Windfarm referendum
Our MSP attended the informal meeting of Councillors on Monday night, and announced that as the Council had taken a democratic decision on the windfarms, he was going to respect this stance and abandon his call for a public referendum on the planning applications.Of course, he had no option after he was told by Ministers that such an idea was ludicrous and was never going to happen, exclusively revealed by me three months ago.
Has anyone told MWT or the electorate yet, as they must feel utterly betrayed.
As you will recall, I have said for a long time that the referendum was never going to happen, simply because it opened too many cans of worms. That's what happens when one jumps blindly onto bandwagons rather than thinking through policies.
Presumably Mr MacNeil is similarly backtracking.
I have long argued that it was vacillation and an inability to hold and justify a position that did for Calum MacDonald, and not the issue itself, so I intend to put my £10 on Labour to regain the seat in 2008 or 2009 simply on how this perceived 'betrayal' will play in Barvas, Ness and beyond. I'll also put money on any PLI not being finished by that point, which will finally cripple our MP's bid for re-election.
Of course, if Mr MacNeil hadn't repeatedly refused to discuss renewable policy with the Councillors who were setting said policies, he would have had some understanding of the issue.
19 comments:
I just think they didn't want a referendum, knowing the majority of islanders in Lewis are opposed. Previous unofficial ballots showed opposition between 50 and 90%, Angus.
AA lied throughout his campaign, he represents the SNP in Holyrood not the Western Isles.
How could 6000 people be so blind
What a load of balls! He never said such a thing! This is very very lazy of you!
I think the SNP will win the next local election - not because they deserve to, but because Labour have cheesed everyone off down south - there needs to be at least a credible opposition to vote in before you vote anyone out. I also think that SNP (at the moment) stand a very good chance of getting in in Scotland again - again not entirely because they deserve it, but because people are not as cheesed off at them as at the Labour Party... If the Liberals were to become a credible opposition North of the Border... they might stand a chance
Having spoken to three people who were actually present last Monday and all agree on what was said, can Anon 11:23 give us his source for the contrary?
AA was asked what he would do if the people said they didn't want a referendum. A hypothetical situation. Your sources just report what they wanted to hear. Pathetic.
anon 1:33 - and your source of this interpretation is ....?
Another raw nerve hit Angus.
I think you will find this is typical AA style, he will say what suits the situation whilst planning to do absolutely nothing that he says or promises. We are all holding our breath on RET, referendums and all the other empty election promises.
He obviously didn't expect to be quoted.
Lesson learned (or probably not) walls have ears and Comhairle have members who listen to everything you say, so expect leaks.
So Anon 11:23
"what a load of balls"
Mr Allan has had since May with a lovely long summer holiday in between to get this promise delivered and what has happened?
A big fat 000000000000000000000
I'm not sure why Angus is lazy, quite a bizarre comment!!??
ptti, Mr Allan started another two week holiday on Friday. Poor lamb probably needs the break to recover.
I think Anon 11.23 is our MP as this is what he acts like when he gets angry.
Four people who were at the meeting now confirm the accuracy of my posting, including an SNP activist.
And the contrary view is still anonymous....
This is the same MSP who promised at a public meeting in Bayble School, that he would be asking the Minister for Education the following day the governments position on two year secondary. Has he asked the question? Of course he hasn't. The MSP must remember we can check on the www what questions he has asked.
Another situation of saying what suits at the time and then doing nothing about it.
Mind you our MP "who is a former teacher" stated the council should fight Her Majesty's Inspectors reports. "What planet is he on?"
When asked how often he had met the Comhairle over the last two and a half years regarding education in the Islands he refused to answer.
What a pity the Prime Minister did not go for an early election. As he did not, we have to put up with an MP who does not beleive in his place of work and has done nothing for the Western Isles for a wee while longer.
Bayble School should be adapted to allow mature students, if only to help Madrudhach improve his clumsy spelling...
Power to the Islands,
Most political commentators appear to have been impressed by the performance of the SNP government so far. And this includes people like Henry McLeish and even Wendy Alexander, who have proven themselves big enough to acknowledge that, so far, the government are doing well.
Are you willing to give credit where it is due?
Your point about MSPs holidays is particularly lame. The holidays were not 'set' by the SNP government and all MSPs get the same holidays, whether they are Labour, SNP or Liberal.
In fact, when you consider how little time parliament has sat for since the elections, it makes the accomplishments of the government all the more impressive.
Anon 12.04
Perhaps our MP, MSP, and Kenny should attend it. I cannot wait to see the letters that were returned by the Comhairle.
Anon 12:13am
I am not Henry McLeish or Wendy Alexander just a lowly Islander trying to make a decent living and look after my family.
I ask myself, do I feel better off since May and the answer is no. To be fair, I don't feel worse off either, at the moment. But I was led to believe that I would feel better off 100 days after the May election and this is where I feel let down.
We have not had RET delivered, the ADS scheme is due to be reviewed and still no word from our politicians whether this scheme will continue, council tax is to be scrapped or frozen, we were supposed to have a referendum on windfarms none of this has been delivered.
Locally, I feel that both our elected representatives are invisible and when they have the opportunity to make an effort they do not take it up.
For example, I was taking a walk with my family only 2 weeks ago and I saw Mr Allan across the road - Keith Street on a Saturday afternoon so not busy - and he was walking down the road with his nose high in the air. I knew who he was, I may not be known to him, but a simple acknowledgement, nod or hello would have gone such a long way, but nothing. Are simple pleasantaries so much to expect?
So, impressive accomplishments, in my mind there haven't been any but I would love to hear what they are and be reminded of how they affect the Western Isles in a positive way.
Bring on the silence or berating comments...
Power to the islands,
That's an excellent, balanced posting. A breath of fresh air on this blog, some might say!
I appreciate that most of the achievements of the SNP government to date (like scrapping the graduate endowment) have, at best, an indirect benefit for the islands. And we're right to keep the pressure on the MP and MSP to follow through on their election promises.
However, I think they have to be given time to deliver - I'd be very, very disappointed if our representatives weren't working hard to deliver RET, ADS, etc.
Could I pick you up one thing, though. If you recognised the MSP, why did't you show your SY manners and acknowledge him as you passed him? Or did you say hello and he ignored you? I've found him to be a nice enough guy, so next time you see him introduce yourself, and I'm sure he'll stop for a yarn.
anon 11:56
I tried to catch Mr Allan's eyes but they were facing skyward.
I would have thought he knew the street names by now.
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