My useless politician is better than your useless politican
The claim, reported by Hebrides News, that the Council knew about the plans for reassessing the Range, with the possibility of job losses, is shocking.
Sadly, it is as believable as it is unbelievable, and with a disgraceful inevitability it would appear that culpability for the debacle lies as much with (at least part of) the Council as it does with the MP and MSP.
Although the claim is that all Southern Isles Councillors were notified about the plans at the time poses all sorts of questions But questions must also arise about exactly who in the Council knew about these proposals, what decisions they took, and what did they actually do?
In a seeming desperate dive for the moral low ground, the ferrets are fighting in the sack; and I feel an FoI coming on to separate truth from press release.
It seems undisputed that the Southern Isles Councillors knew and did nothing. Why?
With Councillors basic salaries trebling to £15,000 in May 2007, a certain increased responsibility naturally came with the pay rise, and that means they are going to have to justify their inaction to their communities.
Just what did you do when you were told the news in the Summer of 2007? What exactly were you told (send me a copy of the email/letter, please)? And why did you act surprised when the news became public six months later?
That is what you are going to have to answer on the doorsteps, whether you like it or not.
None of that excuses the failures of MacNeil or Allan, but it puts into context a seeming culture of inability and failure to identify priority issues by our elected representatives.
The Council, meantime, needs to give the public full clarity about its own actions.
And Mr MacSween needs to confirm exactly when he knew about the Qinetiq/MOD plans or he will be tarred with the same brush that he is wielding.
25 comments:
Manford's revelations about Southern Isles Councillors being told what was going on pose enormous questions about the role of Manford and Gerry MacLeod in this whole affair.
Why did they do nothing, tell us nothing, and not warn us about the plans?
5.45
I think you are right, and the onus is now firmly on Mr Manford to explain in detail what he knew, when and what action he,the MP and MSP took. He has the opposition skewered if he can produce the evidence- letters, emails, notes of meetings, and of course the Council report to which he refers. It is very unlike Mr. Manford not to make an enormous fuss, especialy when he could have inflicted damage on the Goverment.
On the other hand , maybe this is all a bluster, and he does not have a shred of evidence to back his claims. I look forward to next week as the political gloves are now well and truly off!
The councillors in Uist never (can I stress NEVER) tell us anything - they never feedback about what is going on. Not even on decisions that they or others make which are going to affect us. They are a real disappointment and do not look after out interests in any way.
6.56pm
Not sure why you are so exercised by our councillors not telling us what is going on.
More relevant to the community is the unfolding shambles of Storas Uibhist, at the last count they had 23 of a staff and are still unable to post up to date minutes of board meetings on their website.
I see that they are recruiting another development officer just now; long may the public funded gravy train run, the buffers are not yet in sight.
Same S**t different politicians
Instead of politicians and their feverant followers focusing all their energy on proving how their openents are slightly more shite- could they not try and better themselves and strive for what's right for their constituents? And therefore get elected into office by us in the belief that they will actually do some good for the people they serve, rather than the belief that they will do a little less damage than the other cove?
I am sick and tired of posts on this blog and letters& articles in Heb news, Gazzette, WHFP, obviously from little snp or labour minions slagging the balls off their oponents when they are all as crap as each other.
Instead of the old political negativity why don't you all retreat and regroup, and try to make your parties decent,fair, honest and realistic in its aims, rather than a little less shite than the other one. Then I, along with a sizeable chunk of the general population, might actually bother voting for someone rather than increasingly ignore the tirade of abuse from bullshit mud slingers who are slowly but surely scunnering more and more of the voting public every single feckin day with their nonsense.
It is pretty hard to decide who to vote for when all you are aware of is an overwhelming sea of beige and grey.
Pass me the asprin.
macdoh: another 4 months of this $h1t to put up with as the politicans seem to compete to see who is worse....
According to the husband of the office manager for Mr MacNeil and Mrs Allan, SNP Cllrs Manford, MacLeod, MacDonald and MacLean as well as thr MP and MSP all knew about the possible closure of the rocket range for six months and did nothing about it.
And that MacSween might have known is their defence!
Sorry for being cynical about this, but your posting title sums this up perfectly.
The public need to know all the facts to understand just who is complicit in this pathetic failure.
Why would Angus MacNeil MP lower himself to deal with mere constituency matters when he had the opportunity to get his face on the national news.
Also at that time he was busy fighting off these ludicrous allegations about the two young women in Orkney, which he later admitted were true.
However, he did keep his jacket on during the entire affair.
I'll certainly be giving my moral suport and vote to an incompetent, adulterous, lazy incompetent; as my family get a kickback from the rent from the office premises paid by the Government.
A wee question for you here Angus. While you were in the council and ABM was elected can you tell us how often he met with you or the council? I am sure you could count on one hand, unlike when Calum Macdonald was the MP.
Calum worked with the council and with other agencies for the benefit of the Islands and not to get his face on the front page of newspaper or TV.
K8 & Ian have passed this to the Barra Bhouy
TRUE OR FALSE?
Can you guess which of the following are true or false?
1. Apples, not caffeine, are more efficient at waking you up in the
morning.
2. Alfred Hitchcock didn't have a bellybutton.
3. A pack-a-day smoker will lose approximately 2 teeth every 10 yrs.
4. People do not get sick from cold weather; it's from being indoors
a lot more.
5. When you sneeze, all bodily functions stop - even your heart!
6. Only 7 per cent of the population are left handed
7. 40 people are sent to the hospital for dog bites every minute.
8. Babies are born without knee caps. They don't appear until they
are 2 - 6 years old.
9. The average person over fifty will have spent 5 years waiting in
queues.
10. The toothbrush was invented in 1498.
11. The average housefly lives for one month.
12. 40,000 Scots are injured by toilets each year.
13. A coat hanger is 44 inches long when straightened.
14. The average computer user blinks 7 times a minute.
15. Your feet are bigger in the afternoon than the rest of the day.
16. Most of us have eaten a spider in our sleep.
17. The REAL reason ostriches stick their head in the sand is to search
for water.
18. The only 2 animals that can see behind itself without turning it's
head are the rabbit and the parrot.
19. John Travolta turned down the starring roles in "An Officer and a
Gentleman" and "Tootsie".
20. Michael Jackson owned the rights to the South Carolina State anthem.
21. In most television commercials advertising milk, a mixture of white
paint and a little thinner is used in place of the milk.
22. Prince Charles and Prince William NEVER travel on the same airplane
jus t in case there is a crash.
23. The first Harley Davidson motorcycle built in 1903 used a tomato
can for a carburetor.
24. Most hospitals save the umbilical cords cut from
women who give birth. They are reused in vein transplant surgery.
25. Humphrey Bogart was related to Princess Diana. They were 7th
cousins.
26. If colouring weren't added to Coca-Cola, it would be green.
Answers below, scroll down
ALL TRUE.....NOW WON'T THAT KEEP AB OUT OF THE SOUP. TROUBLE IS HE CANNOT REMEMBER TWO TRUTHS AT THE SAME TIME!!
And the prize for the biggest tall story on this Blog goes to 7.07
Noting that various councils are booking up premises for May 6th and 7th. Election day looks pretty much set for 13 weeks this thursday.
Oh dear, I see on Hebridean News site that the only defence of our esteemed MP is coming from a small group of hard nosed, right wing Nats(Tartan Tories) They would defend their nationalists representative although he were a cross between Myra Hynley and the Yorkhire Ripper. The other line of defence is on the pay-roll – the literary genius known as Bunter. Bunter’s letter are written by the Barra Bhouy’s constituency aid then signed by her husband – what a shabby little strategy. Bottom line is that “ordinary” nats know that their man is a joke figure – and enjoys the respect of none – expect the politically blind. Just ask the good burghers of Barra…..
Can you beleive the neck of the Barra Bhouy. He has the audacity to speak out against Nigel Griffiths who is standing down after being caught having an afair.
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/2010/02/01/sex-scandal-claim-mp-nigel-griffiths-to-quit-parliament-at-general-election-86908-22011123/
11.21
And your point is ???
09:13
I would have thougt it was quite obvious.
The Barra Bhouy is being somewhat hypocritical after having been caught with his pants down (but jacket on) in Orkney. He then condems someone else for doing the same. Unless of course, it is not the act that matters but where it took place.
9.59
I do not recall McNeil admitting to having an illicit affair.
I think that it has become clear that although it may have been an error in judgement to have been where he was, there was clearly no wrong doing on his part.
Maybe you are one of theses people in Life who have NEVER put a foot wrong, but I doubt it as we are after all only human.
Um... @11.21, in that article, the buoy is making a cheap though not entirely irrelevant crack about senior Lab MPs deserting Brown, nothing about the rumpy-pumpy.
I see no hypocrisy in that. Quite the opposite in fact - he's overlooking the fooling the way he expected his own to be overlooked. And indeed, what bearing does it have on anything (though IN the House of Commons is inappropriate, I think), and aren't all politicians just scoring points off each other anyway, which is despicable whether it's over career choices or sexual positions.
Surely the train of comment has gone a wee bit off the subject, interesting though the entertainment at the Island Games might be for some.
DJ Macsween has given a categoical statement this morning that directly answers the demand Angus made in his posting. Despite excitment about successful nomination in the Blogger, Rural, Scottish etc, etc, Oscar nomination, thought Angus might have found time to comment on this.
And maybe a couple of letters of apology from recent correspondents in Hebrides News wouldn't go amiss.
Looks like game set and match Macsween.
Oh and of course Anon 12.00 PM The Barra Bhouy only took his jacket off.
7.19
Looks as if McSween has ground Angus B McNeil, A Allan, AND his former friend Manford to a pulp over the Range issue, game set and match to Slugger McSween. Cannot help wondering if the old fox led them into the bear trap. The SNP response to his detailed press release on Heb News was nothing short of pathetic. It now looks as if the real fight this May will be between McSween and Manford ( who should have been the SNP candidate for the Holyrood election.)With Hargreaves now almost certain to be the Christian Party candidate, harried all the way by John Macleod, (who would have made a formidable,and infinately better candidate) the stage is well and truly set for the most keenly fought election since 1997.
No, i am afraid they are not all true. Ostriches DO NOT stick their heads in the sand (how would they breathe!) they ocaissionally burrow down into the sand for water (but most of that work is done by the back legs) and some times run along with their heads near the surface of the land (O\o -wise - sorry, that is the best my computer can do) they may ocaissionally listen for beasties and grubs by sticking their ears near the sand (but they don't always live near sand!)
*occasionally
Ouch. I'm not really a pedant but that one is painful to read.
Why was AB Macneil, or any SNP MP, not at today's debate on rural fuel prices?
http://linlithgow-libdems.blogspot.com/2010/02/do-not-be-fooled-by-inaction-of-quiet.html
I'll answer my own question: I've just learned that AB has a close family bereavement. Sorry.
However, where were the rest of them?
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