Justice Minister's job at risk
Quite properly, Parliament has been recalled for this afternoon where Kenny MacAskill will have to justify his decision to release al-Megrahi.
With all the opposition parties opposed to the decision, there are going to be fireworks, and I suspect that there will be some vitriolic attacks on Mr MacAskill.
There are going to be calls for his resignation, and as a minority Government the SNP are going to find these difficult to resist.
I expect a motion of no confidence in Mr MacAskill to be turned into a threatened motion of no confidence Alex Salmond; as the only practical way he can defend Mr MacAskill's position is to up the stakes and to see who blinks first.
That would be a high risk - for everyone - but having seen this tactic used previously, it is likely that Labour will be ready for this. However, I suspect that the weak link in the united front is the LibDems, who will be less likely to be keen on an immediate election.
I'd love to try and call what is going to happen, but I can't at the moment. It is certainly going to be a high stakes game this afternoon, but I strongly suspect that by the end of the day Mr MacAskill will no longer be in post.
Update 5pm: I think Kenny MacAskill acquitted himself quite well in the Chamber, taking the stance that he had sole responsibility for the decision and that he would live by his decision. Although he was accused of trying to blame everyone else (by Tavish Scott?) for the decision he took, it was clear that he was not trying to absolve himself of what was obviously a massive decision.
Unfortunately, he had very little he could add to his previous statement which made the whole performance seem like a rehash of the original announcement, and a complete non-event. The tone of the speech sounded like a sermon by as trainee minister, and rarely came to life despite the immensity of the subject matter.
Disappointingly, the chamber was half-empty: where were the rest of them?
The opposition parties will now be dragging the absentees back from the beaches and deciding how to proceed - I suspect a full debate will be staged sooner rather than later, and Kenny MacAskill's position is now more likely to be decided by the tone of the press coverage, rather than the 'skills' of the opposition.
Does anyone think the soft questions, distributed by the whips, and read badly by SNP backbenchers is either big or clever?
With all the opposition parties opposed to the decision, there are going to be fireworks, and I suspect that there will be some vitriolic attacks on Mr MacAskill.
There are going to be calls for his resignation, and as a minority Government the SNP are going to find these difficult to resist.
I expect a motion of no confidence in Mr MacAskill to be turned into a threatened motion of no confidence Alex Salmond; as the only practical way he can defend Mr MacAskill's position is to up the stakes and to see who blinks first.
That would be a high risk - for everyone - but having seen this tactic used previously, it is likely that Labour will be ready for this. However, I suspect that the weak link in the united front is the LibDems, who will be less likely to be keen on an immediate election.
I'd love to try and call what is going to happen, but I can't at the moment. It is certainly going to be a high stakes game this afternoon, but I strongly suspect that by the end of the day Mr MacAskill will no longer be in post.
Update 5pm: I think Kenny MacAskill acquitted himself quite well in the Chamber, taking the stance that he had sole responsibility for the decision and that he would live by his decision. Although he was accused of trying to blame everyone else (by Tavish Scott?) for the decision he took, it was clear that he was not trying to absolve himself of what was obviously a massive decision.
Unfortunately, he had very little he could add to his previous statement which made the whole performance seem like a rehash of the original announcement, and a complete non-event. The tone of the speech sounded like a sermon by as trainee minister, and rarely came to life despite the immensity of the subject matter.
Disappointingly, the chamber was half-empty: where were the rest of them?
The opposition parties will now be dragging the absentees back from the beaches and deciding how to proceed - I suspect a full debate will be staged sooner rather than later, and Kenny MacAskill's position is now more likely to be decided by the tone of the press coverage, rather than the 'skills' of the opposition.
Does anyone think the soft questions, distributed by the whips, and read badly by SNP backbenchers is either big or clever?
6 comments:
Complete nonsense. No way MacAskill can go now. By calling for his resignation the opposition parties have actually made it even more likely that he will stay where he is as the Government can't be seen to be bowing to pressure.
Plus a no confident motion needs at least a couple of days warning and a two thirds majority. The main flaw in this being that the SNP have more than a third of the seats and I can't see any of them voting against MacAskill. Not all the opposition MSPs are against MacAskill, either, particularly the Lib-dems - noticed John Farquar on Gaelic radio today supporting the Justice Secretary against his own party.
Here are the rules. Under the Standing Orders of parliament, a motion of no confidence can be tabled at any point.
That could cover the government as a whole or an individual minister.
For such a motion to be debated, it must be signed by 25 MSPs.
For such a motion to succeed, it must be carried by a simple majority of those voting in the chamber.
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Thanks to Brian Taylor
Complete Nonsense. No way do the Lib Dems or Labour want an election at present. They need the Tories in power in the UK Government first.
A lot of hot air this afternoon with threats and counter threats and back home to carry on with the holidays.
Disappointingly, the chamber was half-empty: where were the rest of them?
As you say; they were on the beach.
We should have a list of all those MSPs who didn't show up - and none of them should have the temerity to go on TV and give us their tuppence worth in future.
I notice that Tavish Scott said that this would be the defining point of SNPs four years of government...
so he doesnt see a fallen government as of next week?
I personally think that this issue will come back to bite the opposition in the butt....
Not all the opposition parties are opposed to the decision. The Greens are not in government, but backed the release.
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