Parliament: March 2008 Archives

So The Donald (pictured at left) is unhappy at the fact that a public inquiry might take a long time. He has threatened to take the project elsewhere if the inquiry takes too long. Today, too, his representative on earth, George Sorial, one of the most arrogant people ever to appear before a Parliamentary Committee, said:

"Despite the support of the overwhelming majority of local people, there will always be those who have set their faces against this progressive and beneficial project and will refuse to back it. That's their right. But it's crucial that the size of this small but vociferous group of objectors is kept in perspective." (BBC)

In other words, we'll accept any outcome so long as it's what we want. And to hell with the 8000+ petitioners, the 1m+ RSPB members, the community campaigners and the statutory regulator, not to mention the Badenoch and Strathspey Conservation Group, Buglife, Friends of the Earth Scotland, the John Muir Trust, the Marine Conservation Society, Plantlife, the Ramblers' Association Scotland, the Scottish Allotments and Gardens Society, the Scottish Council for National Parks, the Scottish Countryside Rangers' Association, the Scottish Raptor Study Groups, the Scottish Wildlife Trust, and WWF Scotland (pdf).

Sure, that's a small group of objectors. Why should any of their views count when Donald's got the money?

MSPs have a wide range of responsibilities. At 5pm, though, it comes down to being able to press the right button. In a tight parliament of minorities, getting it wrong can have significant consequences. Last night four Liberals, pictured above, got it wrong on a vote on tagging, meaning worse over-crowding in Scotland's prisons. (Herald, Scotsman)

Two other Liberal members who ought to have known better failed to vote at all. Nicol Stephen, the party "leader", no less, and Iain Smith.

People used to ask of politicians if we felt safe with their fingers on the button. Different button, admittedly, but the answer with this lot is a clear no.

The SSP and latterly Solidarity didn't often make much contribution to policy debates here, sadly, but they certainly brought a bit of drama from time to time, with protests (see Rosie pictured here in the particularly badly-made cardboard submarine), general fist-waving and walkouts over nothing. Now they're gone, though, and who knows when or if they'll return?

The Liberals appear to have spotted this gap in the market. Mike Rumbles, pictured, flounced out of the Rural Affairs & Environment Committee this morning, accusing Roseanna Cunningham of being "extremely partisan and party political". Hello pot, I've got kettle on line 2.

It looks like a pattern, too, following their walkout at Westminster. Clearly a memo has gone round. One day the electorate will ask them to leave on a more permanent basis, as in Australia, but we'll have to accept temporary relief for now.

Apologies for the apparent bias on this site in the last couple of days. I've got some scathing stuff coming on the SNP, promise.

A liberal-inclined source tells me a tale from Aviemore. Apparently Nick Clegg, latest owner of the poisoned chalice, had to ask a speechwriter aide what the word "throng" means. Here's a clue, Nick, it's what you didn't have at your conference, as Calum and others have noted.

Don't be alarmed by the title, there will no nude pics of Ross Finnie, let alone anything worse.. I'm just enjoying Iain Macwhirter's Nicol Stephen/Harry Saxe-Coburg Gotha mashup.

Thanks to Mike at Allmediascotland for bringing this to the attention of his email subscribers. If you're not on his list yet, you should be, and you can sign up here.

The Sunday Herald gave a good show to a campaign we're involved in against the massive opening up of Scotland's waters for oil and gas, threatening not just the Moray bottlenose dolphins but also 20+ other cetaceans. Thanks Rob.

I admire Brian Taylor's patience and determination. He had to put up with half an hour spent with Nicol Stephen, grilling him on what the Liberal Party's for (clue: nothing). The Liberals' shamelessness was on display on more than one occasion during the interview.