Alexander for leader?
One by one, the potential contenders to challenge Wendy Alexander for the Scottish Labour leadership are dropping out.
Margaret Curran, Andy Kerr and Iain Gray have now all declined to enter the contest.
Ms Alexander herself has confirmed that she is a candidate - but won鈥檛 launch her campaign until Friday.
That鈥檚 sensible, given that Jack McConnell has only just stood down and that the timetable for the election has yet to be determined by the party.
Strictly speaking, the post is Labour leader at Holyrood.
To stand for the post, you need to be a member of the Scottish Parliament - and you need nominations from six Labour MSPs.
Pretty tall order when you consider that Wendy is the firm favourite - and that the field of nominating MSPs has shrunk of late.
Is it really a smart career move to stand against the hot tip?
True, you engineer a contest. But the warm glow of assisting democracy fades fairly soon. The chill of self-exclusion persists.
At an earlier stage, it was said that Ms Alexander would welcome a contest, if only to foster a debate about the future of the party.
But I imagine she could summon the strength of character to survive a coronation.
Doesn鈥檛 seem to have done Gordon Brown any harm.
Re Wendy herself, she is personable, highly intelligent and a politician of substantial integrity.
As a minister until 2002, she was a dynamo at the heart of government.
Perhaps not every idea endured to action - but ideas there were plenty.
She is the MSP for Paisley North and the sister of Douglas, the International Development Secretary at Westminster.
Wendy stepped down from cabinet to think great thoughts - or, less satirically, to contribute to the intellectual debate which she plainly felt was lacking in the rather stolid, immobile Scottish body politic.
She insisted then that she intended no snub to Jack McConnell by leaving his team.
One or two Labour observers at Holyrood harbour doubts about whether she has the gutsy character to tackle Alex Salmond.
Young as she is, some also see her as part of the old guard who formed the Labour leadership at the outset of devolution.
One sceptic recalled that she had posed problems for the party with the repeal of Section 28.
Said sceptic added: 鈥淎ll we need is for Henry McLeish to come back as a special adviser and we鈥檙e set.鈥
However, most in the party think highly of her - and expect great things, particularly in the field of policy making.
I'm 
Comments
Brian, what I want to know is what is Jack McConnell going to be doing in the future?
After all, just how much call is there for a man with Tony Blair's thumbprint engraved onto the top of his head?
wendy alexander will be a good leader for scottish labour. we have a hard fight to defeat the scot nats but with wendy alexander we have a good chance.she is what we need. i to could call donald dewar friend while he made mistakes i feel he backed a winner. while myself having grave doubts about the scottish parliament idea which i still have in wendy we will have a fine leader.
"Re Wendy herself, she is personable, highly intelligent and a politician of substantial integrity."
And the pigs are mustering for take-off!
Wendy may be all those things you say, personable intelligent etc. Think for a moment though - you're having to explain who she is. She is almost invisible to the Scottish people. If she can't promote herself how will she promote her party or her parties policies.
The phrase "Iain Duncan-Smith in drag" might be a little too harsh but I think the effect of her leadership and length of tenure as leader may be about the same if she gets the job.
Wendy Alexander is no doubt a woman of substance and a good thinker. I think that is what the Labour Party needs at the moment. Someone who will do the thinking needed to let the Labout Party recover
I'm even less likely to vote Labour again with Wendy Alexander as leader, she is NOT the kind of character I would want running Scotland.
So far the minority administration are running things in a professional way. Why the Labour opposition to a referendum? If people don't want independence then surely they can just vote no?
Brian, I enjoy your blog, do you ever read these posts?
Scotland does indeed face at least in cultural terms a stark decision.
Do we follow the son / daughter of the manse, forward into a "presbyterian" pro business culture or do we step up to an anti-anglo pro "social justice" corporatist future.
Playing my own cards, I am for Alexander (although as an NEF LD, never vote for other than Ming), our problems as a nation will not be solved by indpendence . Our salvation if it is to come, will come from a re-discovery of a self reliance / confidence that gave birth to Telford, Watt, Hulme, Scott, Smith, Kelvin and Stephenson. Our great error / tragedy has been to look for "elected" leaders to remedy our national sickness.
Wendy Alexander is the right person to tackle Salmond - she'll do a good job. Certainly a huge improvement on McConnell.
Yes, she seems smart enough.
But that will not be enough for Scottish Labour to recover, if it's loyalties are generally seen to be elsewhere - by trying to minimise the amount of new powers that the Scottish parliament can gain..
I seriously doubt if Wendy Alexander or any other Labour MSP has the quality to even test Alex Salmond, he is without question the only world class leader we have. The Lib/Lab/Con coalition cannot hold back the tidal wave of hunger for more power by the people of Scotland,resistance will of course only play into the hands of Alex Salmond.On a lighter note does Kirsty have a holiday home in Malawi or not?
The last thing Labour wants in Scotland is a left wing leader.
I was recently on a business trip to
Glasgow and met up with some friends and others from all walks of life locally.
It seems the general view is that Labour is losing out to the SNP due to old worn out leftish views and policies.
If Labour wants to hand Scotland on a plate to Ian Salmonds then voting in
a left wing leader might just about do it.
I wish that your "sceptic" would be more open in his criticism, because then I could tell him directly that Wendy being the person who spearheaded the repeal of Section 28 is a great asset, not a handicap. She and Donald Dewar saw off a highly funded, lying smear campaign and democracy was the winner. Most people consider that a good thing, and would hope for more of the same from Wendy.
Sorry Brian, you attempt at sincerity over Ms Alexander just does not wash.
Another London 'shoe in' is how she is seen by party activists and her election will see the continuing loss of membership turn into a flood. Not because she is female but because she has sadly demonstrated an inability to cope with public debate when faced with real opposition - basically she 'looses it' and it is not a pretty sight.
Wendy equals more votes for Wee Eck.
Personableness and intelligence are not stand alone skills assessment of an individual鈥檚 ability to perform in employment; it requires to be complimented with judgement, team working, and an openness to new ideas; I feel that Wendy Alexander has no proven record as a team worker.
When things go awry Wendy goes walkabout in a huff, nobody understands intellect as Wendy does or so appears her perception, she alone is capable of making a real intellectual contribution to the Scottish Labour Party.
When Henry McLeish resigned she was fearful of putting her name forward for the number one job; having seen that even Jack McConnell was capable of doing the job, irrespective of his effectiveness in post, has given her the confidence to put her name forward.
Wendy is a meddler not a manager, tinkering with issues on the extremities is not the same as managing a team and producing and refining policy.
She would be wise to view the four phases of B. W. Tuckman鈥檚 model for a team鈥檚 progress to success, Forming, Storming, Norming and Performing; there is no guarantee that a team will progress through all four phases, this is dependent on the team members and the team leader. It must be noted that since the model was created a fifth phase has been added, Adjourning.
I think if promoted to Labour Leader Wendy will make a lot of noise, but noise is no substitute for substance; I think she will offer no great challenge to Alex Salmond, neither will she return Labour to its accustomed position of the principle political party of Scotland.
If labour ever achieve that leading political status in Scotland they never again will or never should become as complacent, this was the fault in the previous Labour administration; now Scotland has had the courage to vote SNP no party, SNP or Labour should feel they will automatically returned to power, it was such arrogance that saw the end to a 50 year association of Scotland and Labour.
Uncertainty of tenure in office should provide Scotland with better administration irrespective of which party is elected to office.
How do you define leadership qualities?by the level of intelligence and indivivdual drive or by the ability to maintain collective support?does wendy have a soul with her substance?can she bring together a party that has an identity crisis?for me, government is about collective responsibilty,not about individuals who have the brightest thoughts,wrong choice labour(NEW)
Brian,
Why don't just sub your blog with "Always Labour, Forever Labour".
Your blog is so biased (like the whole of 大象传媒 Scotland) towards labour. We expect that from The Herald and The Scotsman, but at least they can publish some negatives about her. Why don't you mention in your blog that Ms Alexander has quit key roles / career stages a number of times? Why don't you question her commitment to the role as a potential First Minister? Do we really want a leader who might go off in a huff when Parliament rejects something deeply important to her?
Wendy as Scottish leader will bring much needed intellectual debate both within the Scottish Party and Scotland as a whole. She will truly prove to be a strong leader and an excellent future First Minister. Good luck to her.
As someone who was used to voting Labour until the last election the possibility of Wendy Alexander becoming leader means that Labour will never have my vote while she is in charge. This is a vote winner - for the SNP.
Doesn't matter who they put in place of Mr McConnell, he/she will be first, last and everywhere in between Gordon's placeman/woman in Scotland. And to all the unionists posting tiday, just think long and hard as to what you are supporting. The United Kingdom has had its day and is becoming more and more of an anachronism in the modern world. Time to return to the status quo and become a (pre 1707) nation again.
I have three reservations about Wendy.
1) According to their official biographies, she and her sibling Douglas, seem to have have considerable experience of politics, but relatively little of life outside. Theory's great, but hands-on knowledge is better.
2)In her first spell as an executive minister she was deeply unpopular with her civil servants. While cynics might see this as a virtue, it's no basis on which to run a country.
3) I'm not sure that a First Minister with a brother in the UK cabinet would be in the interests of Scotland. Too easy for the opposiiton parties to depict her as having Gordon's hand on the strings.
Mind you, having said all that I don't vote Labour, so I hope she does succeed wee Jack. I can't actually envisage a tide of Weegie feminocracy sweeping across the nation at the next election.
What clever thing has Wendy ever done? We are told that she is the smartest Labour have, that may be true, but what smart things has she done?
It looks like the monkeys in the Jungle Book who claim great things. They know this is true because they always say it is true.
By the 大象传媒麓s / Brian麓s introduction to Ms Alexander you would think this is a ploitican of long standing "international note". Far from it, and if she is elected she will become a "national joke". Shew is devisive and can not see pothers opinions hence the resignations and disasters she has left in haer quake.
I am a long standing LP member, but there is no one to challenge Salmond for ability, thought or policy in Labour. We need a time in the wilderness to adjust to thinking that Scotland should come first and Westminster second.
I hope LP thinking is the same in Scotland and we will stop sounding like Tories of 70, 80 & 90麓s and be prepared to say no to London and yest to Scotland.
Ms Alexander dpes not have the capacity to do this, I long for someone who can!
Doug Mc
My oh My... as an ex-labour member and supporter the decline and fall of Labour in Scotland will only continue. The suppossed calibre of Leadership contenders is to use a phrase "RANK ROTTEN".
The Nats will love Wendy...never use one sntence when she can waffle a paragragh instead. If she is leader in 2011 expect an even worse result than May.
The 1980's Students of Wendy Alexander,brother Douglas(election count debacle), Andy Kerr etc at the top where never rated by contempories...just shows how politics works in New Labour
Wendy Alexander is a far more charismatic person than McConnell.
I am sure sure she will tackle Alex Salmond with a ferocity that was never apparent with Jack.
I don't buy the bias accusation being thrown at this blog ... some people just read to much into nothing. However, Wendy as a credible leader of the opposition ::rolls eyes:: Labour couldn't put up a decent opposition candidate if their political future depended on it ... oh dear. It does!
Well, 'wee Folding Bike', Wendy was instrumental in delivering the 'smart successful Scotland' strategy that has led to a) many of these policies adopted by the SNP administration and b) along with Labour in Westminster, the highest levels of employment in Scotland since records began. Given that considerable achievement, Salmond's veto of the Edinburgh tram plan pales in comparison....
The choice of labour leader has already been made in london.
It makes no difference who the next labour leader is, politics in Scotland has moved on, we will nolonger tolerate the labour look after each other brother act and job for life attitude.
McConnell has been gifted a new lucrative position which he is not qualified to perform, typical old labour.
Wendy will soon realise that she can never compete with the SNP, because the SNP are controlled in Scotland and answer only to Scotland.
Puppet leaders only belong in banana republics.
Hi Brian
A very supportive and positive article about Wendy Alexander. But are there not more than one or two Labour observers who have doubts about her and about more than just that she might not have the gutsy character to tackle Alex Salmond. Are there not also doubts about her people skills and ability to connect with the voters?
Is it just me or is your bias starting to show more and more? As an employee of the 大象传媒 please try and be as impartial as possible and refrain from bumming up Labour's Heid Bummers
Cheers Ma Man
Donald
bring her on! she is labours answer to nicola sturgeon-except wendy lacks the ambition the ideas and the commitment-i hope labour do coronate her their new queen-because nothing will alienate the Scots populace more than the london "guy" in charge
I would like to wish Wendy Alexander all the best in her candidacy for Scottish Labour Leader. It will bring Independence that step closer!!
Wendy Alexander.....couldn't be any worse than Jack McConnell.
I didn't realise she was Douglas Alexanders sister, if she is half as detestable as him then the SNP have won a watch as they say!
Whenever I heard her earlier this year (at election time) she came over as shrill and hectoring and not a wee bit crabbit. She also was inclined to 'lose it' when things weren't going her way.
I've no doubt she'll have all the statistics at her fingertips but she will need a lot more than that when she comes to face Alex Salmond at FMQs.
I am completely unconcerned about who leads Labour.
I don't like the, frankly sexist, snide comments and personal attacks here and in the columns of the 大象传媒 biog etc.
It seems to reflect the small-minded mentality and perception of political life in Scotland, however. We seem intent on being second rate and running down any other Scot who tries to achieve.
That is why I am frightened of independence - we are c**p at having ambition.
Michael,
True, her name is on the preface of SSS, as is her face.
Did she put any finance in place for start up companies? Did she quit a year later?
As to the trams, do you really expect it to come in on budget?
Given your much cherished 'independence referendum' is fast dissapearing, I fail to see how independence is a 'step closer', Scot, by the election of Wendy Alexander.
Wendy, Andy Kerr, Margaret Curran or some left winger yet to be found! Is this the best that we have in Scotland?
Without the charisma of Alex Salmond the SNP are just as bare, and no-one can name more than two LibDems -- both of whom are a bit anonymous. At least the few Tories look quite smart.
How can we be considering an independence debate when we have no obvious leaders. God help us.
Jim said "Do we follow the son / daughter of the manse, forward into a "presbyterian" pro business culture or do we step up to an anti-anglo pro "social justice" corporatist future."
I'm sorry but Wendy is not pro-business. She is pro talking about business and running Allander Series style high level economics type discussions about business but when it comes to the crunch she is utterly clueless.
Her last crack at the problem - the Smart Successful Scotland initiative - has been a complete failure because she and indeed her masters in London abjectly refuse to recognise that the underlying problem in Scotland is one of low investment. Neither she nor Brown are prepared to take on the financial institutions on this subject. In fact the closest anyone came to it was - remarkably - Nicol Stephen who last year castigated the financial institutions for not supporting high growth R&D based start-ups.. He said something about this lack of support holding back Scotland's real potential and he was right.
Wendy though has already had the "financial institutions can do no wrong" lobotomy. She's an ex management consultant with an MBA who believes process will solve everything. She's wrong..
Think about what leadership is? It is not about being in a position of power, it is about having the qualities of engaging people and have them willing follow your ideals, and having excellent communications skills to explain your vision.
In my opinon the premier league of leaders would include
ghandi
churchill
luther king
first division
clinton
kennedy (JF not charles!!)
thatcher (not my favourite person though!!)
Second division
Salmond (looking for promotion though on recent form)
Blair
Brown
I fear that Wendy is somewhere down in the amateur leagues. Not a good communicator at all, She appears to make decisions on the hoof and often talks way to fast and doesn't appear to listen very well. If you are talking about leaders she does not appear to have the qualities required, and I disagree with you Brian she does not come across to the voters as personable although she maybe on a one to one. She should adhere to the saying "two ears and one mouth...use them in that proportion"
Re Wendy as new labour leader, mmmm, the last election decidedly said NO to labour and Jack who was a very poor politician, and Wendy ? well she was with Jack for many years and proved she is worse than Jack. Jack reflected the attitude of first minister for life and so does Wendy. After all the years since Holyrood came into being she has shown herself to be the same as Jack. So labour vote for Wendy and see no more support and never being first monister.
Long live the SNP.
As one who gave Ms Alexander a sizeable headache during the Section 28 affair (and possibly set her career back several years) may I just correct the attempts to rewrite history which are now taking place.
Many commentators are now suggesting that Wendy and the equally unwordly Donald Dewar "won" the Section 28 battle.
Can I remind everybody that a) our referendum saw more people vote for the retention of Section 28 than had voted for Labour in the previous election b) Ms Alexander was forced to include a statutory requirement in the new legislation to consult parents over sex education - something she and fellow Minister Sam Galbraith said they would never do and lastly c)The Executive included a facesaving proposal to include the value of marriage in statutory sex education guidance.
History has shown that Ms Alexander's appalling naivety in pushing this legislation when the new parliament was still attempting to establish an identity set back a positive public perception of Holyrood by possibly decades.
If this is an example of Ms Alexander's intelligence and political guile then one can only wait and wonder at what marvels she will produce in the future.
Jack Irvine
Wendy Alexander should have been congratulated by her colleagues for her energy in ridding us of Section 2A. Liberalism and openess to diversity is what Scotland needs more of in these somewhat parochial times.
Alexanders (Douglas & Wendy) equals sheer arrogance.Great for SNP. Bring her on!
As an ex labour party member (permanent), it all went wrong by our approach to devolution. SNP and Michael Forsyth were right, of course people will want more and independence is the end goal.
Labour should embrace the new circumstances and drive to vie with the SNP to deliver that goal, swiftly.
The alternative, post independence, is that the SNP will remian in power with feeble opposition from parties looking to London for direction, i.e. looking daft.
The disaster of fleeing capital and brain drain has and will not happen now SNP has contro帽 over levers of power. Labour, conservatives and liberals need to become pro Scotland and not anti Scotland!
The half way house is not an option!
'In her first spell as an executive minister she was deeply unpopular with her civil servants.'
That's not 100% true. She did cheese them off enormously by micro-managing and being abrasive, but they did also appreciate that she had intelligence and ideas and a sense of vision and direction. I suspect those those who've worked with both her and Joke McC would in many cases prefer Wendy.
If she could stop sounding like a shrill, gobby teenager and garner some gravitas and measured responses to opposing views she'd be fine. But I admit the thought of Wendy and Nicola having cat-fights again does really fill me with dread.
#12 - The rights and wrongs of Section 28 aside for a moment, what makes Wendy a liability for the labour party is her attitude after the repeal. She more or less stuck 2 fingers up to everyone who had concerns over the whole issue. She knew best and that was all there was about it. Far from being a "victory for democracy", this was an example of a politician riding rough-shod over the concerns of a substantial proportion of the electorate.
Her time in the wilderness will have made this attitude a hazy memory to most people but it won't be long before her self-rightous "I'm right and you're wrong" attitude brings it all back. Coupled with the fact she's even more open to the "Brown's sock puppet" attack than McConnell ever could be, Labour could find themselves in the same wilderness as the Tories in the years to come.
Would serve them right, says I.
She stated when leaving "What have Labour ever done for Scottish business", indeed she may wish to take over in order to put forward a more business friendly Scottish (Westminster branch of) Labour in the future.
The problem I foresee is that many Labour supporters do not in fact like the lady, whether it be due to her abandonment, her views on policies or her current hair style. As no other potential Labour leaders stand out in the Scottish parliament, she seems the only choice for the job. However, if she fails in the next election and votes for Labour decrease I doubt she will remain as leader past that point, which will throw Scottish Labour into a spiral of leaders much like that seen in the Westminster Tories. It may even prompt one of the Westminster elite to return to steer the Scottish ship away from the rocks.
I don't feel she will prove to be much of a challenge (debating wise) for Alex Salmond. Again the only two Scottish politicians who behave and act like politicians that could tango on the world stage remain the leader of the SNP and Tories, the rest will continue to struggle.
I watched Wendy Alexander attacking the SNPs Council Tax proposals prior to the Elections from which the SNP gained power. - as a former lifelong Labour supporter, I saw nothing in her attitude that would make me want to vote for Labour in Scotland again - she and they exhibit all the arrogance and ignorance that drove thousands from the Labour Party in Scotland and, I am pretty sure, made many thousands more, like myself, vote SNP at the Scottish Elections.
I would be sorry to see Gordon Brown lose his current job but unless he revises a number of his policies including linking taxation to income and tells this lot to really listen, as opposed to just saying they are listening, then I am afraid he will not be able to rely on the Scottish vote to keep him in power at Westminster.
Duncan
Alexander, personable? You must be joking. She has all the social skills of a deranged polecat, and that's probably being unkind to polecats.
While a Minister it was almost impossible to find a member of the Executive Press team willing to work with her. Her rudeness and lack of consideration are rightly legend.
She may be intellectually able but she has zero people skills and comes across and arrogant and self-satisfied.
Alex Salmond must be rejoicing indeed.
I would really like to see Lord Foulkes running Labour up here ... now that would be good for a laugh.
Come on Georgie Boy, step up to the mark and show us what you're made of!
We have lacked great debating skills in the Scottish Parliament since the death of Donald Dewar.Wendy Alexander will be a great asset to the Labour Party and will make for lively debate; something which the parliament has lacked for a long time.She has the charisma,intellect ,knowledge ,passion and I wish her well.The timing is right for Wendy and she will not be anyone's puppet !
Good luck to her.I am sure she will prove all her critics wrong.Exciting times ahead.
First declare interest. I am an SNP activist.
I don't think Brian has been biased in his analysis, Ms Alexander is a logical choice, being head and shoulders above the current labour crop, and let's be fair (caterpillar analogies aside), a good bit smarter than most of the MSPs who sit in Holyrood. Wendy will I believe grow into the job, an effective opposition is not only good for the SNP administration, but for Scottish politics as a whole.
As a former bitter opponent of Jack, now that he is safely gone (almost), I would say that he did steady the ship of state, he is passionately concerned about sectarianism (which is not a purely west coast thing, take a trip to an Edinburgh derby sometime), is concerned about education and did create the precedent for the Scottish Governement to claim a role in Foreign Affairs. (Am also a smoker so grrr on that one!)
Further, I don't believe the way the last Scottish election campaign was fought was any of his choosing. I believe that he would have been much more positive, about Scotland, his legacy, and devolution if left to his own devices. I don't believe he would have won, but it would have been a much more honest campaign.
That is the challenge that he has left Wendy, can Labour finally adapt to the realities of devoloution? A question that the Liberals and the Tories need to answer as well.
I'm sure there are a few Scottish Labour MSPs would like to go for the leadership but won't because they don't want to upset London and their choice as leader - Wendy Alexander.
She will be controlled by Broon as McConnell was by Blair but that is a good thing as far as Scotland is concerned.
The Scots are now seeing a government that does what it said it would do in it's manifesto. We are starting to realise that the SNP are not as bad as they had been painted in the past.
They are working for Scotland on the issues that concern us and not what suits the south-east of England.
They are genuinely listening to what Scots are saying. They have achieved more in 100 days than Labour did in 8 years.
Jack McConnell getting a job-for-the-boy and a place in the House of Lords. My goodness, will they never learn ?
Wendy Alexander as Scottish Labour Leader will guarantee another term in government for SNP with an increased majority.
Who is Wendy Alexander?
It is getting to the point where I can't name any of the Labour MSP's.
I guess I don't really care anyway since I will be voting for SNP as usual. *;o)
After watching the 2005 election live I lost complete faith in Wendy Alexander. She seemed incapable of answering any question without:
"it's a historic third term!"
If there is a god, please save us. Maggie Thatcher's New-Labour offspring is not what I had in mind for Scotland.
Wendy Alexander is a bad choice for Labour leader. Herself and Margaret Curran's attitude do not work in the Scottish parliament. Her behaviour over section 28 and around the last election made her lose all credibility in my eyes and irrevocably damaged the publics perception of the early years of the Scottish parliament.
Commentators say that the Scottish Parliament is all about 'new style' consensus politics. I struggle to see how someone who doesn't know the meaning of consensus can possibly do a good job of leading the opposition?
Chris
I think the Nats crowing on here may find it comes back to bite them on the bum! Write off Wendy at your peril. I live in Paisley and she is a shrewd and very clever woman. As for Salmond being the best thing since sliced bread - i for one am neither fooled or impressed by him - he's always been far too smarmy and untrustworthy for my liking.
To the man on the street - a woman in charge of the country doesnt appeal (remember the last one!).
To the woman on the street, they just dont like her!
That coupled with the Scottish labour tag that they are just lap dogs for westminster just about says it all. (McConnell came across as someone who was only interested in keeping the PM happy and sod the rest of us)
Labour need an in your face type who isnt afraid to tell London that this is our country and we are running it this way. Alex might be a bit of a muppet but at least he sounds sincre about wanting the best for Scotland and thats all i care about. Bring on Independance then we might have a Scottish Labour party with the guts to stand up for Scotland!
Wendy comes across as hectoring with out the ability to listen or evaluate others麓 views. And that is comming from a woman. As an ex labour party member now voting SNP, she will not secure my vote. Three other main reasons steer my view:
Nicola Sturgeon comes across as a more compassionate, understanding and media savvy woman politican. Ms Alexander makes Richard Nixon look good. Like it or not media image is all important and the SNP have basically a better deputy leader in Nicola than labour will have as it麓s main leader.
Wendy Alexander is a labour put up, nepotism, usual labour party antics in Scotland. Scotland is merely the training ground for something bigger and better in London. She will be under control of her brother and Brown with out the capacity to deliver what Scotland needs, but only what London wants!
Wendy Alexander麓s record to date is poor, one of abject failure and devisiveness. As an ex labour party member I viewed her with complete embarassment at times. I would love Brian to illustrate with examples where he has identified cases of her strong leadership. She merely stood up and talked to people, listening was not her forte.
Strange to say, Wendy will be good for Scotland, she will lay bare labour麓s contempt for Scotland and hasten independence!
Janice McAndrew
The big problem that I see for this Alexander is that she has "Strathclyde labour cooncillor" written all over her.
From her speeches and writing I have been able to deduce that she is yet another insufferably parochial and small-minded member of the Strathclyde Labour establishment in exactly the same mould as McConnell before her.
She is just not credible in any way as a National leader. Surely the opposition can do better than Alexander and if not , why is the offering so poor ?
So labour lost the last Scottish election because of Iraq and cash for questions.
What planet are they on, now they are to vote in a new leader whose traits must be to aspire to the SNP. The Westminster labours spin cycle has gone into celebrity big brother mode, who can we bring in to up the ratings and appeal to the masses, find out whose next up for eviction from the 鈥淧retendy Wendy House鈥.
Does Labour麓s contempt for Scotland ever embaress those that vote for that party?
Iraq, Trident, cash for honours, sleaze, council tax, squeeze on poor and Brit ID cards at 150 quid a head!
Lets face it, London Labour have no shame, witness the shoe horning in of a nobody as their Scottish leader.
Frankly there is only one party in Scotland now that can stand up to London and that is the SNP, the rest are just Lackies麓s fopr their respective London HQs.
Speaking as a female, I have no respect for Ms Alexander nor her party, they need to start backing Scotland not attacking and belittling it!
Edna Cameron
While she has the intellect to give Alex Salmond a wee run for his money, he'll be well up for this & probably knows he has the abilty to trump most of what she has to offer. Her ability to 'stop playing' when things don't go her way is a problem for Labour to ponder also.
Her record of bullish control & devisiveness - remember the term the civil service coined about being 'Wendied'- will haunt her & she's unlikely to fundamentally show any different approach or personality traits in leadership.
In summary whilst she'll be an improvement on Joke McC & towards some reform, her basic personality tendecy towards arrogance, dismissivenes, abrasion - coupled with an unholy projection to prominence again via London Labour (Broon, Brother & Broone) makes her unlikely to assuage the anguish of the now 'Yer Offi-shell Central Scotland Labour.'
My take on this is a mix of views. I'm certain that Alex Salmond will be pleased at the possibiity of Wendy Alexander becoming labour leader in Scotland because of her overall perceived lack of "soft skills" and flexibility in approach to people and issues.
Her personal circumstances have changed, she is now married to Professor Brian Ashcroft, someone who may provide useful support and roundedness to her views.
She is the logical choice, with there being noone else of suitable standing. Already she has garnered most of the labour MSP support.
Her links with Westminster will actually prove very useful for debate. I'd say Alex Salmond's time at Westminster was vital for his current role and agenda, and in stark contrast to the experience of many MSP's.
While Alex Salmond still leades the SNP, she might have to be patient, and Scottish Labour will have to be patient with her.
Let the fireworks begin!
Labour just dont seem to get that people are sick of the way they operate, Wendy Alexander becoming leader unopposed, Jacks new job etc. Scotland has changed and the life long Labour voters should open their minds to this change. I have voted SNP for years in the hope that eventually others would be persuaded and it is heartening to see so often postings by ex Labour supporters backing the new government of Scotland.
If Alex Salmond ever wants to understand why his party is less popular with the female vote, then he could do a lot worse by reading this thread - the appearance of a smart, ambitious woman on the political landscape and the same old prejudices re-appear. And this is doubly ironic as the SNP have one of their own - Nicola Sturgeon - who gets completely overlooked on here.
I am a big fan of Nicola Sturgeon. I thought she was a fine leader at Holyrood and can easily hold her own in interviews and discussions. A smart, feisty woman who is already showing her mettle as Cabinet Sec for Health. I'm sure Alex Salmond respects and appreciates her abilities. I don't think Wendy Alexander has the measured delivery or cool head of Nicola Sturgeon.
Let's face it regardless of who is leader of the Scottish Labour Party (is there such a thing?) the orders will come from London, when Gordon say's jump, Wendy will ask how high, we all saw that Jack was no more than a glove puppet for London Labour and it is highly unlikely Wendy will be any better. Labour are a London centred party, as are the Tories and the Liberals, they will always put their own political needs first and the needs of the Scottish people second.
Who cares about Wendy Alexander? Has anybody actually seen the trail being blazed by Alex Salmond? Those opposition parties will seriously need to keep up to speed with what's going on at the minute because they are being dragged all over the place. Yes, I'll bear a wary eye over the next four years, but!
Wendys has got a huge job on her hands to convince the people of scotland that labour is the true party to govern scotland,we must return to true values of scottish socialism,to rekindle the legacy of john smith and donald dewar,to return to a sense of what is right,nationalism will never be the answer it can only bring us years of uncertainty,good luck wendy salmond is a shrewd character the only weapon the nats have
I find it passing strange, the extent of the comments from SNP supporters; and the lack of robust reply from labour voters. Without being patronising I do wonder if perhaps SNP supporters are generaly more bright and articulate than labour voters. It is an interesting thought. On a personal level I would never vote for Wendy she is far too arrogant for my likings.
Everything i said about wendy being like margarert thatcher has come to pass. The Times today compared her to Thatcher whereupon Wendy declared that maggie thatcher was "interesting".
As for comment #64
yes i do like the roundness that professor brian ashcroft provides. have you seen his video advocating independence instead of fiscal autonomy. However if wendy is indeed as it appears like maggie iron lady thatcher then the "lady will not be for turning". God help scotland if this woman ever wins an election.
Has everyone watched Wendy tell her Storytime Book on Utube. If not, do yourself, but not Labour, a favour and call it up.
Hilarious, I dam'nd near wet myself. She looks so smug and self-satisfied while she drags on, and on, then Alex put her down. Wiped the smile off her face. Mr. Salmond will be doing a G. Bush. Bring her on. Just like J. McConnel -- a numptie.
Wendy Alexander Storytime book. Utube.
Also while you'r at it, look up her hubby, Brian Ashcroft doing his bit for independance.
I think Wendy Alexander will have major problems in unifying and modernising the Scottish Labour Party.
There is no doubt she is bright, etc.
However, I think there are interesting times ahead for her.
She is a screaming liability professionaly and academicaly, no real world experience.
Her decisions and subsequent failures whilst in office and subsequently proved as failures.
I am an ex labour voter disgusted by it's u turn on policies. I like many others only see them as the centre/left of the tory party.
We need politicians willing to turn up to interviews and face hard questions ; not snub them. We want politicians who admit they got it wrong. We want politicans who do things for the people NOT the party.
Scotland is fed up with the MSP's using the election and all time since for point scoring. Grow up or resign the lot of them.
Not fit for purpose if they can't.