Ian Gray won, Alex Salmond nil
First Minister's Questions, Thursday 19th March
I thought Ian Gray won , as he increasingly does, and comfortably. Exposing once more how slogans and well enough intentioned policy commitments ain’t enough.
Alex needed all his rhetorical skill to stay afloat.
But here is my analysis -which ain’t intellectually hostile to the SNP: It needs to waken up to the reality that the administration it presides over - The Civil Service and its sub quangos - are just rubbish, absolutely rubbish,
It was rubbish under Labour, but it suited the SNP in opposition to "blame London", not home grown bureaucrats, so it was never exploited. But it suits Scottish Labour in opposition's to exploit , and by god it is doing this well.
And the SNP - as it is the Government now - will pay the price. Especially if it continues to apologize for them, cover for them, read their briefs.
And especially if it continues - as Eck does like a talking parrot these days – bang on and on about London’s “ £500m cuts”, when all this is is a quite reasonable UK wide public sector 1% efficiency drive - in a recession where the prices of near everything are falling, and when private companies and voluntary sector organisations are habitually taking cuts of 10% or more. The SG/SNP should instead offer to save a billion ( to be then used of front line service provision) - if Labour in Scotland promises to help: Help root out the inept, take the vested interests, including the public sector unions - from the First Division Association to the PCS. And say loud and clear that the people of Scotland - that's 5 million of us - deserve better than this antiquated 35,000 (and rising!) mob provide.
The key to independence, of this I am sure. No small, new, dynamic nation could afford to carry this baggage. And 90% of the top mandarins are Unionists to the core, however nicely they smile in your presence minster, First Minister. A disturbing proportion of the top guys Oxbridge educated - and in realty mostly London Civil service rejects, up here as they couldnae cut it down south. Apart for 1% of them - M15 plants. There is probably one high up in Skills Development Scotland Eck!
And just do read the letter Fiona Hyslop's department wrote (I know not written Fiona, but signed by her to the Leader of the Opposition) to a 19 year old apprentice fearful for his job. Appalling - in any country, in any constitutional arrangement, under any government - even mine. Especially mine.
Alex needed all his rhetorical skill to stay afloat.
But here is my analysis -which ain’t intellectually hostile to the SNP: It needs to waken up to the reality that the administration it presides over - The Civil Service and its sub quangos - are just rubbish, absolutely rubbish,
It was rubbish under Labour, but it suited the SNP in opposition to "blame London", not home grown bureaucrats, so it was never exploited. But it suits Scottish Labour in opposition's to exploit , and by god it is doing this well.
And the SNP - as it is the Government now - will pay the price. Especially if it continues to apologize for them, cover for them, read their briefs.
And especially if it continues - as Eck does like a talking parrot these days – bang on and on about London’s “ £500m cuts”, when all this is is a quite reasonable UK wide public sector 1% efficiency drive - in a recession where the prices of near everything are falling, and when private companies and voluntary sector organisations are habitually taking cuts of 10% or more. The SG/SNP should instead offer to save a billion ( to be then used of front line service provision) - if Labour in Scotland promises to help: Help root out the inept, take the vested interests, including the public sector unions - from the First Division Association to the PCS. And say loud and clear that the people of Scotland - that's 5 million of us - deserve better than this antiquated 35,000 (and rising!) mob provide.
The key to independence, of this I am sure. No small, new, dynamic nation could afford to carry this baggage. And 90% of the top mandarins are Unionists to the core, however nicely they smile in your presence minster, First Minister. A disturbing proportion of the top guys Oxbridge educated - and in realty mostly London Civil service rejects, up here as they couldnae cut it down south. Apart for 1% of them - M15 plants. There is probably one high up in Skills Development Scotland Eck!
And just do read the letter Fiona Hyslop's department wrote (I know not written Fiona, but signed by her to the Leader of the Opposition) to a 19 year old apprentice fearful for his job. Appalling - in any country, in any constitutional arrangement, under any government - even mine. Especially mine.
Dont believe me? - read this - Reality
2 comments:
It's a sad state of affairs when the leader of a party uses a constituency case as their main questions. The SNP never used to personalise FMQs when they were opposition and it smacks a bit like desperation when Iain Gray does it. He just can't find a subject to really hit Alex Salmond with and quoting personal situations like this is poor. I wonder what the SNP will find when they investigate - could be interesting.
As for sorting out the Scottish civil service yes you're right - but it should have been sorted out 25 years ago and doing it during the worst recession the UK has ever known isn't the right time. The time is when the economy starts to pick up. Now if labour had kept it under control it wouldn't be in this state would it?
You insult many good civil servants who decided to stay in Scotland. The problem started when the civil service stopped insisting employees sat the Civil Service Commission exams and that wasn't the SNP who did that was it. When these exams were mandatory for entrance the quality of personnel was far superior.
Subrosa. We will agree to differ. politics to me is about people, and the 19 year old ian gray quoted was real,and i am sure not alone, ( And in opposition the snp dozens of times i can recall snp, quite legitimately used individuals cases like this)
But if you want "below the belt" look at annabels "two salary salmond " jibe that followed. A bit rich from the party of billionaires, and given eck gves his second salary back!
re civil sevants, i don't think i insulted them all, just the system they are part of. I am sure there are many good ones, but frusrtated as hell i'm also sure. And near the top? - nae chance - wrong uni, wrong accent - and they'd show up the top mandirins for what ty are useless, near 100% of them useless - why they got the job
And Labour/Tories sort out? Why shoud they, they are their Union's best allies. It's why Ek does nothing but protects them Im asking
Victory to Alex Neil - he's sussed them in less than a month!
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