Glasgow East Rumour no 2

Surely there's no truth in the rumour that Tommy Sheridan is planning to stand in the Glasgow East by election? Why would he do that? He knows he can't win. All he can do is take votes away from people who are currently thinking of voting SNP. And as the SNP is the only party with any hope of beating Labour, would he, the great convert to Independence for Scotland, not be better leaving the ego trip to another day? As I read the article in the Daily Record (online obviously) I was skimming it and saw this snippet:

"Labour insiders believe he could be the ideal candidate ..."!

For a second I thought they were referring to Sheridan. They weren't. But I bet you anything they're cock-a-hoop at the prospect.

There is no doubt in my mind that this by-election will be on 24 July. Labour are terrified of losing to the SNP so the sooner they have it, the harder it is for us to make the inroads required. That means it'll be a very close run thing and the more candidates there are, the more the votes are spread.

It will be a remarkable feat if the SNP runs Labour close - remarkable but forgettable. Victory is what we're aiming for and that's what people will remember when it comes to the Independence Referendum that Tommy's so keen to see - allegedly!

The Uranus Effect

Expect the unexpected - that's roughly what the Uranus effect is all about and my goodness, it's never ending! Latest news of course is that Wendy Alexander is to stand down as Labour Leader in Scotland. About time too. And I say this not because of the never ending row over non declaration of expenses - bad as it is, I'm bored with that now. I say it because much as she may have talents in other areas, being leader of a branch of a political party has proved not to be one of them. I was surprised, I imagine she would be too if she could acknowledge that she wasn't terribly effective instead of privately blaming other people all the time. As I say I was surprised, I thought she'd do a better job but she hasn't and she really ought to have gone long before now. Apart from anything else, if the leader of the opposition isn't up to the job, how can they possibly hold the government to account? And believe it or not, we WANT an effective opposition. Not that I imagine the SNP is ever in danger of becoming complacent as a government but the best way to prevent that is for the opposition to be scrutinising everything we do. As I say, the chances of resting on our laurels are very slim - the Labour Party in Scotland's decades long complacency is a shining example of how not to treat the voters! Anyway I'm off to take the Tartan Hero to the airport - what poor timing Grant! So, as I said last night, PLEASE no more news!

Glasgow East by-election shock!

And another scoop! I hear on the late night grapevine that David Marshall, the MP for Glasgow East is to stand down on Monday. First of all, if it's true that he is ill and particularly if stories that it's related to depression are true, then I'm sorry for him and his family and I hope he has a speedy recovery. And for that reason, I'll say no more (for the moment) except to say that, as you'd expect, the SNP will fight this by-election to win. As Convener of the Glasgow Regional Association, I can tell you our members are motivated, organised and judging by the number of emails and texts I've had in the last half hour asking me what's happening, they're ready to get out there and work.

On that note, I'm off to bed! Please, no more news ... !

COSLA sensationally backs Local Income Tax

Thanks to Glasgow SNP Councillor Kenny McLean for alerting me to this - the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities has sensationally voted to support the SNP policy of Local Income Tax. Brilliant news. As my footballing mates would say "get in there"! Labour of course, sour grapes as always, are saying that the decision "does not support the prevailing view among local authorities". Well, COSLA is the body which represents all local authorities so that can't be right. Their reasoning is that a number of councils weren't at the meeting today to vote on it. Was it a secret meeting? I don't think so. So if they chose not to be there I think we can take that as an abstention from the vote. The Labour Party just cannot accept democratic decisions, there's always some excuse as to why more and more people are seeing things the way the SNP sees them. Perhaps they should reflect a little on just why COSLA members are supporting the idea of citizens paying whatever they pay based on their income.

It's Alright, Annie's Coming Back

Have just watched the Nelson Mandela 90th birthday concert and was thinking what a fantastic singer Annie Lennox really is. And that's nothing to do with the fact that she's had the good sense to publicly back Scottish Independence - hah! It's a funny thing but whenever a previous opponent of Independence "sees the light", I always expect to feel resentful that it's taken them so long. But I don't and neither does anyone else in the SNP. We're all just so genuinely happy that someone else has come over to our way of thinking. And anyone who, like Annie, can say:

"I think Scotland could take a stand in a wonderful way, ecologically and morally and ethically. Scotland could stand for something in the way that Norway has done historically."

is someone who genuinely understands the essence of our desire for Independence. So good on ye Annie and don't worry, sweet dreams are made of this, when tomorrow comes. Would I lie to you?!

A young European

OK so there's nothing political about this and nothing particularly European either - except, of course, that he IS European - but I love this photograph of my nephew Daniel and being the caring sharing type that I am, I thought I'd share it with you.

Daniel is leaving primary school tomorrow and going to the Port High - lucky boy! Earlier this week he was presented with the Agnes Mungin Award for music. He kept forgetting what it was called so I told him it was the Senga Nignum award which I think sounds much better. Anyway he got it for playing the chanter.

Last week I went to the Inverclyde Piping Project concert to watch him perform "I see Mull" on the chanter. He was very good and at the interval one of the teachers came over to my sister to tell her they thought he was good enough now to progress to the bagpipes. "Nae luck" I heard someone say - don't know who, somebody nearby but not me.

That's the thing about being in politics - you have to be nice about everyone and everything lest ye offend. And the thing about being in the SNP is that you have to be nice about all things Scottish.

I have no problem with that because I LOVE all things Scottish but I have a friend called Imogen Airy and she is a bit different. She came along to the piping concert with us and she really does like the bagpipes - as long as she doesn't have to listen to them. She was quite badly behaved because her favourite bit of the show she claims, was the start when all the newbies are up "catterwauling" as she put it. She reckons they were out of tune, "all over the place" and that this was funny! Thankfully she's quite polite and stifled the laughter.

She snorted with laughter, however, when my mother said, in all seriousness, "you'd think the older ones would have learned to play without the droning in the background"! I soon informed her that droning is what they're supposed to do and the more simultaneous drones the better.

Imogen told Daniel the tunes were great but that it would be much better if he could practise cool stuff like The Simpsons theme tune in future. "Don't worry what the teacher tells you, they're not there when you're rehearsing"! Daniel giggles whenever Imogen suggests this but I think it's a terrible example to be setting. And using his chanter to itch her back? Well HE might have laughed but I certainly didn't!

I, of course, as an individual as well as an SNP candidate, fully understand the importance of protecting your culture and heritage and I think this project does a terrific job. I'm very happy that Daniel will be one of the SNP's resident pipers. He doesn't know it yet but he won't mind. And I have to say that even Imogen Airy was quiet during the finale when the stage filled with pipers and drummers and the sound crashed down on us sending shivers up our spines.

Henry McLeish says SNP "uncompromisingly Scottish"

I'm just listening to a discussion on the End of Year report for the SNP government on Politics Now and it's very interesting. Henry McLeish, one time Labour First Minister puts our success down to the fact that we are "uncompromisingly Scottish". Hmmm. Like France is uncompromisingly French. And Spain is uncompromisingly Spanish. Like normal countries you mean Henry? I know there's been much talk of Henry coming round to the idea of Independence and I'm beginning to wonder if it's a possibility. He went on to say that Alex Salmond stood up for Scotland and didn't have to "look over his shoulder for Westminster" thus acknowledging that the unionist parties will only ever be able to do, in Scotland, what the British government allows them to do. Which is precisely why we need an SNP government and more than anything, need our Independence.