Strange times

I've just been watching tonight's Newsnight Scotland, and I can't decide whether I'm more amazed at the strange leap the Labour party has taken from "no new powers" to "bring it on", or that David Cameron picked independence as his main issue for Prime Minister's Questions.

Wendy Alexander's comments, you could put down to blind panic and a desperate attempt to win back ground from the SNP. David Cameron was more considered however - I imagine that for the PMQ circus questions are more carefully considered. It's an easy hit look to highlight a split, but it also puts the issue of Scottish independence on the news agenda in London (or at least on a couple of blogs. Is it just this week's news, or will it run til we're independent? Hmmm...

(incidentally, while googling, this turned up. Wonder how they're getting on?)

Politics gets a bit silly

Not being able to blog in the office was really hurting today, as I chuckled over the resignation of Peter Hain, Wendy Alexander remaining "confident" of being cleared and, cleverly picking a day when he's highly unlikely to get much coverage, George Galloway splitting from Respect. All comedy gold.

I wonder a bit about the Wendy situation - clearly £950 isn't quite in the same league as £100,000, but surely the principle should be upheld. Will the Electoral Commission decide that they should be treated differently, due to scale, or treat both equally? Interesting times ahead.

Not blogging did allow me to get a good chunk of work moved from my "to do" pile to my "to file" pile. Progress. I also had cause to be impressed (not for the first time) by the depth of knowledge of our group; it's great to have so many experienced people nearby to call on when you need advice.

Too poor to be the opposition

Hot on the heels of Pauline McNeill's pleas for some speech writing assistance, Wendy Alexander's Head of Research is the next Labour person to bleat publicly about the hardship of being in opposition. Tartan Hero also comments on this latest grumble from the Labour benches. The ongoing review of allowances has been interesting thus far, as it shows up how unprepared Labour are to cope with opposition.

According to the BBC article,

In a submission to the review Sarah Metcalfe, Labour's research and strategy director, said the party was required to hold to account an SNP government which had the entire civil service at its disposal.

For the past eight years, the SNP (and indeed the Conservatives, Greens, SSP and latterly Solidarity) have coped on this allowance and fought the might of the Civil Service. I don't think it's been easy, but it has been done. With an effective team a party can mount a challenge and win, as the SNP has proven. You can even be an effective opposition, picking your issues and playing to your strengths, as the Tories have done.

If Labour can't raise their game, employ better and more effective staffers, then they will flounder for years. It would be all too easy to sit back and watch their discomfort with glee, but I do believe you need to have an effective opposition to be a credible government.

It's also important to note that Labour were instrumental in setting up this system; I wonder if their arrogance allowed them to believe that they'd never have to use it themselves...

On staff wages, Ms Metcalfe also stated that

"The Scottish leader's allowance of £22,466 is insufficient to meet even the full costs to an employer of a private secretary - never mind the public expectations of a leader's office in terms of interest in the party's approach to parliamentary business and associated policy stances"

Wages are an important thing - but that's not why someone should get involved in politics. Getting paid is important, but it shouldn't be the incentive that tempts you in. That £22,466 is still seven thousand pounds more than a Councillor takes home. It's also much much more than I took home in my previous job as a MSP's Researcher.

I do my job because I'm committed to serving the people of my ward, and to winning Independence for Scotland. I feel extremely fortunate to be able to do this, and reflect upon those who have stood for the SNP many times in the past to no avail. Every time I walk up the stairs to the Councillor's Corridor in the City Chambers, I stroke the nose of the lion (which is supposed to bring good luck) but smile to myself and think how lucky I've been already to get here. I hope not to lose sight of that, whatever lies ahead.

What's wrong with this picture?

Being someone who doesn't photograph so well, I'm currently feeling some empathy for Wendy Alexander. Her leadership bid seems to have given every newspaper an excuse to wheel out shockingly bad pictures of her in assorted open-gobbed glaikit looking poses.

Whether she's any good or not, it's hardly fair to undermine a politician in this way. Furthermore, it's a bit less likely that this kind of tactic would be employed for a male candidate. Journalists often use "controversial" pictures, like Brown looking grumpy during a Blair speech, but these are different. It adds nothing to a story to show a female politician's back teeth. Get a grip, political editors, and leave such pictures for the diary page.