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Another Scottish Labour nasty ASBO at
"politician of the year" bash at
Prestonfield House Hotel
James Irvine
Teviot Scientific, Cultybraggan Farm, Comrie,
Perthshire
Filed 22 Nov 07
©www.land-care.org.uk
A few days ago the politicians
of the Scottish Parliament were having their "politician of
the year" annual awards bash at the prestigious Prestonfield
House Hotel, Edinburgh. You would have thought that, from past experience
of such an event in the same hotel, they might have learned how
to behave themselves. But no, at least as far as the Labour Party
is concerned.
It was just three years ago in
November 2004 at a similar 'politician "do" in the same
hotel that Lord Watson, a former Scottish Labour Minister for Culture
and Sport (would you believe), willfully set fire to the curtains
in one of the hotel's rooms, endangering the lives of others as
they slept in the hotel at 2.00am. He was drunk. After denying his
involvement, although caught in the act by CCTV, he subsequently
pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 16 months in clink (1).
At this year's function it was
Wendy Alexander's spokesman, Matthew Marr who clearly did not know
how to behave himself. He had only been in the job of senior spin
doctor to the leader of the Scottish Labour Party for a few weeks.
The previous incumbent had left on the alleged pretext that he could
not work with Wendy. It is understood that Wendy had personally
chosen Marr to fill the vacant post. Now she has to look for yet
another spin doctor to support her increasingly tarnished image
since taking over the Scottish Labour Party leadership from Jack
McConnell.
The trouble was that Matthew Marr
could not hold his liquor at the awards knees-up. As Alex Salmond
was being given the top accolade, Marr loudly proclaimed that Alex
Salmond was a "c***". He also proclaimed loudly "I
hate the middle classes". It was also alleged that he was abusive
to a member of the hotel staff and conducted himself in an offensive
manner towards a female sitting at the same table, and to others.
While Marr may well have been stating
the truth about the Scottish Labour Party hating the middle classes
(and of course the upper classes), the venue of a glittering self-congratulatory,
politician booze-up (with numerous journalists also at the watering
hole) is not the place to do it.
These two episodes - that of Lord
Watson and of Matthew Marr - reflect badly on the Scottish Labour
Party. Are they a crowd of boors? How did Lord Watson ever become
a peer of the realm? For what? Is the judgement of the current leader
of the Scottish Labour Party so poor that she personally appointed
as her senior aide such a moron: a spin doctor who does not know
how to behave in public?
There was a time, not so very long
ago, when Wendy Alexander and her brother Douglas (presently Secretary
of State for Scotland at Westminster) were highly thought of. But
Wendy's presentation skills are agonising to behold and wee Dougie
has got much of the blame for the debacle of the Scottish General
Election in May of this year, when some 140,000 voting papers were
spoiled on account of organisational failures for which he had overall
responsibility (2).
But even when wee Dougie was getting
it full barrel from the opposition at Westminster, the Speaker had
to control Ian Austin, Gordon Brown's private secretary, for unseemly
behaviour in the House.
It seems that boorish conduct within
the Labour Party may be endemic both north and south of the border.
With the Labour Party having been in power for 10 years in Westminster,
and as part of Labour/LibDem Coalition for 8 years in devolved Scotland,
it is not surprising that Anti Social Behaviour (and worse) is such
a problem in society today.
©www.land-care.org.uk
References
1. Editorial (2004).
The architect of the anti-foxhunting (Scotland) Bill pleads guilty
of being a drunken wilful fire raiser, endangering the lives of
others as they slept in a prestigious Edinburgh hotel.
See SOCIAL/ECONOMIC/POLITICAL Homepage, filed 07 Sep 05,
www.land-care.org.uk Click
Here to View
2. Treneman, Ann
(2007). 'Daveheart' victorious after heated battle with his auld
enemy.
Originally published in The Times, 25th October 07. Reproduced here
be kind permission of the Author and of the Newspaper
See SOCIAL/ECONOMIC/POLITICAL Homepage, filed 26 Oct 07,
www.land-care.org.uk Click
Here to View
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