Scottish Roundup

Hi folks! Remember when the Summer was the ’silly season’, when hardly anything would happen and all sorts of stories would be classed as news, just to fill the void? Well, turns out we’re not getting one of those this year. The Glasgow East By-Election has seen to that.

There’s a preview of Thursday’s poll over at Reuters. There’s a prediction at Adopted Domain. Meanwhile, with predictions of victory and a ‘political earthquake’ being issued from SNP HQ, Jeff and Scott both wonder if it was wise to predict victory beforehand.

Certainly, that declaration looked a little ropey following an ICM opinion poll giving Labour a double-digit lead. Or did it? ASWaS, Mike Smithson and Anthony Wells line up to scrutinise the figures.

Elsewhere on the trail, there’s been a reaction to debates held between the candidates from the Big 4 parties. There’s an assessment at Political Dissuasion. Meanwhile, James and Adopted Domain aren’t happy with SNP Candidate John Mason’s comments over the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill.

Staying with the SNP Campaign, Hopi Sen has examined a picture of the SNP activists at campaign HQ, and has not managed to count the five hundred that were reported to have gone out last weekend. Though in fairness, the campaign has seen footsoldiers receive wounds: IndyGal reports on an injury to BellgroveBelle, who was out flying the flag for the party. And John Mason gets an endorsement from Julie Hepburn. He doesn’t get one from Shuggy, who also has some reflections on the notion of Annabel Goldie in a leotard while campaigning for Davena Rankin. And on the Tories, Jennifer Dunn thinks it’s a bit rich for them to be promoting health and fitness when they’re leaving their campaign leaflets in piles at the bottom of tenement stairs rather than going up and posting them into the flats.

Meanwhile, the Labour campaign has been on the receiving end of pelters as well. Guido notes a photograph showing candidate Margaret Curran MSP meeting a 93-year-old war veteran who turned out to be a 67-year-old Labour activist, while I dipped into the Holyrood Official Report and discovered that her voting record on Iraq isn’t what she claims. However, IndyGal notes that Margaret Curran didn’t know where former Glasgow East MP David Marshall’s Constituency Office was. Oh dear. Elsewhere, Mark McDonald spots a Labour leaflet that appears to be backfiring, Louise notes the plan to abandon an increase in fuel duty in the Autumn and points out that a UK Government U-turn on an unpopular policy didn’t help them to hold on in Crewe and Nantwich. Meanwhile, Alanna asks what 50 years of Labour has actually done for the East End.

On a broader note, this has been the first By-Election in which the Scottish blogosphere has been fully engaged. Andrew Burns is fascinated by the exchanges, but Duncan isn’t impressed. Neither is Stephen Glenn.

One particular row concerns this post by Kezia Dugdale, which has caught the attention of Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who Kezia alleges was asked to leave a shopping centre. Tom Harris MP notes that the incident was filmed but accused the BBC of bias for not showing it. James looks at the incident and wonders what impact it might have on the campaign and the result.

Another row brewing comes from Davie Hutchison, who is not impressed with the new blog, SNP Watch.

But this is also the first Twitter By-Election: LibDem Candidate Ian Robertson is taking advantage of the service.

In other news now, the economic downturn has caused Bill Cameron to produce a thoughtful post, while Jeff looks at the Royal Bank of Scotland’s share price, making comments that resonate with David Farrer. While Mr Eugenides looks at the possibility that Gordon Brown is now pursuing a ’scorched earth’ economic policy.

Staying with administrations facing financial problems, Ideas of Civilisation takes a look at Aberdeen City Council’s fiscal problems and wishes that local politicians would stop blaming each other for the mess and sort it out. Andy, on the other hand, notes Labour’s attempts to blame the SNP for the problems and calls on the local party to fight back.
On the subject of local finance, Edinburgh Council Labour Group Leader Andrew Burns has a post condemning the Local Income Tax proposals.

While we’re in the Capital, A Scandal and A Disgrace notes a fall in room bookings for the Festival.

A new website, Secret Scotland, takes a look at Scottish public finances and oil money. Holyrood Watcher has a post on the Scottish Government grant to the Govan Law Centre that was awarded, un-awarded, then re-awarded. And Angus Nicolson looks at former Labour MSP for the Western Isles Alasdair Morrison being appointed to the board of MG Alba, the new Gaelic television service.

Staying with the MSM, James notes the resignation of Charles McGhee as editor of The Herald, and wonders if it’s wise to leave the paper leaderless during the By-Election. Duncan, meanwhile, wonders why technology news doesn’t get much coverage, even when it’s important.

While we’re talking about Internet-based shenanigans, Angry Steve discusses the etiquette of mailing lists. And of course, there has been navel gazing this week: Ideas of Civilisation thinks about who’s reading blogs, while Northbritain looks at how many, or rather how few, people are engaged with bloggery in Scotland.

As is often the case, crime and punishment issues get a look-in this week: Man About the House looks at the problem of banning knives outright, while Alastair looks at the fluctuation in the UK Government’s latest plans to tackle knife crime.

Meanwhile, civil liberties get a mention: Mike Smith is troubled by proposals to create a central database which logs our telephone and internet communications, while Alastair looks across the Pond to a watch list which you can’t get off once you’re on.

Speaking of civil liberties, Iain reckons his have been infringed as his status within the Scottish LibDems means that he can’t pass public comment on their Leadership Election. Caron, however, has no such problem, and is endorsing former Rural Affairs Minister Ross Finnie.

Clairwil reflects on housing provision.

If you haven’t already seen it, we draw your attention to Crap Holyrood Chat, which casts a disdainful eye over some of the more appalling examples of political banter from our MSPs.

Oh, and Alastair and Flying Rodent discuss Margaret Thatcher’s funeral plans. Would it be overly distasteful to suggest sending her to a taxidermist, then turning her into a piñata that tours the UK, offering people the chance to beat the living daylights out of her with a big stick? Probably, but it’s worth thinking about.

Finally, Bookdrunk is closing the curtain on blogging. For now.

And on that note of an ending, this is a good time to conclude this week’s Roundup. Remember that Duncan’s here with a special Glasgow East special on Thursday night, and I’m back in the hotseat next Sunday. As always you can send us your suggestions for inclusion to scottishroundup@gmail.com or fill in the twiddlythingummybob on the right. Bye-de-bye!

This is just a little post about some of the plans for Scottish Roundup over the next little while.

By-election special

First of all we are going to have a Glasgow East by-election special to be posted when polls close on Thursday. That roundup will contain all the last-minute campaign and pre-poll thoughts and will be edited by me. Sunday’s roundup will cover the reaction to the result as well as all of the week’s other top posts as always. That one will be edited by Will P.

Non-political roundup

Longer term we will be experimenting a bit with the format. All too often non-political bloggers get perplexed whenever their post is included in what is ostensibly a ‘political’ roundup. So for a trial period of three months we will be keeping the weekly roundups for political posts. For non-political posts, there will be a monthly roundup which will be posted on the third Wednesday of each month.

It is just an experiment and might fall totally flat on its face, so all feedback will be appreciated! Any help with compiling it would also be greatly appreciated, as I know that I often struggle to cover the wide world of the Scottish blogosphere adequately enough outside of the political blogs.

All suggestions as always to scottishroundup@gmail.com, or you can use the form on the right. It would also be helpful if someone would be up for guest-editing a non-political roundup.

Spring clean

I’ll also be tinkering with the design a bit. Nothing major — just enough to refresh it and stop it from looking a bit tired. Is anyone particularly attached to the MyBlogLog thing? I’m thinking of getting rid of it.

Update: I also forgot to say that I will be deleting the user accounts of everyone who hasn’t been a guest-editor. The user accounts are only there for editors — you don’t need an account to comment. And a lot of the ‘users’ are spammers and the like so I’m going to delete them all. So if you signed up for a legitimate reason, don’t be alarmed if your login doesn’t work. Like I say though, everyone who’s been an editor in the past will keep their account.

Hello, and welcome to this week’s roundup. The last roundup ended on a cliffhanger. We can now say that the Labour candidate for the Glasgow East by-election is… [Big Brother-style pause] …Margaret Curran.

For Boxthejack it’s the most sensible decision Labour have made in a while — just a shame they made a hash of it.

The best MSM coverage of the Glasgow East by-election has undoubtedly been from The Spectator’s Coffee House blog. Fraser Nelson’s piece on the ‘Two Scotlands’ is an essential read. Meanwhile, Clairwil looks more in-depth at the case of one person in poverty.

David Osler looks at the implications for the Labour Party if it loses Glasgow East. Could Labour really be at risk of losing in Glasgow East? According to The First Post, a senior minister is bracing himself for defeat.

Meanwhile back in the campaign itself, North Britain has caught Margaret Curran telling porky pies about where she lives. And now that Margaret Curran will potentially have a “dual mandate”, Richard Thomson wonders where Labour’s calls for Alex Salmond to resign as an MP have gone.

But maybe a dual mandate is the least of Margaret Curran’s worries. Anseo wonders if her selection was even legitimate under Labour Party rules.

Clairwil takes a closer look at the real reasons behind Labour’s trouble in finding a candidate. She is not too fussed about the dual mandate debate:

I must say I’m at a loss as to why anyone is concerned about how she’ll handle being an MP and an MSP at the same time. Doing bugger all for her constituents in two jobs can’t be any harder than doing it one.

Grant Thoms wonders how Margaret Curran is going to defend her voting record.

Will Patterson has taken a look at that old Labour trick of scaring the voters off with threats of Tories.

There was also some amusement when we realised that Margaret Curran would be up against the SSP’s Frances Curran. Political Dissuasion is sure that Labour will use the resulting confusion as an excuse if they get a poor result.

It’s not just the Labour candidate who’s found herself in bother though. Mr Eugenides points out a nasty moment from SNP candidate John Mason’s recent past, as did Kezia Dugdale.

Meanwhile, amid debates as to whether Labour will hold on to Glasgow East, Shuggy made a very good point. The fact that Labour defeat in Glasgow East is even contemplated is the significant thing about this by-election.

Jeff Breslin similarly argued that the SNP shouldn’t be talking up their chances of a win when a vastly reduced Labour majority would be victory enough.

The real shock of the by-election though is of course, as Mr Smith points out, the fact that the Miss Great Britain Party isn’t standing.

After all the argy-bargy of the campaign, time for a spot of light relief. Indygal tells the story of the SNP canvasser who almost thought he had been invited to bed by a voter!

Meanwhile, Holyrood Watcher confesses that he isn’t all that interested in the upcoming by-election!

It’s fair to say, though, that it has got a lot of people enthused. Another by-election hasn’t caught the imagination quite like Glasgow East has though. Cassilis assesses what David Davis has and hasn’t achieved.

Scott at Love and Garbage writes about the shortest-lived leadership bid in history. Not Margaret Curran, but Harriet Harman.

Elsewhere, Tom Harris is critical of the media which seems to be talking the country into a recession. When you consider the proper definition of recession (i.e. two consecutive quarters of negative growth), you realise we are a bit off it yet.

Richard Havers is not impressed with Ruth Kelly’s justification for delaying the decision on the proposed new Heathrow runway.

Elsewhere in political correctness land, Big Rab looks at a stooshie in a teacup. Are Muslims really so offended by a dog?

Bill Cameron looks at how the Labour Government treats asylum seekers from dangerous countries. One gay man was forced to move back to Syria and told that he would be okay as long as he behaved “discreetly”. That’s all right then!

This week Gordon Brown has been trying to persuade people not to waste so much food. But Louise Hector points out that it’s not so simple if you’re not the Prime Minister.

Alwyn ap Huw wonders why the Holtham Commission on how the Welsh Assembly Government gets its funding is set to run in parallel with the Calman Commission.

Meanwhile, Ideas of Civilisation wonders if a Wales-style Labour–nationalist coalition is all that unlikely in Scotland. Indygal reminds us that while party members of Labour and the SNP may have a lot of hard feelings between them, voters do not.

Another unlikely coalition has just been formed on Highland Council. But Bernard Salmon wonders if the Lib Dems and Labour were so smart to team up with the independents. Weren’t the independents the main problem in previous coalition with the SNP?

Let us not forget the Lib Dem leadership contest. Scottish Tory Boy wonders if Jeremy Purvis has something against Mike Rumbles.

Elizabeth Maginnis looks at how spending a penny can end up costing a pub a lot.

Michael Greenwell recalls an injury he sustained while working at a supermarket and how he was treated by his employer.

Colin Campbell is fed up with nationalistic sports coverage.

Fred Barboo ponders on phone etiquette. Who’s ruder — the person who doesn’t answer the phone, or the person who demands that you answer the phone? As a phone-phobe myself, I know which side of the fence I come down on!

Richard Havers looks at a CCTV camera installed at a jetty in Skye due to some petty arguments that have taken place there.

Holyrood Watcher takes a deep breath and investigates the MSM blogs. He isn’t too impressed with all of them.

And that’s it for this week! Hmm. All the political action meant that not very much non-political stuff got a look in. I hope that doesn’t disappoint the good people in this thread too much! If you have any nominations — whether it’s political or not — please send them using the form on the right or by emailing scottishroundup@gmail.com.