Nicola Sturgeon and the Glasgow SNP Bullying Allegations

It's not been a very fun few months for Nicola Sturgeon. First of all the boundary changes meant that the majority which she has worked to obtain over 10 years has vanished.

Next, she was in the cabinet that axed the Glasgow Airport Rail link and faced accusations of sticking the knife into the heart of Glasgow, making some pretty petty and nasty comments about Steven Purcell in the process. And of course she also sold lunch at the auction which has been all over the papers.

Now, an SNP friend (I do have one or two!) has told me that Nicola Sturgeon has convened an emergency meeting of the SNP Council group in the city chambers in Glasgow.

It hasn't been much fun for the SNP group in Glasgow either. They lost one councillor in Newlands in a defection, had the problem of their council leader James Dornan not being able to stand in Glasgow North East and then they provided no resistance at all to the SNP cutting GARL.

I've no idea what is going on but it must be serious for the Nats to have an emergency meeting and for Sturgeon to have to take the time to convene this emergency meeting when she is firefighting on so many fronts it must be really very important.

If anyone knows what is going on then please do get in touch!

EDIT: I am hearing from a trustworthy source that the meeting was about serious allegations about bullying within the SNP group. It isn't the first time the group has faced such accusations and this is not going away. I fully expect to hear more on this in the next few years.

I hear gossip on a daily basis. I never blog them because I don't know if they are true and often it is petty things. I only blog things if they are serious and if I am sure that I can believe them. This is one of those cases.

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** Exclusive ** Interview with John McNamee

Last Sunday I broke the story about Cllr John McNamee defecting from Labour to the SNP. Since then there have been some stories about why he left the SNP and various attacks on his character.

I offered John the chance to tell us what was really going on in the SNP and why he left and I am delighted that he agreed. Here is what he said, the questions are all mine:

1. What was it that made you disillusioned with the SNP?

I have becoming increasing disillusioned with the SNP for sometime now. The big thing is that I have come to the conclusion that Independence is not a good choice for Scotland. The Global Financial Crisis has put into sharp focus the inherent problems that small nations face. I also feel in an increasingly Globalised age where countries and organisations are working together, then to take a regressive step backwards and divorce ourselves from a rich social and economic union with the rest of the United Kingdom would be simply wrong. The SNP’s decision to axe GARL is another example of not sticking up for the West of Scotland, sadly political considerations have went before the needs of those in the West.

2. Do many of your ex-colleagues privately agree with you on GARL and the concordat?

Absolutely! It’s very sad that the party machinery crushes free and open debate in SNP, particularly on the issue of GARL in the West Coast of Scotland. Also, I think ordinary members were disappointed that Glasgow SNP MSP’s never took the opportunity to stand up for Glasgow and the West of Scotland.

3. The SNP seems incredibly loyal from the outside. Are councillors and MSP’s privately getting angry with the lack of support for independence?

I would say that the Nationalists are taking an increasingly gradualist approach to their big policy platform. This is having a huge impact on the morale of the ordinary party member. Elected Members of the Party have to hold the line publicly but there are private misgivings about the party’s ability to appease the base of the party for much longer.


4. Within local government there are reports of SNP groups being bitterly divided, is there any truth in this?

It gives me no pleasure at all to confirm that SNP Council groups are incredibly divided. The main problem is there is nothing that unites them. All SNP Members joined the party to campaign for Scottish Independence. At Local Government Level that is simply never going to happen, unless of course a SNP Controlled Unitary Authority declares themselves Independent form the rest of Scotland.

In contrast to that, the Labour Party Council Groups across Scotland are united by a shared belief in equality for all members of society and believe passionately in a brighter future that promotes more opportunities across the broad spectrum of British Society.

6. Councillors and parliamentary researchers are often seen as a parties’ next generation of politicians, how would you rate the SNP’s councillors and activists?

Every Party has talented individuals. It would be wrong of me to unfairly criticise people who believe in something different from me, at the end of the day that is democracy in action, and I would have it no other way. All I can say is that I wish no ill feeling to any member of the SNP; I just hope that one day they see the light like I did!

7. Were there certain people within the Labour party that persuaded you to join?

I was persuaded by the Labour Group’s track record in South Lanarkshire. The leadership of Councillor Eddie McAvoy is first class, and I will be working hard to continue the delivery of exceptional services and facilities in the area.

8. There have been some stories about expenses issues and misconduct, is there any truth in these allegations?

The truth of the matter is a lot more boring than the press have made out. The misconduct issue refers to my Christmas Night Out at a Fire Event. I, like many Scots, had too much to drink and hold my hands up to this. It was foolish behaviour and I have personally apologised to all the relevant parties.

In terms of the expenses allegations from my former colleagues, they are being very mischievous and perhaps even libellous. The simple fact of the matter is that I have to attend a lot of events and meetings for my job and I don’t drive a car. So I use buses, trains and sometimes I use taxis depending on the meeting. I use taxis to my get to my surgeries because there is literally no other form of transport available to me at that time of night.

The actual claims have been very modest and every single one of them for approved Council Duties; in terms of the 67 Elected Members of South Lanarkshire Council I believe I rank below mid-table in the annual expenses total.

I have been very disappointed that the SNP have reacted so viciously against me when I told them I was leaving the party, for a party that wants to be in Government it is very distasteful behaviour.

9. What are your future ambitions within the party?

I don’t have any personal ambitions; I would just like to see a Scotland that is flourishing as part of a fairer Britain under Labour.

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Remembering Bashir Ahmad

This Saturday will mark the 1st anniversary of the death of Bashir Ahmad, MSP for Glasgow and the first ever and as of yet only member of the Scottish Parliament who is of an ethnic minority.

I was going to blog about this on Saturday but I'm away for a long weekend so doubt I will be able to blog again until Monday.

There is a lot to say about the lack of politicians from under-represented communities (and whilst you may not need people from a community to represent you it certainly helps to show that you are part of the democratic process) but the thing which always struck me about Bashir was more basic acts of humanity.

I said this before at the time of his death but it is well worth saying again because in a political environment like Scotland's post-2007 where the political dynamic can be so vitriolic and so negative, so often, it is worth remembering a man who crossed party political boundaries.

On my first day in the parliament I remember attending a committee meeting. In fact, the more you learn about parliament, the more you realise that these are actually incredibly important in scrutinising legislation, but at the time I didn't quite appreciate that and I must have looked incredibly bored.

I remember that during an interval Bashir, clearly realising this, came up to me and chatted away. It's a very small thing, but these basic acts of kindness are all to rare in politics.

At the time I imagine he didn't know who I was or what I party I was a member of but that changed fairly quickly but his attitude did not. I would bump into him on the Glasgow - Edinburgh train quite often and he would always not just offer but demand that I get in the taxi with him to the Parliament.

He couldn't walk due to ill health. I had no such excuses, but that wasn't an issue for him and it was the same with is insistence of buying me a drink on every train journey. Protesting was really not an option.

Since, then I'm frequently disappointed (including in myself at times) at how devoid of morality and basic decency politics can be, a fact which is even more incredible when you think of the moral crusades that so many people claim to enter politics because of.

Yet it didn't mean he wasn't fiercely political, he was in fact the most evangelical nationalist I've ever met. I remember the last time I spoke to him was at a fundraiser for Gaza after the Israeli strikes and after a fairly long chat about what was happening and me trying in vain to persuade him that being a small country would make it harder to have influence in international issues simply turned to me and said:

"Yousuf, when are you going to join the SNP?"

God loves a trier I suppose. And a trier he was, until the end.

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GARL for Glasgow, GARL for Scotland

Here is a quick quiz, who said the following in relation to the Glasgow Airport Rail Link?

"GARL’s attractiveness has never been in doubt, providing a positive impact on Scotland’s international connectivity, existing modes of transport to and from Glasgow Airport to ease congestion, and on the metropolitan area’s economy and that of Scotland as a whole. Furthermore, given the particular pressures on the construction sector in Scotland during this severe recession, GARL would provide a much needed boost to the sector and related employment.

The Scottish Government has known for a considerable period about the more stringent times ahead for the devolved public finances, and the possibility of GARL’s cancellation was never stated to be in prospect.

In our view, the GARL project is not only desirable but affordable. It has been cancelled only as a result of the Scottish Government’s priorities lying elsewhere and Ministers’ decisions not to use the full range of funding options and revenue streams with regard to infrastructure development"

Some Labour politician no doubt? One that is clearly from the West Coast and doesn't give a damn about the rest of the country? Some career politician with no understanding of business?

Nope it was the following:

Iain M McMillan, CBI Scotland

Andy Willox, FSB Scotland

David Watt, IoD Scotland

Liz Cameron, Scottish Chambers of Commerce

Dr Lesley Sawers, Scottish Council for Development and Industry

Owen Kelly, Scottish Financial Enterprise

So you see, this is not some attempt to divide the country (no matter how much the SNP wish it was) or to shore up some core vote. This is a project vital to economic growth and job creation.

However, we shouldn't be embarrassed of stating that it will affect Glasgow the most. As SNP Tactical Voting said, the SNP are incredibly loyal to the party line and I fully understand their need to say that London is to blame for everything that goes wrong but even if that was the case will no Glasgow politician stand up and say "there are cuts, it is a disgrace and all Labour's fault, but this is the wrong thing to cut?"

Bob Doris, Anne McLaughlin, Bill Kidd, Sandra White (I have to say her own conduct has been particularly outrageous) and Nicola Sturgeon, we are looking at you...

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Welcome John McNamee

I am delighted to now be able to officially welcome John McNamee, Scotland's newest Labour councillor, to the party. Representing Blantyre in South Lanarkshire, I am sure he will be a part of Eddie McAvoy's enviable team.

I met John back in the days when he was an SNP councillor and was always struck by his commitment to social justice (particularly in terms of the Glasgow Airport Rail Link) and so I'm really pleased that he has joined Labour.

Unsurprisingly the Nationalists have decided to try an smear John rather than just accept what has happened and move on although they have form here.

A month ago I said in my predictions for this year that it would be SNP councillors who would lead the revolt against the Scottish Government as they are unwilling to take the political flak for cuts to please the 'historic' concordat.

I suspect it will be particularly the case for west-coast councillors who know that they are going to get absolutely hammered in 2012 as we approach the Commonwealth Games and the Glasgow Airport Rail Link is not reinstated.

What I find interesting is that even people who don't know much about the rail link on the doorstep know something has been taken from them and they want someone to stick up for them and SNP politicians in this part of the country have been totally absent.

Some like Sturgeon promise that the SNP Government still care about the city to save her own seat but MSP's like Sandra White really have let down their constituents, and that is the words of the Evening Times, not me.

I'm sure they have all been heavily whipped not to dissent but this feeling that the SNP has a bias against the West Coast of Scotland is not going away and I don't think that John will be the last Nationalist Councillor to jump ship.

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++ Breaking ++ SNP Defection

Word reaches me of a story that could really stick it to the SNP as an elected representative is planning to defect to Labour having felt so disillusioned with the Nationalists.

I'm afraid I can't say anymore at the moment but I would thoroughly recommend that everyone reads the papers tomorrow morning!

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Prospects for Scottish Labour

I recently wrote the following article on LabourList responding to an article suggesting that the parties fortunes were sinking up north. Regular readers of this blog and with Scottish politics will be familiar with the arguments and the opinion polls but nevertheless here are some extracts from the article:

Far from dwindling fortunes, Scottish Labour has actually seen a bounce recently as we approach the general election and people focus on the choice at hand to decide if they want to have Gordon Brown or David Cameron in Downing Street.

Just look at the opinion polls. Whilst we trail by 10-15 points UK-wide; in Scotland a poll in the first week of January showed Scottish Labour 11% ahead of the SNP. Replicated at a general election this would engender a grand loss of one MP.

Hardly facing electoral oblivion.

The truth is that Scotland, always to the left of the rest of the UK, is rebelling against an alleged guaranteed Tory victory. In the above poll, the Scottish Conservatives see their vote go up by a mere one percentage point. What’s more, consistent polling shows that most SNP supporters would rather a Labour victory than a Tory one, meaning that – as the ‘2-horse race’ message is repeated – Labour’s poll lead is likely to increase.

This isn’t an erroneous poll either. A poll in November actually showed Labour with a fifteen point lead in Scotland which would mean we would actually increase our number of MP’s by one.

Yet there can be no opinion poll like an election, so just look at the Glasgow North East by election where a by election towards the end of a 3rd Labour term actually resulted in Scottish Labour increase their share of the vote by over 6 percentage points.

There are legitimate arguments about tactics in terms of the 2011 Scottish Parliamentary elections – and how to show how Scottish we are and that we will do what is best for Scots – but let us not kid ourselves.

Scottish Labour is on an upwards trajectory.

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