Parliamentary Committees
Like Council Committees, your appointment to Committees of the Scottish Parliament is very much a measure of your standing in the party, in the eyes of your colleagues and also carries so many messages for the politically aware.
The Parliamentary Committees are:
Audit
Economy, Energy and Tourism
Education, Lifelong Learning and Culture
Equal Opportunities
European and External Relations
Finance
Health and Sport
Justice
Local Government and Communities
Public Petitions
Procedures, Standards and Public Appointments
Rural Affairs and Environment
Subordinate Legislation
Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change
So which Committee did our new MSP get onto. This is not a trick question - look at the options, and judge which are the most appropriate and suitable for a representative of the Western Isles. Tourism, Culture, Petitions (on windfarms!), Rural Affairs, or even Transport.
Er, no. Local Government, which is ironic for someone who visited the Comhairle twice before being elected, flanked both times by MWT supporters, and avoided talking to any of the Councillors.
Just to rub it in, the SNP appointed as follows:
Culture - Rob Gibson and two Central Scotland lists MSPs
Petitions - three Central Belt MSPs
Rural Affairs - Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) and two Central Belt MSPs
Transport - Rob Gibson and a Lothians MSP
Poor Mr Allan
finds himself on a Committee Chaired by the highly experienced and respected Duncan MacNeil (Lab), and facing the equally experienced Johann Lamont, Michael McMahon and David McLethcie.
Never has being lobby fodder seemed less attractive.
At least the inanity of a referendum on planning applications seems much less likely as the sidelines beckon.
The Parliamentary Committees are:
Audit
Economy, Energy and Tourism
Education, Lifelong Learning and Culture
Equal Opportunities
European and External Relations
Finance
Health and Sport
Justice
Local Government and Communities
Public Petitions
Procedures, Standards and Public Appointments
Rural Affairs and Environment
Subordinate Legislation
Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change
So which Committee did our new MSP get onto. This is not a trick question - look at the options, and judge which are the most appropriate and suitable for a representative of the Western Isles. Tourism, Culture, Petitions (on windfarms!), Rural Affairs, or even Transport.
Er, no. Local Government, which is ironic for someone who visited the Comhairle twice before being elected, flanked both times by MWT supporters, and avoided talking to any of the Councillors.
Just to rub it in, the SNP appointed as follows:
Culture - Rob Gibson and two Central Scotland lists MSPs
Petitions - three Central Belt MSPs
Rural Affairs - Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) and two Central Belt MSPs
Transport - Rob Gibson and a Lothians MSP
Poor Mr Allan
finds himself on a Committee Chaired by the highly experienced and respected Duncan MacNeil (Lab), and facing the equally experienced Johann Lamont, Michael McMahon and David McLethcie.Never has being lobby fodder seemed less attractive.
At least the inanity of a referendum on planning applications seems much less likely as the sidelines beckon.
13 comments:
remind me again angus, what does MWT stand for?
Moorlands Without Turbines
Given the membership of MWT,
Moorland Without Teuchters?
According to the Gazette, Allan got onto the (self-nominated) Epilepsy Group. Whoopee doo. Self-interest conquers all.
UNfair comment Angus, he has started as he means to go on by putting the party before the constituency, er ....
Maybe the non-discript Mr Allan is following the example of his political mentor; a delightful, prayful and ernest councillor,described in some quarters as "duplicitous" (Just ask Mr Manford). His mantra has been, "trust me I've got the Curam - I'm an elder you know cove, and I'm fantastic in prayer".
Mr Allan will have seen that his mentor never even made it onto the Fireboard - discarded by genuine Christians on the Comhairle, who've seen through his phoney, mournful, stomach churning hypocrisy. But on the other hand he's been providing entertainment for staff and councillors, slithering around the Comhairle, and crying in the Chief Executive's office about the blog of a Stornoway bean counter. As for the Mr Allan why doesn't he tell us when we can cross the Minch for £8.20, when is the referendum on wind farms and when are our schools being built.
ps also tell us what our MP is doing....? and what is the mental (we already know his spiritual) state of his political mentor ?
"Anonymous", why hide behind anonymity whilst delivering such nasty, scathing attacks on a councillor who has done more good in Stornoway than you could ever know about? (Mind you, at least Docus and Angus Campbell seem to be getting a reprieve from your rants for the time being.)
I am issuing you a challenge: be a real man instead of a coward, and reveal yourself before delivering such comments.
Now, I wonder whether you'll take me up on that challenge...
As for the ex-councillor running this blog (assuming he and "anonymous" are not one and the very same!), I expect him to show that he insists his readers show some decency, and will not allow any more "anonymous" attacks. If not, he is effectively condoning such pathetic behaviour.
Sound Cove
Let he without anonymity cast the first stone.
You have a made up name that means nothing to anyone, which links to nothing apart from a blogspot psuedonym and are accusing someone else of hiding their identity.
You can't stand someone disagreeing with your opinion. What has that councillor got on you that you cannot bear to hear the truth about him. I am going to have to do some digging I think, you have got me very intrigued.
BTW I know the SNP don't like it much but there is such a thing as free speech in this country which is what Angus and all posters on this forum are exercising so if you can't stand the heat, don't participate.
What a surprise! "Anonymous" doesn't provide his name(s).
Those in public life should expect criticism - when it is justified. (Of course, they should also be congratulated when they get things right.)
However, there is no excuse for the malicious, cancerous smear campaign mounted by a certain individual(s) against Councillor Macleod.
Since I haven't been slandering anyone in my blogs, I don't see why my anonymity would upset anyone.
For those posting these vindictive comments, please take a good look at yourself.
But I'll leave you alone now, since only a fool would try and reason with an idiot.
sc aka anon, you're so far up his @rse that you can probably see light at the other end.
sound cover - you are plowing a lonely furrow. Perhaps you can give us chapter and verse on how the saintly Mr M has performed over the past 7 years? With special mention of the huge social work overspends in every year he was in the chair.
Don't get me started on that one. I've watched the backstabbing slitherer in action and he seems to think that money grows on trees and that the comhairle will just find the money from somewhere.
I guess this stems from his own personal bottomless pit which has been gifted to him by the poor souls who are unfortunate enough to rent a property from him. Boosted by his now £15,000 income from the Comhairle.
I've heard that the only thing he spends his money on is lawyers to send threatening letters out to anyone who dare suggest that he is anything less than what he tries to present himself to be to his adorning public.
The saddest thing is, he bitches to everyone about everyone else and he doesn't realise that we all talk to one another and compare notes on what he is saying and who he is saying it about.
And he wonders why people think so badly about him.
Oh and yes I'm posting this as anonymous as Mr Sound Cove only wants people to state who they are so that the councillor in question can keep his lawyers in Porsches.
This is a real family blog, eh Angus...if you know what I mean.
Post a Comment