I’m late in blogging this; Michael Settle and Chekov have beaten me to the punch. But suffice to say that watching Scottish Questions on BBC2 last night was a simply joyous experience!
Jim Murphy was on top form, quietly and purposefully wiping the floor with an obnoxious and borderline abusive Pete Wishart. Honourable mentions must also go to David Mundell for his gutsy rebuke to the SNP over not engaging with the Calman process and his description of the SNP’s National Conversation as “little more than a taxpayer-funded blogsite for insomniac nationalists”, to Ben Wallace for his reference to a “Tory-Labour pact” in order to protect the United Kingdom against nationalism and to Mark Harper for his astute observation that “the First Minister has a tendency to conflate the interests of the Scottish National Party with the interests of Scotland”.
Matt Qvortrup: Numpty....
10 minutes ago
Oh, and to Ann McGuire for accusing the perennially sneering Angus MacNeil of taking “so little interest in his own fishing communities”.
I notice this comment by Oor Jim got a good laugh too:
"Whether it is in Leicestershire, Lanarkshire or north or south of the border, the United Kingdom provides us with great prosperity in good times and great security in more difficult times. That is a situation that all of us in the House—except one, two, three, four, five and one other who is not in the Chamber at the moment—wish to continue."
Does the elusive No. 6 ever deign to attend that chamber any more despite drawing his full salary from it?
"Does the elusive No. 6 ever deign to attend that chamber any more despite drawing his full salary from it?"
He is not a number; he is a free man. (And clearly a well paid one.)
Yes, I enjoyed that one too - delivered in his usual deadpan and with perfect comedic timing.
Murphy also dismissed John Swinney on last evening's Newsnight, overwhelming him with point after point, but again effortlessly - with an even pace and tone - which left Swinney spinning his wheels and frankly looking rather "swivel-eyed" (© Ben Wallace).
"Hapless" Swinney - and let's be fair to him - would find it hard to outwit a used teabag.
His attempts over the months to explain how SFT would actually work have been truly inspiring, in a despairing sort of way.
"the SNP and its swivel-eyed supporters" (Ben Wallace)
So abusive language from politicians is perfectly acceptable providing its aimed at the SNP eh???
Actually, Leaves, I think Ben Wallace was wrong to tar all the SNP's supporters with that particular brush. I just thought I'd mention it to spice up the thread a little! ;-)
So abusive language from politicians is perfectly acceptable providing its aimed at the SNP eh???
No. Now what about Wishart? I hope you aint' trying to change the subject.
SU
Your commendation of Mundell's partisan rhetoric re- National Conversation is strange. Perhaps anti-nationalist soundbites are comforting to those that share the same view, but I did merit you with more gravitas than that. On being interviewed recently on BBC Radio, Kenneth Calman confirmed that he had contributed to the NC, and would also be asking the Scottish Government to make submissions to the Calman Commission. I live in hope, therefore, that there are unionists out there who have a desire to drive real change that will improve the way we are governed, instead of engaging in eternal negative spin.
PMQs were much more interesting than Scottish Questions.
I thought only Superman could "save the world", but alas, I was wrong. Is Kircaldy really Smallville??
I think this wee Freudian slip gives us a clearer view of Brown's real psyche. Much more so than the hundreds of spun words he utters each week?
Didn't see the programme, but I was watching The Daily Politics and they cut to the HoC for PMQs.
Trouble was, Scottish Questions were running late, and Pete Wishart started ranting on about Team GB.
So they cut back to the studio - Andrew Neil, Nick Robinson et al.
I'm sure it was some sort of Unionist conspiracy :o)