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Scottish Parliament election

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United they stand

  • Brian Taylor
  • 3 Apr 07, 12:13 PM

Political power is mutable, not fixed. At least, in a democracy.

Electoral churn is critical to refresh the system. (I still rather like the story of the defeated American congressional candidate who acknowledged his failure thus: "The people have spoken…….the b……s!")

You can tell, too, when power is palpably shifting. Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and Jack McConnell were in Glasgow today. Together. In the same room.

Somehow, curiously, it was the Prime Minister who seemed fractionally marginalised when they all met the media.

Maybe that's because the topic was the Holyrood elections. Jack McConnell has a certain interest in the outcome.

Gordon Brown, ditto, because of a potential backwash at Westminster.

Tony Blair will, as he reminded us, be gone from office shortly, after Scots go to the polls on May 3.

Maybe also it's because the theme was the economy - or rather the latest chapter in Labour claims that the SNP's sums are flawed. (Nationalists, of course, dispute this assertion.)

Perhaps the intriguing element is not the relative (I stress, relative) eclipse of Tony Blair.

Perhaps it's that the First Minister was not utterly sidelined as, frankly, he has appeared in the past.

For example, Gordon Brown previously intervened in the election campaign with a hastily arranged (and mostly tedious) economic lecture at the Corn Exchange in Edinburgh.

On that occasion, Jack McConnell seemed, variously, like a warm-up man or a slightly uncomfortable onlooker.

Labour has learned. Indeed, I understand that party strategists have explicitly drawn lessons from the Corn Exchange event.

Perhaps it was the succession of journalists stomping out of the hall, bellowing "well, that was a waste of time" that offered a clue. (Yes, dear reader, I was one of them.)

Anyway, this time, both Gordon Brown and Tony Blair stressed the distinctive role of the First Minister.

Mr McConnell himself frequently intervened to take questions, even when, on occasion, those had initially been addressed to Mr Brown.

The FM, it would appear, has had enough of sitting in the shadow, enough of the opposition taunts. More to the point, his Westminster colleagues seem to grasp the concept - that these elections have their own status, not just as mid-term commentaries on UK issues.

Now, of course, rival parties will continue, entirely legitimately, to attack.

They will say that Tony Blair is irrevocably associated with war in Iraq.

They will demand apologies from Gordon Brown over pensions. (Mr Brown said today that the decision 10 years ago on dividend tax credits was right for the wider economy - and he'd do it again. Il ne regrette rien.)

Those attacks will be sustained - and will be potentially salient in the election campaign. However, for today at least, it seems that Mr McConnell has found dodged another dose of the TB/GBs.

Comments   Post your comment

  • 1.
  • At 02:27 PM on 03 Apr 2007,
  • Hermit wrote:

It`s all smoke and mirrors in the end though. I believe folks should return to the days when a ruler of a kingdom (in this case, Scotland) should be `proven` to be fit to rule.
I can`t think of a single MSP who would be thought fit enough by the common folks today. (`fit`...as in, thrash the bejayzus out of the enemy and prove you can hold onto the countrys wealth and force of arms against future crises)
*sigh* the good old days. :D

  • 2.
  • At 02:54 PM on 03 Apr 2007,
  • Malcolm wrote:

An unpopular Prime Minister, a more unpopular Chancellor and an even more unpopular First Minister all sitting in the same room and all the journalists could say is "what a waste of time".

Surely such an opportunity afforded journalists a chance to address the issue of why these three powerful politicians find themselves uniquely unpopular and all at the same. A few salient and pointed questions would not have gone amiss here.

It proves once more that political journalism in Scotland is less professional, less thoughtful or knowledgeable than it should be.

An opportunity lost, but never mind Scotland's political hacks can get back to what they do best and that is taunting the nats.

  • 3.
  • At 08:11 PM on 03 Apr 2007,
  • mjc wrote:

Let's cut to the quick. Full independence now, followed quickly (or is it quirkily?) by a Federation treaty with Quebec (on the model of the long defunct United Arab Republic). Oh, by the way, is Tony allowed to vote in Scotland (he went to school in Edinburgh, after all), or is he confined to his Durham constituency? Is it true that the PM is going to be the last one to receive a peerage? Lord of Fettes? Granted magnanimously by Gordon Brown, via Buckingham?

Malcolm, surely one of us has misunderstood Brian's post. It seems to me that it was the Corn Exchange event that was branded a waste of time, not the Bliar/Brown/McDonnell meeting in Glasgow - though I admit I may well be wrong (and thus disqualify myself from political office :-) )

  • 5.
  • At 10:39 AM on 05 Apr 2007,
  • graeme mccormick wrote:

The overall impression of the Blair/Brown/McConnell press conference was half-hearted. On television it looked like a glorified canteen with a backdrop hurriedly thrown together. Very han'knittet!

Wendy Alexander on Newsnicht is growing into her new role as Tam o'Shanter's wife every time she appears. If she raises the issue of an economy predicated on the fluctuating price of oil again would some ´óÏó´«Ã½ journalist please ask her this simple question: Wendy, So you think Norway is an economic basket case?

  • 6.
  • At 10:34 PM on 05 Apr 2007,
  • Mark Sutherland-Fisher wrote:

Which is worse, a Scottish Prime Minister who pretends he isn't (Tony Blair unless being born in Edinburgh no longer constitutes being a Scot) or a would be Scottish Prime Minister who pretends he really wants to be English (Gordon Brown who wants England to beat Scotland in the next World Cup) and then there was poor Jack in and out of the box just wishing someone would think he is a serious politician and First Minister! Margaret Thatcher was accused of at worst loathing Scotland and at best ignoring it but she never took it for granted. Tony Blair has relied on his Lobby Fodder to force unwanted policies on English voters, the "poll tax effect" in reverse. Alex Salmond is a SCotsman who admires England and English people and David Cameron is an Englishman who admires Scotland and the Scots and happens to be more Scot than Englishman, but neither Salmond nor Cameron pretend to be something they are not. Blair, Brown and McConnell, that will be the 3 brass monkeys. Blair sees no evil, Brown hears no evil and McConnell speaks no evil or should that be Blair can't see when everyone else is right and he (and his pal George) are wrong, Brown doesn't listen to advice, especially when he was told not to start stealing £100 billion from our pension funds and poor Jack is simply ignored and isn't allowed out to speak because Labour HQ is worried he might have an opinion.

  • 7.
  • At 10:00 AM on 06 Apr 2007,
  • Andy wrote:

Norway doesn't have to depend on oil revenues. It raises money from high alcohol taxes and high personal tax rates. Is it SNP policy to introduce either or both of these ?

  • 8.
  • At 05:14 PM on 06 Apr 2007,
  • riddiford wrote:

Where was the ghost reporter from the ghost ´óÏó´«Ã½ ENGLAND ?

I bet he would have had some questions to Not "make it a waste of time".

English Parliament.
Better off out.
Barnett robbery.

I could go on.

go for it SNP.

Independance for England.

  • 9.
  • At 03:57 PM on 16 Apr 2007,
  • Gerry wrote:

Dont you think Gordon Brewer is developing the Paxman touch?
Great - so long as he does it with all his interviewees - which so far he has
The days of politicians not answering questions, or answering the one they wanted asked, should be over!

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