Consider the Liberals of the field, they sow not neither do they reap, but never was Solomon in all his glory as arrogant as one of these.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Apologies\nfor this misquotation from the Bible \u2013 think it should be \u201cspin\u201d\nnot reap, but they actually do spin, if not in the Biblical fashion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\nwas watching the Andrew Marr Show on Sunday, followed by Politics\nScotland with Gordon Brewer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jo\nSwinson, Leader, aspiring to be Prime Minister I think, was saying\nshe would not enter into any pact with Johnson or Corbyn. Marr did\nnot quite pin down how her tactics would work, but with 18 MPs it\nsounded fanciful – the SNP has 35 but we are off the table for her\nanyway. Gordon Brewer was also trying to get straight answers from\nWillie Rennie, Leader of the Scottish Liberals, who wanted to\nleapfrog Labour in the Scottish Parliament. (Not physically!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The\nLiberals have been around a long, long time \u2013 as Gilbert &\nSullivan put it in Iolanthe \u201cEvery boy and every gal that\u2019s born\ninto this world alive, is either a little Liberal or else a little\nConservative\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\nwas quite common to drift back and forward between the two parties;\nwhen Winston Churchill became MP for Dundee he was elected as a\nLiberal, however by the time of the Second World War he was back in\nthe Conservatives. (When he lost the Dundee seat the victor was a\nprohibition campaigner, Ned Scrimgeour; history tells us that Dundee\nwas drunk for a few days after that victory.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Also\nin the early days of the Scottish National movement, when\nindependence was an embryo, members of the SNP could stand as\nLiberals; this practice ceased under the Chairmanship of the SNP by\nDr Robert McIntyre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During\nthe Sixties there was a proposal for the SNP and the Liberals to\ncampaign together in East Aberdeenshire with Ludovic Kennedy as\ncandidate. There was a meeting in Aberdeen which I was invited to \u2013\nI was Chairman of Peterhead Branch, which was the largest Branch in\nthe constituency. Some years later I met up with some of these Branch\nmembers at one of the Conferences; after one meeting a friend of\nmine asked one of the delegates \u201cHoo dae ye no\u2019 like Jim Lynch?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The\nanswer was \u201cHe met the Liberals\u201d. When I heard this I burst out\nlaughing; I never went to the meeting, I think the only reason I was\nasked was because I had a car. Anyway, the woman had hated me for\nyears \u2013 what a waste of venom. Happy days!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We\ndid welcome the fact when the Liberals adopted a candidate , because\nEast Aberdeenshire was a safe Tory seat, held by Patrick Woolridge\nGordon; his mother was the daughter of Dame Flora McLeod, Chieftain\nof Clan MacLeod. We thought that a Liberal candidate would split the\nTory vote; we did not win the seat in 1970, but Douglas Henderson\nwon it in 1974.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
About\nthe Liberals, during Harold Wilson\u2019s rule they had a supply and\nconsent agreement with him; I think that the SNP also had the same\nkind of agreement; Wilson only had a majority of 3, the Liberals had\n13 and we had 11 . Wilson got our support as devolution was in their\nmanifesto, but that\u2019s a story for another Flag.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When\nthe Scottish Parliament was opened the Labour Party did not have an\noutright majority so they teamed up with the Liberals, or Liberal\nDemocrats as they had become. Labour had 56 seats, SNP 35 and\nLiberal Democrats 18. In 2003 the SNP seats dropped to 27 as other\nparties emerged, the Scottish Socialist Party, (Remember Tommy\nSheridan?), the Greens and a Scottish Pensioners Party and the\nLiberals stayed the same I think.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In\nthe 2007 Election a new voting system was introduced, inventor\nDouglas Alexander as I recall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The\nelection was a shambles, because they had the bright idea of doing\nthe local government elections at the same time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The\nresult was SNP 47, Labour 46, Tories 17, Liberal 16, Green 2, Margo\n1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These\nthings are what dreams are made of.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Alex\nthought that the Liberals would go in a coalition similar the one\nthey had with Labour. However, they refused to even meet the SNP\nunless it gave up its policy of independence. As this was and still\nis the raison\u2019 d\u2019etre of the SNP this was ridiculous, Alex said\nno thanks! He then formed a minority government which the other\nparties expected to last a few weeks – it lasted 4 years!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Next\ncame a Westminster election \u2013 2010, which also left Labour needing\nallies. The SNP offered support but dealing with the SNP was\nanathema to Labour, so<\/p>\n\n\n\n
David\nCameron hooked up with the Liberals \u2013 \u201cI agree with Nick\u201d was\nthe catch phrase of the time. The Liberals, always avid for a good\nthing and ditching principles fitted in very well with the Tories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Come\nthe 2011 Scottish Parliament election which surprised us all, with\nthe SNP getting an overall majority which the voting system was\ndesigned to make impossible! The Liberals dropped from 16 seats to\n5, as their voters did not like being made to look fools. They have\nnot yet recovered from that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After\nthe Scottish Referendum in 2014, along came the 2015 Westminster\nelection, where the SNP won 56 of the 59 Scottish parliamentary\nseats!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One\nTory, one Labour and one Liberal were left.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yet\nwhen Mrs Theresa May called a snap election as she was worried about\nher small majority the SNP lost 21 seats as 56 out of 59 had\nfrightened the horses. Mrs May lost her majority and had to go cap\nin hand, or rather our money in hand, to the DUP in Northern Ireland\nforking out more than a billion as a bribe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As we are in a peculiar situation just now the political headlines change by the hour, the Liberals are now planning to take control of Westminster, with Jo Swinson as Prime Minister, conveniently ignoring the fact that she is a Scottish MP, second class by Westminster rules, and not allowed to vote on English matters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Incidentally\nshe, and her Scottish pot-licker, the earnest, concerned Willie\nRennie, promised a new EU Referendum, as they did not like the last\none; they are also denying a new Scottish referendum, because they\ndid like the last one, a democratic pick and mix! Do not know if that\none survived their Conference I think I just saw her on TV saying\nthat she would immediately move Section 50 if she was elected Prime\nMinister, which would mean no EU Referendum, very democratic. She\nalso wants every SNP voter to vote for her \u2013 Sorry hen, but I\u2019m \nspoken for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You\ncan understand my opening comments about the arrogance of the\nLiberals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ms\nSwinson is guilty of the cardinal sin of politics; you should not\nmake promises you cannot perform. I suppose you get Westminster\nabsolution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
More than myself have come up with David Steel at the Liberals 1981 \u201cGo back to your constituencies and prepare for government!\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Scotland\u2019s\nOil<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n On other important matters, Climate Change; I see a drive to stop Scotland\u2019s oil production and leave the oil in the sea. The Scottish Government has already gone further ahead on this issue than most countries, but it will have to phase in the rundown with investment in clean energy sources. How strange that as we stand to get control we will be barred from the cash benefit of the oil. I note that Nicola made the comment that we would still have to get oil from other sources which might not be as clean as the present source; it was always my contention that the vast reserves in the Middle East could be affected by war. I see this week that oil facilities in Saudi Arabia have been attacked. Our industry is safer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Marches<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The recent decision by Glasgow City Council to forbid conflicting parades of Irish Republican Societies and the Orange Order has met with fierce opposition from the Orange Order. They have claimed discrimination; I see it only as a matter of time before they protest against AUOB, which has had many cheerful parades, with no hate-filled element.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Cybernats<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Calls for action against Cybernats are becoming more strident; I have no time for the green ink brigade, and this type of communication is deplorable. The Cybernats are ostensibly pro Referendum and Independence, but I very much doubt if they are; any actions that give the Yes campaign a bad name is counter productive, so I believe the Cybernat is a Better Together plan. Actions which harm your own side is inexcusable \u2013 if we find any we should expel them publicly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Egregious<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n In\nhis judgement on proroguing of Westminster, unanimous with the three\nof Scotland\u2019s most senior judges, Lord Brodie made the point that\nthe actions of the Westminster Cabinet was egregious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Being\nonly roughly familiar with the word, I checked my Oxford English\ndictionary and found it \u201cOutstandingly bad; flagrant\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I now wonder how the Supreme Court, only established after devolution, will judge?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Royal\nbias?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Footnote,\njust as we go to Press; David Cameron, stunned by a Yes poll ahead\nof the Scottish Referendum in 2014, asked Her Majesty to intervene on\nbehalf of Better Together. We all saw her \u201cnon committal\u201d remark\noutside Crathie Kirk, so she obliged one Prime Minister by making a\npolitical comment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Is\nshe doing the same in the Brexit scenario?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Consider the Liberals of the field, they sow not neither do they reap, but never was Solomon in all his glory as arrogant as one of these. Apologies for this misquotation from the Bible \u2013 think it should be \u201cspin\u201d not reap, but they actually do spin, if not in the Biblical fashion. I was watching the Andrew Marr Show on Sunday, followed by Politics Scotland with Gordon Brewer. Jo Swinson, Leader, aspiring to be Prime Minister I think, was saying she would not enter into any pact with Johnson or Corbyn. Marr did not quite pin down how her tactics would work, but withRead More →<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/scotsindependent.scot\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2606"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/scotsindependent.scot\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/scotsindependent.scot\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scotsindependent.scot\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scotsindependent.scot\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2606"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/scotsindependent.scot\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2606\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2611,"href":"https:\/\/scotsindependent.scot\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2606\/revisions\/2611"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/scotsindependent.scot\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2606"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scotsindependent.scot\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2606"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scotsindependent.scot\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2606"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}