I've just been watching Question Time from Scotland and it dawned on me that the programme is much more in touch with the reality of devolution North of the English border than it is in covering Wales-Scottish MSP's on the show tonight far outweighed the representation of AM's when the show was in Swansea recently, for example. We've had to battle in the past to get any Plaid representation on QT in Wales, and the compromise during the election was that Adam Price MP would appear on the show in Oxford. You guessed right, they didn't really make Wales the main topic of discussion!
I enjoyed the debate tonight, especially as I think that Nicola Sturgeon is a very talented politician, and succeeded in making meaningful points regarding ID Cards, and of course, Scottish powers. It was a hard night again for Labour given that any representative on this evening's show would somehow have to react to the crisis in the HMRC at the moment. Wendy Alexander put 'if I'm honest' as a caveat to almost everything she said to ensure that she would not have to take responsibility for the matter- unsurprisingly.
The discussion centred on whether a Government Minister should resign over the fact that discs pertaining to personal details from 7 million child benefit files were misplaced, and posted to another department within the Government (this via the company TNT, and not Royal Mail- as I understand from various broadsheet reports) I believe that officials in the HMRC have resigned today, but there are calls for Alistair Darling to resign also.
I enjoyed the debate tonight, especially as I think that Nicola Sturgeon is a very talented politician, and succeeded in making meaningful points regarding ID Cards, and of course, Scottish powers. It was a hard night again for Labour given that any representative on this evening's show would somehow have to react to the crisis in the HMRC at the moment. Wendy Alexander put 'if I'm honest' as a caveat to almost everything she said to ensure that she would not have to take responsibility for the matter- unsurprisingly.
The discussion centred on whether a Government Minister should resign over the fact that discs pertaining to personal details from 7 million child benefit files were misplaced, and posted to another department within the Government (this via the company TNT, and not Royal Mail- as I understand from various broadsheet reports) I believe that officials in the HMRC have resigned today, but there are calls for Alistair Darling to resign also.
It did dawn on me that while I was sitting watching Question Time, on another channel, Mclaren was explaining to English football fans why he was sacked as England Manager the day after the team failed to qualify for Euro 2008. In other professions it seems that there is an obligation on those with key responsibilities to resign, to step down if there is an error on their behalf. Nevertheless, in politics, it seems that more often than not, different rules apply. This is probably one of many reasons why people lose faith in the political system.
I don't advocate that there should be resignations for every small fault, but that where Government does go wrong, there should at least be an acknowledgement of the fault or error made, and actions taken however minute, to restore the public's faith in our political institutions.
Darling will probably stay in position, but he will have a tough job ahead in selling the concept of ID cards, not that I believed that there was ever a case to advocate it. At least now Nick Clegg won't have to martyr himself by getting arrested by refusing to carry and ID Card- one less thing for his publicity team to worry about at night I suspect....
I don't advocate that there should be resignations for every small fault, but that where Government does go wrong, there should at least be an acknowledgement of the fault or error made, and actions taken however minute, to restore the public's faith in our political institutions.
Darling will probably stay in position, but he will have a tough job ahead in selling the concept of ID cards, not that I believed that there was ever a case to advocate it. At least now Nick Clegg won't have to martyr himself by getting arrested by refusing to carry and ID Card- one less thing for his publicity team to worry about at night I suspect....
3 comments:
I might be the only England fan sticking up for McLaren - he wasn't on the pitch, and it's not his fault the Croatian team were on top form. I think that the problem is this: the England team needs to be wearing red. How can you be fierce in white? The Croatians were bold in blue, unfortunately.
On the realities of devolution, it was good to see some audience members coming out for English devolution - something that the panelists, bar Ms Sturgeon, natch - regard as a big threat.
For all her claims to be something other than an ultra-unionist, Wendy Alexander mislead the audience on the question of English devolution. The North East referendum was not on finding a solution to England's representation as a nation, but a way of breaking England into parts so as to diminish the growing civic national identity.
And did you notice that Nicola Sturgeon didn't mention Wales when she talked of an independent England and an independent Scotland? It's a shame that she missed out Wales - along with Ireland Cornwall, of course!
Do we need to start talking of a post-Britain club? The Anglo-Celtic Isles Association, or something?
Good point on Nicola Sturgeon. I hear that the same attitude has been taken about Wales in the latest SNP document on Independence. I think the name is ' Independence for two nations'- meaning Scotland - Wales and England together. Perhaps I have over praised them after all!
If any SNP member who reads this blog wishes to clarify please do so.
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