ScottishToryBoy has a confession to make, I completely forgot about the fact that this week was my turn to do the round up of all the goings on in Scottish Politics. So here it is, a little late but better late than never eh?

One of the big talking points this week has been the news surrounding the proposed release of Adbelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi – the man accused of the Lockerbie bombing. Whilst this is a subject I veered clear of discussing, I am from the area and know of people who lost friends and family etc, it is not an issue that Christine Grahame MSP has missed the chance to talk about in great length. Lallands Peat Worrier has a very interesting post on how exactly the story got out this week and who stands to gain most with it being out in the public domain. Over at Caron’s Musings, Caron believes that an independent body should be set up to look at the release of prisoners if they are terminally ill. Me? I don’t ask for much, just compelling evidence of his illness.

Over States side a row has broken out over Obama’s proposed health bill which has the aim of giving free health care to 46 million people, leading to comparisons with our own NHS. Now, it seems that to many the NHS is above criticism and whilst I think that Tory MEP Dan Hannan went a bit overboard on his criticism, I also believe that him being branded “unpatriotic” is a bit OTT as well. Both the Sun – link not online – and the Daily Mail have urged Tory leader David Cameron not to treat the NHS as a sacred cow as it could and should be doing better. On that subject, Mr Eugenides hits out at those that are bothering him with their “we love the NHS” Facebook and twitter updates. James @ TwoDoctors also talks about the viral campaign of support that the NHS has generated but questions just how much an impact it’ll make. Finally on this subject, it would appear that the Flying Rodent is no fan of Dan Hannan.

A Scandal and a Disgrace hits out at spending by the Scottish Parliament and the Scottish Government this week – spending that includes £2m for a pub in Craigmillar and £300k on new computers at the Scottish Parliament. There seems to have been a bit of a furore over the new computers from some researchers, or faux rage if you will. Not a Village in Westminster has a very interesting post on the role of Labour in a devolved Scotland and the difficulties that the party has due to it’s lack of autonomy from it’s bosses down South. Holyrood Patter reports a fascinating story that Gordon Brown has appointed a dancing tsar whilst Subrosa has a blog about the Ofcom report on Scottish Broadcasting. Tom Harris hits out at the proposed assisted placement scheme that is allegedly being considered by Lord Mandelson describing it as both “misguided” and “patronising.”

Finally, Kezia Dugdale looks at the polling predictions of electoral calculus and asks if Alistair Darling will be the only Labour MP left in Edinburgh. As with most polls, the findings can be taken with a pinch of salt but it’s going to be interesting to see what happens in the Edinburgh Seats. It’s probably fair to say that whoever stands for the Lib Dems in Edinburgh West is likely to be an MP after the next election but I think it is fair to say that all the other seats in the city are very much in play.

Here we are, whilst the “yoof” are out doing whatever it is the “yoof” do on a Saturday evening, yours truly is sat in front on his laptop compiling for everyone the weeks happs in the blogosphere. I can take solace from the fact that I have some wine to sip on whilst I compile this post.

The continuation of the saga surrounding the arrest of the Conservative MP Damian Green continues and on Wednesday the speaker of the House of Commons, the Glasgow MP Michael Martin, made his statement. The biggest talking post was that the police had no warrant to search the premises of the Ashford MP. Whilst the BBC’s Scottish Political Editor, Brian Taylor, noted “evident and widespread sympathy for Michael Martin” few others seemed to notice it. Guido Fawkes lambasted the speaker, describing him as the most chippy useless speaker to have sat in that chair” before going on to say that he is a “terrible champion of parliamentary democracy”. Labour Group leader at City of Edinburgh Council, Andrew Burns, also picks up on the story here but it’s safe to say that not many so far have gone as far as Labour MP Bob Marshall-Andrews who today has called for the speaker to resign.

Keeping on with the Green chat. My favourite bastion of Greenness on the blogosphere, Two Doctors, broke the story surrounding the redundancies at the Herald and the associated papers and notes the importance of media in a democracy – it‘s a bleak time for the print press. Yours truly picks up the story as does Debatable Land picks up on the story under the doom and gloom title of the death of Ink. Managing Director of the group, Tim Blott, featured on Newsnight on Thursday evening and it’s reasonably fair to say that Gordon Brewer tortured him with Mr. Blott saying over and over again that this was an exciting time for the Herald group. It didn’t strike me that Brewer really believed Mr. Blott’s assessment of things.

Another big talking point was the Homecoming Caledonia video, described by Malc of MalcintheBurgh fame as “pretty cringy.” It can be seen in all it’s (lack of) glory here. Turns out that £150k was spent on the video yet it’s only being shown in Scotland – a colossal waste of money. Hardly going to attract ex pats back to Scotland if the video is only shown in cinemas in Scotland. It wasn’t just bloggers that were able to have a laugh at the video. Conservative MSP David McLetchie also pocked fun at the appearance of Sean Connery during Thursday’s Local Government finance debate:

Labour blogster Yapping Yousuf seems to have caused a bit of a stir with a story about some of his friends meeting SNP MSP, and serial motioner, Jamie Hepburn in a boozer in Glasgow. Bit of a strange post from Yapping Yousuf but it was nominated so it‘s included in the Roundup. He redeems himself slightly with a return to more analytical thought, this time pontificating on the effect that a return to front line politics for Charles Kennedy would have on the dwindling fortunes of the Liberal Democrats. Wouldn’t do the party any harm I wouldn’t imagine. Many believe that the primary reason that the Lib Dems did so well in the 2005 General Election was their opposition to the Iraq war but you can’t underestimate the role that Charles Kennedy played in their success that year.

Fresh from an incredibly entertaining speech in the aforementioned Local Government finance debate on Thursday, SNP Finance Guru John Swinney caused a bit of a star with an admission, albeit one I suspect he didn‘t mean to go out, that he hates surgeries and this story has been picked up by both CrapHolyroodChat and the Right Student. A very funny story, but I wouldn’t want to be Swinney’s assistant.. Nice wee exclusive for CrapHolyroodChat though and one picked up on by the Sun newspaper.

The following post was suggested to us under the title “Two Doctors comes out” which amazed me as he hadn’t mentioned anything in our chats this week. Alas, the thing that the bright light of Scottish Greenism admits to is a fondness for legislation. Takes all sorts I guess.

I have to admit, I don’t really get into the festive spirit all that much these days, despite being an only child, but the same cannot be said for Labour MP Tom Harris who is positively frothing at the mouth in anticipation. Taking a break from posting various links to you tube videos of his festive songs, the Glasgow MP this week admits to a strong dislike of Colin and Justin and isn’t happy at their return to our, and particularly his, Television screens.

Anyway, that’s this week’s roundup. My usual musings can be found here.

Take care,

ScottishToryBoy

What a delight to be asked to write the weekly roundup and also a cracking money saving exercise as it seems this Saturday night ScottishToryBoy will be staying in writing about blogs…good times.

As Doctorvee stated last week, there were a number of posts on one subject and frankly this week is just the same. It has, however, brought back memories of University i.e. starting a task the night before it’s due in and although facing a deadline, still having plenty of time to procrastinate – I, unlike Doris Lessing’s, am full of praise for the internet, but I will get to her later.

There’s another lady to talk about first as it seems that many people are still discussing the future of Ms Alexander with even Murdo Fraser getting in on the act. While it seemed last weekend that the pressure was firmly on Ms Alexander, as the week progressed it seemed the story lost some of the heat, although I am sure some of the Sunday will turn the heat back on her.

The ever wonderful ScottishToryBoy, self promotion I know, picked up on the continued presence of the Labour and Lib Dem coalition at Holyrood, the Lib Lab pact if you will and posted a comment on the Lib Dem voice blog asking why no Lib Dem MSPs were willing to comment on the Paul Green affair. A comment which prompted one Lib Dem activist to express her disillusionment with the Lib Dems, you ain’t the only one judging by some recent Yougov polls that put Nicol Stephen’s popularity at just 4%, a fact Alex Salmond was quick to mention on Thursday!

Over in Nat land, Adam Smith was a socialist believes that the standards of the Scotsman newspaper have went down hill recently while his SNP colleague Calum Cashley believes modern politics scholars will remember the Fifth of November 2007 for the Unionist plot after Parliament voted for a commission to strengthen the devolution settlement. Brian Taylor gives a somewhat less partisan view of the alternative to the National Conversation while Tartan Hero believes the SNP are in a win-win situation as apparently we are all headed in the same direction, just at different speeds although Annabel Goldie seems to think differently:

Alex Neil: I congratulate Annabel Goldie on travelling over 10 years from being anti-devolution to being pro-devolution. At that rate of travel, will she be in favour of independence in 10 years’ time? As former minister Allan Stewart pointed out, independence is more logical than devolution.

Annabel Goldie: In eight years in this Parliament, I have always found Mr Neil’s taste to be too racy for my comfort, and I would certainly not pledge my or this country’s future to the direction in which he wants to travel.

Over at SNP Tactical Voting, while some of his blogging colleagues are endlessly devoting their time to writing about donorgate, Tactical Voter seems to believe that the scandal has run its course. Tartan Hero seems to be going for Charlie Gordon over his involvement in donorgate and struggles to believe Gordon’s conscience is clear while IndyGal seems to find Charlie Gordon’s video statement bizarre while also announcing she has a thing for men in kilts.

The North to Leith blog makes a very welcome return and it’s of little surprise what topic it writes about, yup, you’ve guessed it, Charlie Gordon. It seems however, the Councillor Mark McDonald has missed quite a bit of the goings on, it’s a good job other bloggers did not or I would have struggled for content today!!!

Justified Spinner appears to not like the moniker “Team Wendy” and, like many, is keen to find out who the Labour mole is who releases so much information to the media while the 1820 blog believes the only man that can save Scottish Labour from “jumped up cooncilors and hapless half-wits and numpties” is Baron Foukes of Cumnock and is urging readers to sign a petition in that vein as is the Scottish Patient. On the subject of Baron Foulkes, his speech in the Devolution Review debate on Thursday was cracking, it can be viewed here.

Seems the ever cutting Mr Eugenides is thoroughly enjoying Ms Alexander’s plight and, much like the SNP, views Wendy as a human shield. While many focussed on Wendy and co, J. Arthur MacNumpty blogs about the issue of election costs, an issue that seems to have gone somewhat unnoticed this week.

The Scottish Labour Party’s solo blogging voice, Kezia Dugdale, seems to have made herself an enemy in ConservativeMind where she is compared to Councillor Terry Kelly – Terry Kelly being one of four things ConservativeMind likes to talk about, the other three being chocolate oranges, George Galloway and the wrestler Kurt Angle!

However, it has been interesting to find some other Scottish Tory blogs out there; I felt I was the only one carrying the torch for so long after the demise of former Tory blogs, some more helpful to the party cause than others. ConservativeMind led to me stumble towards Right for Scotland who, like many others, has been blogging quite heavily on the Donorgate scandal while also criticising Aberdeen for rejecting Donald Trump’s plans while stating “If the inbred country bumkin twats want to turn down what is in effect shed loads of free money, housing, jobs and prosperity let them.” Charming!

Freedom and whisky mentions the intervention of the SNP Government in the rejected Donald Trump bid. Osama Saeed has a wee pop at Douglas Alexander not appearing on Question Time while Right for Scotland believes that the family problem Mr Alexander had to deal with was his sister going to jail. Clairwil seems quite critical of Wendy for hiding during the ongoing scandal; certainly she is critical of the excuses Wendy has given.

Over in Labour land Kezia Dugdale is back to blogging after her secondment to Wendy Alexanders office and discusses the issue of prescription charges and who was right, Labour (extending the number of chronic conditions eligible for exemptions) or the SNP (abolition of all charges – every thing is free!) Aside from that, she’s been rather quiet, perhaps still reeling after being bought a drink by ScottishToryBoy who has notoriously deep pockets and short arms!!

Edinburgh City Councillor Andrew Burns is concerned by some contradictory messages from certain quarters over whether or not bikes will be allowed on the Trams while his Labour group leader, Ewan Aitken, hits out at the CoSLA Scottish Government concordat and CoSLA’s reluctance to talk about figures.

Believe it or not some bloggers found other stuff to talk about, crazy I know. Both John Connell and Mike Power discuss Doris Lessing’s acceptance speech after winning the Nobel Prize for literature and seem to have quite similar views on many aspects of her speech.

It seems that the row over Morrissey’s comments in NME has continued and it is quite clear that Anas does not like “the streak of wank that is Morrissey.” I never expected to mention Morrissey in a blogging roundup; I was toying with even going to see him on his tour in Feb – funny that he’s making such comments with a tour looming.

Staying with music, Robert Sharp believes that some confuse evolution with death when they claim MP3’s are killing the music industry. He also comes up with some nice ideas on how a band could maximise their output from a 12 track album every 18 months or so to releasing a single track a month, say, as part of a podcast. An intriguing post, but one I hope my favourite artist, Ryan Adams, doesn’t read, his fondness of releasing numerous records a year is proving to be my downfall.

Onto the serious issue of blogging censorship, well, not quite, but it seems that blogging is restricted at Glasgow City council according to BellgroveBelle although she seems most concerned that people in the IT department don’t even know what a blog is! Seems strange that a vehicle for informing constituents of what you’ve been up to, at absolutely no cost to the taxpayer, should be blocked. I’m glad to hear at least some level of blogging has been returned.

Anyway, I think that’ll do for this week. Thanks to Doctorvee for letting me in on this roundup malarkey, I have to admit I rather enjoyed it and also for passing me the nominations. I have no idea who is writing next weeks roundup but I wish them all the best, you never know, I might even get asked back..

Cheers,

ScottishToryBoy