Gordon Tears Down the Wendy Hoose

The Sunday Herald reports that Gordon Brown has stamped his authority over matters constitutional for Scotland over that of Wendy Alexander.

The article (which blogger won't let me link to for some annoying reason) perfectly encapsulates the eternal problem for any leader of the Scottish branch of the British Labour Party. Just as John Balliol had to pay homage to Edward I, so too must by necessity Wendy Alexander appear penitent before her superior Gordon Brown.

Any politician who operates in a UK wide party will have a UK leader who will attempt to stamp their authority over their Scottish junior equivalent.



That Brown wants to have the much venerated Constitutional Commission proposed by Labour, Tory and Liberal alike to be reduced in status to a "working party" further undermines the future of this body. Previously I have stated that such has been the number of policy areas that various UK ministers refused to countenance being devolved this Commission would barely be worthwhile meeting in any meaningful fashion. Today's news further reinforces that impression.

What is truly astonishing though is Brown's reported views that Whitehall (i.e. him) should decide on Scotland's future.

No one person has any right to set the boundaries on the onward march of a nation. Whether Broon likes it or not (and he doesn't) it will be the Scottish people that rightly decide the future direction of their country.

Tony Blair - Narrow Nationalist

Tony Blair returned to Scotland to make a last ditch plea to vote for Labour. He seemed to make the ludicrous case for the continuation of the union on the basis that, "in all probability, a Scot will become Prime Minister of the United Kingdom".

The response of Scotland should be an overwhelming "so what" to this statement.

For some reason Tony Blair - and no doubt Gordon Brown, the Scot in question - seem to think that our country should decide its future based purely on the ambitions of one man. For some reason they seem to believe that Scotland will be better served by having a Scot as Prime Minister based in England rather than taking control of their own destiny and making decisions for themselves.

For all Blair's wittering on about the SNP representing narrow nationalism, it is actually his utterings that represent the narrow nationalism. Are we in Scotland supposed to be so narrow that we would rejoice in Gordon Brown becoming PM of the UK merely because he is Scottish?

The fact of the matter remains that Brown remains committed to pushing the interests of the British state ahead of Scotland's own interests. That is why having one Scot at the top of the pile in the UK political establishment will never be an adequate replacement for Scotland collectively taking decisions for ourselves with independence.

Thankfully the Scottish people don't zip up the back of their heids and won't fall for this Blair blarney.

Gordon Picks a Fight

One of the features of campaigning all day in an election contest is that it is hard to keep up with the news. So it was interesting to be told on the doorstep today by one voter that Gordon Brown has apparently given a frosty response to being questioned as to whether or not he can work with Alex Salmond as First Minister. This was then confirmed in discussion with my election agent who said that our Chancellor had indeed been less than forthcoming with reassurances that he will work with my party leader should he become the next First Minister.

The irony here is that whilst the Labour Party spout a lot of nonsense about an SNP led government causing all sorts of havoc and seeking fights with Westminster, Alex Salmond has made it quite clear that he will work with a Brown premiership to further Scotland's interests. It is the Labour Party leadership, and the most likely future Prime Minister of the UK that is threatening obstruction and is seeking a fight with a SNP led Scottish Executive.

This macho posturing from Brown is of course a lot of nonsense. He will have to work with Alex Salmond, and he will have to like it, or (more likely) lump it!

Meanwhile, the campaigning goes on. A few photos are attached from the campaign trail.

Cut the spin on Brown's tax "cut"

I have been quick to criticise elements of the media for some of their coverage of the SNP of late, so I should give credit where credit is due. The response of the vast majority of the media to Gordon Brown's budget today (widely suspected to be his last) really hit the nail on the head when it came to his supposed 2p cut to the basic rate of income tax. They have spotted this for the piece of spin that it really is.

As with much in life, the Devil is in the detail with Chancellor Broon's alterations to the level of taxation.

What may at first seem a straightforward tax cut aimed at low income and lower middle income families was anything but. What Gordon didn't say in his speech to the House of Commons today was that not only was he dropping the basic rate of tax from 22% to 20% but he was simultaneously ditching the 10% starting rate as well.

This means that where once we were paying 10% on our income between roughly the level of £6,000 to £8,000 (our first £6k was and remains tax free) we will now pay 20% on that income. This will of course be offset for those on a decent wage, as the reduced level of taxation they pay on the rest of their income will make up for this.

However, for those in part time employment or those on minimum wage, today's change to the levels of taxation will make for a worrying announcement. Far from seeing a tax cut, these people will see a tax hike. Once this new tax regime is instituted they will actually be paying more in income tax.

So much for Labour being the party of hard working families. These low paid families will see less money in their pockets to fund a cut in taxation that those earning more will benefit from. This is redistribution working in the wrong direction.

So for those in the Labour Party who expect to see a return to more traditional Labour values under a Brown premiership I have a message. Wake up and take a reality check. Brown has no more intention of returning to these values than Tony Blair ever did.