ScottishToryBoy learns that Wendy has got another new press spokesman former Scotsman diarist and ex talk 107 presenter Simon Pia. An appointment clearly welcomed by my Labour source who, when asked if it was true, replied “yes sadly.” Wonder how long this one will last.
Quite a history she has with her press people, well documented but probably worth going through again. Those that have left under Wendy are former Sunday Mail political editor Brian Lironi, Matthew Marr, Tony McElroy, Kerron Cross (although he didn’t actually get to start). That leaves Wendy with Simon Pia and Gavin Yates who if he continues to get Wendy to pose on farms with Jersey cows may not last all that long himself.
For those of you that read my blog and know me personally will testify, one of my favourite things in life is to sit relaxing, drinking coffee whilst reading the economist and just today I stumbled across this fine piece.
The piece praises the way the Scottish Conservatives have performed in the budget, heck, most publications have and many will find no interest in the piece. That is until the author becomes clear as the piece is written by none other than Peter Jones the husband of Midlothian Labour MSP Rhona Brankin who describes Wendy as being "unable to oppose the SNP effectively"....
The papers today make very poor reading for those on the Labour floor today. Most papers use a picture of a grim looking Wendy Alexander and when contrasted to the picture of Alex Salmond with a broad grin across his face, you know which one of the two had a better day at the office yesterday.
The Sun picks up on the comments of Gavin Brown who yesterday called Labour Finance spokesman “convenor of the cross-party group on mince” and shows Iain Gray’s head in a mincer. As John Swinney put it, “it is a bizarre position Labour has got itself into” and it is very difficult to disagree.
I posted this yesterday on the budget, a post written quite quickly and with some glaring errors. I stated that Margo opposed the budget as at the time the rumour going around was it was her or Mike Rumbles. In fact, it turns out Cathie Craigie was the Labour MSP who voted against the budget instead of abstaining like her comrades did. Seems that the Labour whips are unable to control their members now, despite Craigie’s claims she voted against the budget on “principal”.
Douglas Fraser perhaps puts it best when he said that the budget “was a test not just of government but of effective opposition. Labour flunked that test.” Although, the Scotsman doesn’t do to badly itself when it describes yesterday as “a total triumph and an utter defeat.”
One also hears that the electoral commission are due to report late this morning – I’ve heard a few whispers thus far….
Labour’s amendment to the budget was this evening passed by 110 votes yes (SNP + Labour + the Tories) with one against (Margo) and 13 abstentions (the Fib Dems) When it came to voting on the budget as amended the Fib Dems and the Labour group abstained allowing the budget to go through with 64 yes, one against and 60 abstentions.
Yes, that’s right. Labour amended the budget but then failed to vote for it. Ridiculous!
What is the reward for those among us that reach the top of their profession? For film stars I guess its awards and Oscars, for footballers it's moves to the elite clubs, for us bloggers I guess it's sparking a debate in comments sections or having our pieces mentioned in the press.
What about the journalists who give every waken minute to try and find a story, scan through every release of expenses to find if someone has slipped out, spent many an hour buttering someone up in order to get a wee tale, what for them, is the highlight of their career? Well....perhaps a comment on an online version of their story proclaiming love for them?
Well that's exactly what has happened to the Sunday Herald political editor Paul Hutcheon in this story.
If you care to scroll down to the comment posted at 11.37am on Sunday 3 February 2008 by the poster Karinm in which she says:
paul hutcheon is a god. I want to marry him and have his babies. I love paul hutcheon. The only real journalist left in the scottish political newspaper scence. what a man. brilliant paul.
