Having a bit of the old esprit de l'escalier since yesterday's Full Council meeting - so many things that I wish that I'd put in my speech. It took this morning's Executive Committee to start getting it out of my system. I'm getting a bit more used to standing up and putting points forward, but it's still difficult to fit everything in to the five minutes we're allocated to move a motion. It's very different from my experience at SNP conference, because I know that there you'll at least get a fair hearing; in the cut and thrust of Glasgow City Council, there's at least forty seasoned Labour Councillors baying for your blood the whole time you're speaking!
David McDonald made his maiden speech in his usual unflappable style, and was able to wind up the Labour Councillors without fear of heckling as custom generally holds them back. Jennifer Dunn also made her maiden speech on lottery funding and the Commonwealth Games, and also did really well.
A good number of our group have now made their first speeches in the Council, and I'm sure we'll get them all through soon. The other parties have given most, if not all, of their members a chance, but Labour (even as the largest group) usually have the same people speaking all the time. It would be interesting to see what some of their members have to say on the issues of the day.
David McDonald made his maiden speech in his usual unflappable style, and was able to wind up the Labour Councillors without fear of heckling as custom generally holds them back. Jennifer Dunn also made her maiden speech on lottery funding and the Commonwealth Games, and also did really well.
A good number of our group have now made their first speeches in the Council, and I'm sure we'll get them all through soon. The other parties have given most, if not all, of their members a chance, but Labour (even as the largest group) usually have the same people speaking all the time. It would be interesting to see what some of their members have to say on the issues of the day.
5 comments:
I'm impressed that you sincerely believe in all that guff about independence! lol
Seriously we're both proud of our national identity - you feel Scottish and I feel British.
Well done with your speech. Just sort out my student debt you promised to cancel!
Happy Christmas and here's to a Unionist New Year!
D
A Unionist New Year? Eeek!
Cllr Meikle, surely you don’t support a horribly socialist idea like FREE education!!
Being a Tory, you must think that education should only be for those that can afford to pay for it?
But I’m sure if you're patient the SNP Government will deliver for you and every student in Scotland. Let’s not forget it was a manifesto for 4 years of Government for just 7 months.
They have already, given the children of asylum seekers access to higher education for the first time and committed nearly £40 million pounds to help 20,000 part time students. That’s a pretty admirable start.
Then of course there is the plan to scrap the Graduate Endowment, which your party voted against!
Somehow your part believe that students should have to pay another £2,289 towards the cost of their education! If you want to ask questions about student funding I would suggest asking some to your own party first.
The SNP are trying to break down the barriers to education, while Labour with their Tory pals are trying to build them higher than ever!
Having said all that, best wishes for a merry Christmas and a happy new year.
You keep on in there BellgroveBelle.
I recall a couple of years back when I was in Glasgow City Chambers and at someone's suggestion I sat in on one of the council debates.
I could not believe the pathetic childish behaviour of many Labour Councillors. A Lib Dem councillor made several comments(don't recall who but he was from the West End). Every time, from the first time he stood up, and before he even uttered a word, these Labour Councillors all together hissed continuously.
It was like some kind of kids' nasty panto farce. Every time he stood up they would start! When you look now at how Charlie-wide-boy-Gordon has turned out you can see where he started.
Now that the tribal patterns of voting Labour in Glasgow seem to be disintegrating, I wonder what the remaining Labour working class voters would actually think of their Labour Councillors if they knew this is how they behaved.
I'd actually be a quite interested in hearing why David (Meikle, not McDonald) is so keen on the Union. I don't think I've ever heard a satisfactory reason for keeping it, just a lot of scaremongering or "stronger together, weaker apart" rhetoric.
In any case, the day when we find out what living in an independent Scotland is really like is getting closer and closer.
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