Let's remember what Falkirk was actually about, it was
about whether Jim Murphy (and his Blairite Predators) or Len McCluskey
(and his Godzilla dinosaurs) will pull Ed Milliband's chain in the run
up to 2015.
In England 'Battle of Falkirk' is being seen as an 'arm wrestle', Predator vs Godzilla, nothing much - honest, we are all pals again.
In Scotland it is seen as more evidence of just how far out of touch the right wing Nu Blu Labour Party and Union dinosaurs are with Scottish wishes, aspirations and hopes. The Predators were losing the membership packing battle, they had been briefing against the Unite candidate in the Scottish media since February 2013. The Predator's first serious attempt to 'de-rail' Godzilla was a Data Protection complaint, eventually the Predators managed to get the Blairite Labour HQ to act by getting the Falkirk CLP suspended and selection given to the safe Blairite hands in HQ. Poyton would not be the candidate, this time, but some other Blairite would. Godzilla would go back into the deeps and the standard 'nothing to see here' by Murphy's press pals in Scotland would be mounted. Job done.
This time Godzilla did not do as presumed and stayed going toe to toe with the Predator. Jim Murphy was not able to slide back into the dark behind Milliband where he lurks and clearly annoyed, was heard making intemperate remarks in public about Godzilla. Murphy was annoyed that Godzilla had not played the game and got his tanks off Murphy's Scottish fiefdom's lawn - this did not go unnoticed in Scotland.
It is only six months or so since we Scots had been told that Ms Lamont (herself a Unite backed MSP) was in total charge of all the parts of Labour in Scotland - including the MPs - she is the Scottish leaderine and factotum, her word would be law. It is also clear that has never been the case given the Blairite sensibilty of her speeches and inane and ineffective attempts to attack Salmond at FMQ's. Falkirk has re-affirmed that Murphy and Alexander actually run 'Scottish Labour' and Lamont is simply a toom tabard occasionally aired to keep the Scottish leaderine scam alive.
Worse the whole process reminded Scots about Murphy's hounding of 'Old Labour' Dennis Cavanagh from the Falkirk seat to get his Blairite pick - Joyce - into Westminster last time around, using the same tactic. Labour's 'jobs for their own boys (and girls)' reputation was simply further secured. The message is Labour HQ do not give a hoot about Scotland, we are not important enough in the Westminster scheme of things, except as a place to get their 'flavour of the month' monkey elected in the continuing battle of Predator vs Godzilla across the UK.
So where does this leave Labour in Scotland at this crucial period in the run up to 2014, more importantly how will this effect their 'Better Together Campaign' which puts them hand in glove with the Tories and the Libdems?
Divided, openly briefing against Better Together in the press in Scotland, mostly now against Murphy's Blairite faction, the Unite faction are now agitating for a serious commitment to more powers at Holyrood from 'Better Together', basically the fiscal autonomy / devo-max option that Westminster rejected out of hand and briefed against in the Scottish press in the run up to the Referendum Bill concordat and the Section 30 Order. The idea that taking away the 'devo-max' option would be a disaster for the SNP is now looking increasingly tenuous as Scottish Tories, Libdems and part of Labour's fractious Scottish region now clutch at the devo-max straw hoping the Scots will buy the 'jam tomorrow' promise, like they did in 1979, in 2014.
It does not matter how Labour apologists or sticky plaster applicators spin this in the UK media from now on - the reality is: Scotland has seen how divided the Labour Party is, dislikes its ever more 'Predator' right wing politic and is increasingly distancing itself from a Labour party more interested in the 'Home Counties' than the UK, let alone Scotland. On the streets of Scotland the growing sense is the 'Don't Knows' are beginning to slip 'Yeswards' and the 'No' vote is becoming increasingly brittle and drifting towards the 'Don't knows'.
The fall-out from the Battle of Falkirk is a far greater problem for the future of Westminster, as the UK Parliament, than many London based commentators appear to realise or understand.
In England 'Battle of Falkirk' is being seen as an 'arm wrestle', Predator vs Godzilla, nothing much - honest, we are all pals again.
In Scotland it is seen as more evidence of just how far out of touch the right wing Nu Blu Labour Party and Union dinosaurs are with Scottish wishes, aspirations and hopes. The Predators were losing the membership packing battle, they had been briefing against the Unite candidate in the Scottish media since February 2013. The Predator's first serious attempt to 'de-rail' Godzilla was a Data Protection complaint, eventually the Predators managed to get the Blairite Labour HQ to act by getting the Falkirk CLP suspended and selection given to the safe Blairite hands in HQ. Poyton would not be the candidate, this time, but some other Blairite would. Godzilla would go back into the deeps and the standard 'nothing to see here' by Murphy's press pals in Scotland would be mounted. Job done.
This time Godzilla did not do as presumed and stayed going toe to toe with the Predator. Jim Murphy was not able to slide back into the dark behind Milliband where he lurks and clearly annoyed, was heard making intemperate remarks in public about Godzilla. Murphy was annoyed that Godzilla had not played the game and got his tanks off Murphy's Scottish fiefdom's lawn - this did not go unnoticed in Scotland.
It is only six months or so since we Scots had been told that Ms Lamont (herself a Unite backed MSP) was in total charge of all the parts of Labour in Scotland - including the MPs - she is the Scottish leaderine and factotum, her word would be law. It is also clear that has never been the case given the Blairite sensibilty of her speeches and inane and ineffective attempts to attack Salmond at FMQ's. Falkirk has re-affirmed that Murphy and Alexander actually run 'Scottish Labour' and Lamont is simply a toom tabard occasionally aired to keep the Scottish leaderine scam alive.
Worse the whole process reminded Scots about Murphy's hounding of 'Old Labour' Dennis Cavanagh from the Falkirk seat to get his Blairite pick - Joyce - into Westminster last time around, using the same tactic. Labour's 'jobs for their own boys (and girls)' reputation was simply further secured. The message is Labour HQ do not give a hoot about Scotland, we are not important enough in the Westminster scheme of things, except as a place to get their 'flavour of the month' monkey elected in the continuing battle of Predator vs Godzilla across the UK.
So where does this leave Labour in Scotland at this crucial period in the run up to 2014, more importantly how will this effect their 'Better Together Campaign' which puts them hand in glove with the Tories and the Libdems?
Divided, openly briefing against Better Together in the press in Scotland, mostly now against Murphy's Blairite faction, the Unite faction are now agitating for a serious commitment to more powers at Holyrood from 'Better Together', basically the fiscal autonomy / devo-max option that Westminster rejected out of hand and briefed against in the Scottish press in the run up to the Referendum Bill concordat and the Section 30 Order. The idea that taking away the 'devo-max' option would be a disaster for the SNP is now looking increasingly tenuous as Scottish Tories, Libdems and part of Labour's fractious Scottish region now clutch at the devo-max straw hoping the Scots will buy the 'jam tomorrow' promise, like they did in 1979, in 2014.
It does not matter how Labour apologists or sticky plaster applicators spin this in the UK media from now on - the reality is: Scotland has seen how divided the Labour Party is, dislikes its ever more 'Predator' right wing politic and is increasingly distancing itself from a Labour party more interested in the 'Home Counties' than the UK, let alone Scotland. On the streets of Scotland the growing sense is the 'Don't Knows' are beginning to slip 'Yeswards' and the 'No' vote is becoming increasingly brittle and drifting towards the 'Don't knows'.
The fall-out from the Battle of Falkirk is a far greater problem for the future of Westminster, as the UK Parliament, than many London based commentators appear to realise or understand.
Tell it as it is!
ReplyDeleteNicely put. For my money, it couldn't look worse for the truly pathetic duo Murphy and Wendy's wee brother. Also the news reaching us that Scot MPs are being banned from voting on English only matters, finally puts the last nail in the UK together charade. Everything costs the public purse, the same purse we're obliged to fill and then the 90% of England will just dig into it and not a dissenting voice will be heard. Aye, right Clive and Nigel, on yer bikes!
ReplyDelete