wanted to do was fly preferably in space. This was denied him as the Soviets valued him too much to send him back into orbit. After much pleading they let him resume his career as a test pilot and he was happy with the adrenalin rush provided by flying low at great speed when testing migs. He died along with another pilot doing this in 1968 and so horrific was the crash that his body could only be identified by the air base barber who recognised a mole on his neck, I suppose he died the way he lived fast and dangerous.

I have thought of him many times since I first heard his name and I he is responsible in no small measure for my interest in science, astronomy and space travel. I suppose everyone has heroes and Yuri Gagarin was/is mine he takes me back to a time when he made anything seem possible a time when hair was long and time was short.

A TASTE OF THINGS TO COME FROM LABOUR IN RENFREWSHIRE.

Most electoral results can be spun to demonstrate that the result wasn't as bad for your party as it looks, as the great one nation Tory Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli once said "there are lies: damned lies and statistics" meaning some clever people can manipulate things to get them to look good no matter how bloody awful they really are. Every now and then a result happens where the above mentioned scheming manoeuvres are simply not possible, last night the Paisley South By Election was just such an occasion when Labour won easily and took the seat previously held by the SNP.

The Tory avoided humiliation along with the "Scottish Socialist Party Stop the Cuts" (nice snappy name there) and the Independent, none of whom were serious candidates. It was a Labour triumph while the SNP were humiliated by losing in a seat where their previous incumbent had sat for 30 years a sea change indeed and an example if needed of how dire their stewardship of the council has been, this was the electorate enjoying the taste of a cold dish called revenge and they gave the SNP collaborators a good kicking which they richly deserved,

Remember "the Westminster Tory/Libdem cuts are about right" (SNP council leader MacKay)

We look now at one of one of the worst humiliations in local politics which I can remember in my life time, step forward Cllr. Eileen McCartin of the Libdems and accept you prize! Not only has this utterly delusional buffoon of a woman led her party into a situation where they came in 5Th. behind the completely unknown Independent and 52 votes ahead of the SSP but she still brazenly acts as if everyone is out of step except her. She not only supported cuts in hours taught by Primary teachers and the scrapping of school busses along with closing libraries and swimming pools but she managed to insult and enrage everyone she came into contact with while doing so. It has been a learning curve for people who opposed these cuts, having seen her at meetings and asked her questions they are incredulous that anyone could vote for someone like her, such is her arrogance, rudeness and complete lack of any people skills. The Libdems are in coalition with the Tories at national level where they are taking a wrecking ball to public services and also in coalition with SNP here in Renfrewshire where they are doing the same thing. People like Mackay and McCartin see themselves as being above ordinary folk, he because of his hidebound obedience to the fairytale of Scottish independence and she because of her idiocy and conceit you have to witness her for yourselves as she sneers and insults people telling them they simply don't understand. She is running for Parliament for the 8^Th. or 9^TH. time apparently there is no Libdem who would be a better candidate, the word vanity does not do her justice.

Well done Labour, well done Roy Glen and all his team, Labour has now got 18 seats and the biggest share of the popular vote by far, the SNP have 16 and the Libdems a pathetic 4 yet they consider that a mandate, there is a reckoning coming for the political harlots of the SNP/LIbdems and it looks more and more likely that the people of Renfrewshire are getting ready to provide it.

BEWARE MISS. MIDDLETON, YOU CAN PICK YOUR FRIENDS BUT NOT YOUR IN LAWS.

Have you ever wondered how Kate Middleton feels about being called a commoner? It sounds a bit insulting and let's face it would you tolerate being called a commoner by a member of one our most embarrassing anti social dysfunctional families the Windsors, the Tories should start with them to see who is and who isn't fit to work. Still she will have the compensation of having some very famous people at her wedding, she will boogie with despots and tyrants who are all friends of her husband's uncle Andy, if you can't have a good knees up with Andy around there is something seriously wrong just don't expect him to buy a round though. He travels the world (first Class) stays in luxury hotels always with his golf clubs; dining in the most expensive restaurants, he is our official gun runner to tyrants everywhere he can't find his own arse using both hands but he's a Royal dontchaknow! It's a dirty dangerous job and we should be grateful that we have Prince Andrew to do it for us, a positive slave to duty he is.

Also in attendance will be William's Uncle Edward whose film company went bust leaving the investors skint and Edwards's wife Sophie whose company crashed with debts of £1.7Million. Don't forget Ginger nut Sarah; she owes £5Million of debt and Andy persuaded his American millionaire friend a Mr. Epstein a convicted criminal to 'bung her £15,000 to help with a debt "that's what friends are for" And us peasants will play our part as their friends by forking out millions for the wedding, I know you didn't get a choice but it would be churlish to object, wouldn't it? Kate would be well advised to count the spoons at the reception.

The charming Kate must be careful when travelling abroad where her new family have some close friends who are mega rich through oil; she is however a woman and these Arab Royals still think nothing of beheading women; even princesses. How will she get along with the world's most obnoxious man William's Grandfather big Phil (the Greek) Windsor, brother in law to 5 high ranking Nazis during the third Reich, so much quality, the breeding is obvious don't you think. No doubt she will learn all about William's late beloved Grandmother the moronic bigot and racist Queen Mother who left £6Million of debt in her wake when she shuffled off this mortal coil, what a mob.

There is a school of thought that says that the Windsor parasites will be always with us; this is based on the following reasoning which says, 'considering what they are like and their history if we haven't gotten rid of them by now we never will'

Still it is not all doom and gloom Alex (the spiv) Salmond likes it that way he wants the house of Windsor to carry on forever, by the Grace of God she and her heirs will be the future Heads of State in wee Eck's independent Scotland. Come to think of it they have previous together, neither the Royals nor the Scottish Nationalists wanted to fight the Nazis during the Second World War, Jackboots and Kilts anyone?

 

 

 

 

 

 

ARE WE HEADIMG FOR “GREAT MURDOCH BRITAIN” WHERE ARE THE MILITARY CRITICS?

I am about to see eye to eye with the Tories, no it's not a joke but what I'm getting at might still aggravate some of them, probably a lot of them in fact. Not so long ago when Labour were in power it was difficult to pick up a newspaper or tune in to a news bulletin without the Labour Government getting all kinds of abuse from those who accused them of selling out our armed forces. It was a contrived coordinated attack on Labour by the right wing media and high ranking military officers aided and abetted shamefully by trendy left groups like the SSP who appallingly exploited the grieving mothers and fathers of soldiers killed or wounded to attack Labour.

Where are the retired Colonels, Rear Admirals and Chief Flying Officers now as the Army, Navy and RAF are decimated by this Tory/Libdem cabal, they have all gone quite have they not? What happened to the outrage from the Press and TV it was a nightly occurrence with right wing politicians and right wing reporters attacking like hungry sharks. Have I missed something; are soldiers no longer being killed and maimed what happened to the rage against Labour, is it OK to be blown to bits as long as it's a Tory led Government in power?

What hypocrites, how about Salmond running around trying to save British Regiments and British Air bases what a con man independence my Jim Royle . I said at the time and I feel vindicated now, that the complaints were designed to attack the Labour Government and the weapons of choice were dead and injured soldiers who were exploited remorselessly. A bad workman blames his tools and so it was with the Armed Forces, the bellicose elderly Generals and Colonels deliberately turned the blame on the Government to hide the fact that one of the biggest and best equipped armies in the world couldn't beat a group of peasants using single shot rifles which they had to share, one gun between two fighters. They were prepared to blame anyone and anything to avoid the obvious; that is that the British Armed Forces need an enema.

All jobs and positions need to be opened up to talent and an end put to nepotism which has been ripe in the Forces and indeed in our society for far too long, read about the cretin Prince Andrew if you don't believe me. Let me explain why I agree with the Tories. Successive governments have clung to the fiction that Britain is a big player on the world stage and our armed forces reflect that, this ceased to be the case a long time ago but no one in politics has had the nerve to admit it. This Tory Government doesn't have that nerve either but they have made it plain by their actions that Britain is an also ran in the modern world, their ruthless destruction of the military states that clearly, even if they won't come out and say it. I urge them now to finish what they have started by ridding the world of Trident and the rest of the weapons of mass destruction which we don't need. I guess that you along with me can think of lots of ways to spend the hundreds of billions we pay for weapons of war, enough to guarantee full employment, first class education, housing and medical treatment for everyone. Once we have done that we can get started on the class system beginning with Lords, Baronets and Knights of the Garter, then all unelected Royal Parasites and not a penny piece for anyone who does not earn it, that would be a good start wouldn't it?

A MESSAGE FOR CLLRS. MACKAY, CAMERON AND MC CARTIN FROM THE PARENTS – “IF YOU THINK EDUCATION IS EXPENSIVE YOU SHOULD TRY IGNORANCE”

I sat in Paisley town hall 2 weeks ago and looked around me at the vast crowd of angry people, every seat taken and approx. 500 locked outside as the campaign to overthrow Renfrewshire SNP/libdem plans to remove primary teachers and replace them with sessional workers reached a crescendo. The final nail in the coffin of these irresponsible ruthless proposals took place yesterday at a full council meeting when the SNP/Libdem plan to make Primary School cuts was scrapped. Parents looked on with dignified satisfaction as the SNP led coalition ate the humble pie which has been heading in their direction for a couple of months, these parents will never trust them again. Come the election will parents be saying "wasn't it nice of those SNP/Libdem politicians to listen to us" or will they be saying something like this "vote for them SNP/Libdems ! you are kidding, remember what they tried to do with our children's education, let's make sure they don't get the chance to do something like that again" my money's on the latter version. The SNP/Libdem coalition was quite simply humiliated by the power of the parent/teacher campaign, one which I was proud to support along with the rest of my Labour Colleagues.

The SNP/Libdem coalition demonstrated how to lose badly and without any dignity as they snarled and scowled their way through the proceedings and the parents cherished it. Mackay made an unctuous speech where he tried to claim credit for "listening" to the parents, rather late I'm afraid. I can't find a single person who does not agree that this decision was taken because the parents forced them to back down. That and a cynical deceitful attempt to limit the damage to Mackay's Holyrood electoral chances, a good example of a politician on the make showing rat like cunning but, the people are not that daft, they can see through a cellophane politician like Mackay anytime. Education Convener SNP Cllr. Cameron continues to believe that hostile stares and growling at people are good debating tools, a chance to hear what these parents actually think of her behaviour would quickly disavow her of that fantasy. Her conduct and her ugly, lurid late night comments on the internet have brought complete shame on her

The figure of gruesome mirth that is Libdem leader Eileen McCartin however has no serious political ambitions and she was as conceited and tactless as ever as she remained defiant and let the parents and everyone know that she stood by the proposals. The parents, teachers, unions, educational experts, Head Teachers, members of the public, the Labour group, the Tory group, council officers who admitted it was wrong and "uncle Tom Cobley n all" We are all incapable of understanding like her; if only we had her clarity of vision, her superior intelligence we would see what she sees, that it is a good idea. This bizarre woman is running for Holyrood, I think this will be her 8^th. or 9^th. attempt at a Parliamentary election so the people of Renfrewshire will have yet another chance to recognise the talent, the ability, the charm, the indefatigability of the woman who is Eileen McCartin she could finish up on Strictly Come Dancing, a kind of Scottish Ann Widdicome if you will; without the brains of course.

Has anyone ever; like me wondered about the Libdem selection procedure for Parliamentary candidates? The SNP are pretty ghastly and quite pathetic as we see the same candidates (all serial losers) cropping up at each election Doig, Adam, Lawson, ex cllr. and real SNP man 'Old Bill Martin' etc. recycled has beens all of them but none of them can hold a candle to the Queen of the losers Eileen McCartin. she must be closing in on the record for most electoral gubbings held by Screaming Lord Sutch of the Monster Raving Loony Party. The fact is there is no bigger monster and no raving loony who can match her. Her automatic candidacy begs the question who else is a member of the Libdems in Renfrewshire? If there are any others has it never occurred to them that she has never been a credible candidate and has been a figure of ridicule for years? Oh and did you know that she is the deputy leader of Renfrewshire Council, honestly she is, check it for yourselves. What must the calibre of members in the Libdems be like? The mind boggles; no one is better than her! Can that possibly be true? Or as we all suspect is she really that scary?