Ross Lydall: Is Labour afraid of talking about Britain?

Does the Scottish Labour Party have a problem describing itself as British?
A correspondent draws my attention to the party's European election manifestos for North and South of the Border, and the replacement of the word "Britain" with that of "Scotland" (or the omission of Britain altogether) on a number of occasions.

For example, the manifesto, entitled Winning The Fight For Britain’s Future, states: "Labour has fought hard so that workers in Britain have the right to guaranteed holidays, mums and dads have more time to spend at home with their British kids and we pay less for air travel or phone calls when we are on holiday."

But in the tartan edition, this is amended to: "Labour has fought hard so that workers in Scotland have the right to guaranteed holidays, mums and dads have more time to spend at home with their kids and we pay less for air travel or phone calls when we are on holiday."

Similarly, "Labour stands resolutely for the hard working majority of the British people" is amended to "Labour stands resolutely for the hard working majority of the people" for the benefit of Scottish eyes.

That's not to say that Britain does not feature in the Scottish manifesto. The word pops up 11 times - but 68 in the UK manifesto. All very strange for a Unionist party, perhaps?

Ross Lydall: Labour donations (part 2)

Further to my post yesterday about donations to the Labour party, I'm told that the £3,000 "donated" by the Royal Mail was not in fact a donation, but a payment for its sponsorship of a media reception at the Scottish Labour Party conference.

Apparently, Royal Mail did something similar at the SNP conference in Perth las year, when the First Minister was the guest of honour. It should be said that such corporate sponsorship is par for the course at such events - but the general public may feel they'd rather the Royal Mail concentrated on delivering their post on time.

Gerri Peev: Is Cameron on the mummy?

David Cameron's response to Julie Kirkbride's resignation is interesting. He seems to be trying to push the mummy buttons by agreeing that he hoped more women would not be put off entering parliament by the expenses scandal.

"It is also extremely important that part of that reform should include better ways of enabling women to combine the roles of politician and mother."

This could spectacularly backfire, not least because the majority of parents, let alone working mothers, do not ask their employers to subsidise their childcare arrangements.

If anyone can afford a nanny or an extension to house their au pair, it should be an MP who has claimed £170,000 in living expenses over the last four years.

Margaret Moran, the Luton MP who was forced to quit over her home flipping and her claims for dry rot treatment on her partner's house, which is 100 miles away from her constituency, also tried to pull the female martyr card.

She said she had to work hard and needed to spend time with her partner. Welcome to the real world. Most people struggle to juggle. Perhaps her partner could have shown some support by moving to London or her constituency.

There was talk at Westminster some time ago of installing a creche at the site of the underground shooting range that still exists beneath the Sport's and Social Bar. It was vetoed.

With talk of MPs being "suicidal" over the expenses furore, we can now understand why.

Ross Lydall: MPs' expenses and Lib-Dem "dirty tricks"?

My, my, what have we here? The first evidence that an apparent cross-party consensus on not using the MPs' expenses scandal to score political points is breaking down?

Dropping through my letterbox yesterday was a letter from the "Pay It Back" campaign. It contains information about the claims of Dawn Butler, the Labour MP for Brent South, who has claimed around £60,000 in second-home allowances for a property in north-west London, despite having her main home in east London, an equal distance from Westminster. She has also been revealed to have overclaimed £2,600 in rent, and then offering to submit extra receipts to the Commons fees office "cover" the amount rather than simply paying it back.

The Pay It Back newsletter invites me to add my name to a petition calling on Ms Butler, who has shown a willingness to play the lackey to both Ken Livingstone and Gordon Brown, to pay back her second-home allowances. It says: "We find it appalling that a London MP who lives less than 30 minutes from Westminster can take thousands of pounds of taxpayers' money to pay for a second home."

Fair enough, you may think. The leaflet also contrasted Ms Butler's claims with those of Sarah Teather, the Liberal Democrat MP for Brent East (my local MP). Ms Teather has not claimed a penny in second-home allowances, and has been described by The Daily Telegraph as a "saint".

Then my eye caught notice of the small print. The leaflet (and campaign) is published by, erm, the Lib-Dems. At the next General Election, boundary changes will mean that Ms Teather will contest the new seat of Brent Central against.... you've guessed it, Dawn Butler.

Ross Lydall: Who's donating what to political parties...

A number of interesting names pop up in the latest quarterly register of donations to political parties, published today by the Electoral Commission.
There is Lord (Lewis) Moonie, the former Labour MP for Kirkcaldy, who was ordered to apologise to the House of Lords after being caught up in the "cash for amendments" scandal. He donated £4,000 to the Scottish Labour Party.
Then there is £250 donated to the Glasgow North East Constituency Labour Party by a "William Bain", who we can probably asume is the same Willie Bain mooted as the front-runner to become the Labour candidate in the forthcoming by-election in that constituency caused by the resignation of Speaker Michael Martin.
There are also donations to the Scottish Labour Party from Robert Wiseman Dairies (£2,000) - which may make a few people think twice about their choice of pinta - the Royal Mail (why on earth has it given the Labour party £3,000?) and the Daily Record, which managed to find £2,000 to donate to Labour while culling staff.
The SNP lists just four donations (three of them bequests) worth £55,900, while the Tories boast £10,000 from Dragon's Den star Theo Paphitis, more than £1 million from businessman Stanley Fink and £10,000 from uber-trendy London restaurant Hakkasan. A Scottish Tory prize draw raised £36,372.
As for the Lib-Dems, they raised more than £820,000 - including £1,252 from Argyll and Bute MP Alan Reid and £11,700 from Treasury spokesman Vince Cable, who is probably feeling flush after securing a Sunday newspaper column and having a book published on the credit crunch.

Hamish Macdonell - they must be desperate

WITH public interest in the European elections hardly able to raise a blip on the national consciousness, Labour in Scotland have resorted to desperate measures.
According to a press release issued by Labour this morning, the European elections have much in common with tonight's Champions' League Final.
They both demonstrate acute and aggressive national rivalries and the desire to kick lumps out of each other and they both provide opportunities for already well-paid individuals to earn even more money they don't deserve.
Well, that wasn't quite what the Labour release said, it actually said that the European elections and the Champions League showed the importance of working in Europe.
But, you know that when politicians try to attach themselves to something really popular, they are getting desperate. It won't be long before one of the parties attaches itself to Susan Boyle ...
ends

David Maddox: Don't tell the candidate

Interesting update from campaign trail on East Dunbartonshire Lib Dem MP Jo Swinson's facebook. Nick Clegg was in Glasgow today to support the European election campaign and a Bishopbriggs council by-election where he met his MP (pictured) and the party's Scottish leader Tavish Scott among others.

Updating from her Twitter at 12.15pm Ms Swinson wrote: "welcoming Nick Clegg to Scotland today for European election campaigning."

But then an hour and 16 minutes later at 1.31pm the Lib Dem council by-election candidate Alistair McPhee posted this somewhat surprised message: "Where are you going campaigning?"

It seems that they did not think it was worth telling their candidate to be present.

David Maddox: Looking for Middle Britain

As we get closer to a General Election there is again much talk of the target vote, the sort of people who will sway the result.

Tony Blair famously made a great play for Middle England which was packed full of Mondeo men (pictured) and Daily Mail reading Worcester women, even though, according to the BBC, its spiritual home was Tunbridge Wells in Kent.

It now looks as though that particular constituency has lost patience with devalued house prices, rock bottom shares and more expensive family holidays and gone off in a huff to support David Cameron and the Tories.

But apparently, according to some reports, the Conservatives are now aiming for Miss Staffroom. The young female middle class public sector/ teacher type of voter.

However, one interesting view of what Middle Britain should be has been put out by the TUC today which shows that the average person's income is much lower than most people might think and well below the middle class ideal.

See where you rate on the scale - 50 per cent is Middle Britain, below that is below average and, obviously, above that is above average. Click on this link.

David Maddox: PES off Socialism

It turns out that the Party of European Socialists (PES), the European Parliament's block of leftwing and centre left parties including Labour is going out of business after the election this June.
It is due to re-emerge as the Alliance of Social Democrats (ASD) when MEPs return to Brussels and Strasbourg after the election.
Why is this? Well it seems that none of the parties represented in that pan-European grouping are socialists any more.
This will come as no surprise to anybody who has watched Labour's march rightwards since the mid-1990s, the ditching of clause 4 and the red flag, and the birth of New Labour.
So we won't need the "real" socialists like Tommy Sheridan (Solidarity) or Colin Fox (Scottish Socialist Party) and their fellow Trots to say "I told you so."
Interestingly, as far as the election on June 4 goes, ASD would also be the natural home for the Scottish Nationalists, except Labour keeps vetoing their membership as one SNP spin doctor pointed out to me. Added to that the the leaders of PES/ ASD hope that the new arrangement will encourage the Greens to join them making them the largest group in the European Parliament. Currently the European Greens are part of the same small group as the SNP - The European Free Alliance (EFA).
And you would have thought that now they are all officially social democrats the group might be an appropriate home for Britain's Lib Dem MEPs, although currently they exist in the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe or ALDE which sounds like an appropriately European retailer of cheap goods.
But it all goes to show that essentially four of the five parties represented in Holyrood in European terms appear to be different flavours of the same thing.
Which, in main party terms, leaves us only with the Conservatives. They were part of the European People's Party (EPP) - the Centre Right coalition and biggest in the parliament - until David Cameron decided it was "too pro-European" and went off to form a fringe grouping called the European Democrats (ED).
Confused? Just wait until the election on June 4.

David Maddox: The Art of Homecoming

I finally got round to the Scottish National Gallery on the Mound to see the fabulous Turner in Italy exhibition over the weekend.
It does seem curious that in this Scottish Homecoming Year, Scotland's National Gallery's highest profile exhibition is of an Englishman's obsession with Italy. Having said that, speaking as an Englishman married to an Italian living in Scotland, I find it strangely comforting.
It at least goes to show that Homecoming Year is about a lot more than mere national flag waving and kilt wearing.
For those who have not gone yet, the exhibition is on until June 7, costing £8 per adult and £6 for concessions. Well worth a visit. It has paintings from throughout Turner's career, including Modern Rome: Campo Vaccino below.

David Maddox: Clearing out the dead wood

It seems that the expenses saga, at least for the Tories, has become a convenient excuse to break the vice like grip that a group of the old buffers had on safe seats.

Douglas Hogg and his moat is a classic example while this morning's victim Sir Peter Viggers (pictured) and his £2,000 duck house and massive gardening bill is another.

Sir Peter is the MP for Gosport and a former banker who is not short of a bob or two. I knew him well when I was covering politics in Portsmouth and found him a very decent and amiable chap.

However, his hopes of a high flying political career ended in the 1980s when Margaret Thatcher decided he was too wet for her tastes and since then he has been trying to find a role for himself on the back benches.

His one last chance to make a name for himself was when he ran Douglas Hurd's appallingly hopeless leadership campaign a then that was it.

It apparently took just two minutes for David Cameron to tell poor old Viggers that his career as an MP was over.

But it is interesting those without a future like Viggers and Hogg are given short shrift while Alan Duncan who is part of the front bench team was able to get away with a lame apology for his £7,000 of gardening expenses and a cheque returning the money.

Gosport (majority: 5,730) like Hogg's Sleaford and North Hykeham seat (majority: 12,705) are pretty safe ones.

True the Totnes seat of Anthony Steen, the third to get the boot, is just 1,947, but in the present political climate that's relatively safe.

It means that young hopefuls with a future can break into safe seats and build a career and the hasbeens and neverwases are cleared out. I'm told there will be a much bigger clearout to come.

One young Tory said to me over lunch: "This is basically the best time to be a young Conservative and would-be candidate looking for a seat for generations."

David Maddox: Hail! Alex Salmond, King of the Curries

Scotland's First Minister is no stranger to awards. In 2007 he walked off with both the Westminster and Scottish politician of the year trophies.

However, few can be less deserved than the one he has just received - Curry Eater of the Year.

This is the man who, after all, is chauffeur driven to his favourite curry houses at the expense of the tax payer and has his driver wait outside until he's finished.

It is uncertain that the the £800 of MP expenses food money he spent whilst Westminster was not even sitting was on curry, but some thought it was on a giant take away from London to his official Edinburgh residence of Bute House.

And Holyrood hacks still fondly remember the excellent curries served up for the media Christmas events at the same residence.

However, his love affair with the subcontinental dish has not always been as firm as it might seem. He once argued on late night TV that haggis was Scotland's national dish instead of curry. He lost, for the first time apparently and was pleased to do so.

And there is a certain irony with the sponsor of this prestigious award - Irn Bru the maker of Scotland's national fizzy drink. In an interview in the Big Issue at Christmas Mr Salmond said he wanted a year's supply of Lucozade (Irn Bru's market rival for student hangover cures) for his festive gift.

David Maddox: Whinging Scottish MPs or a constitutional conundrum?

We all knew how disgruntled Scottish MPs, particularly the Labour variety of the species, are with the Scottish Parliament, not least because it keeps on raising questions about what they do and whether they are worth their £64,000 odd a year salary plus (generous) expenses.

But now it seems that they believe it is MSPs who are straying on to their territory and "treading on their toes."

In tomorrow's (Thursday May 21) Scotsman on our Government and Public Affairs pages I will analyse the responses some of the Scottish MPs gave to the Calman Commission's chaired by Sir Kenneth Calman (pictured) review of devolution.

Unhappy does not get near their feelings.

Feel free to comment on this here after you have read the piece tomorrow (or before if you really want to).

David Maddox: The Numbers Game (13) - unlucky for the Speaker

It did not take much of a soothsayer to predict the demise of the Speaker Michael Martin and the bookmakers were ready with their odds on his successor.
The odds reflect the openness and uncertainty of what will happen next with no overwhelming favourite. MPs as yet appear unsure whether they want a short term reformer like Ann Widdecombe (12/1) who will stand down at the next election or somebody to lead the next parliament with moral authority.
Some like David Davis (33/1) and Ms Widdecombe have ruled themselves out, but traditionally this is a qualification for the job.
The favourite is a respected former Tory minister Sir George Young (4/1), who actually lost out to Mr Martin because he was the front bench choice.
Sir Alan Haselhurst (12/1), the Conservative deputy Speaker, may have been considered a shoein had he not got caught up in the expenses scandal himself. Likewise, Sir Menzies Campbell (14/1) appears to have blown his chances with £1,500 for a consultation with an interiror decorator who apparently happened to be a friend of his daughter's.
There seems to be a view that it is the Tories' turn but in a secret ballot anything could happen.
One good long shot might be Labour MP Kate Hoey (66/1) a leading voice for reform who inadvertently became one of the reasons for Mr Martin's demise after he gave her a public dressing down.
But of the awkward squad from Labour's ranks a very good bet may be Frank Field (10/1).
Another possibility may be the Independent MP for Wyre Forest Dr Richard Taylor (12/1), who seems to be clean and of the highest integrity, something in short supply in the Commons apparently.
One unlikely long shot may be Gordon Brown at 250/1 if he's looking for another job, although his dithering on expenses may count against him.
Here are Ladbrokes' odds with Conservatives in blue, Labour red, Lib Dems orange and the Independent in black. No SNP names are in the running.


Sir George Young 4/1
Alan Beith 5/1
John Bercow 6/1
Frank Field 10/1
Sylvia Heal 10/1
Ann Widdecombe 12/1
Richard Taylor 12/1
Sir Alan Haselhurst 12/1
Vince Cable 12/1
Richard Shepherd 14/1
Sir Menzies Campbell 14/1
Sir Michael Lord 14/1
Sir Patrick Cormack 14/1
Ken Clarke 16/1
Sir Malcolm Rifkind 25/1
Tony Wright 25/1
David Davis 33/1
Edward Garnier 33/1
Stephen Pound 40/1
Chris Mullin 50/1
Damian Green 50/1
Jack Straw 50/1
Jacqui Lait 50/1
Keith Simpson 50/1
Kate Hoey 66/1
Norman Baker 66/1
Diane Abbot 100/1
Nick Palmer 200/1
Gordon Brown 250/1

David Maddox: The Numbers Game (12)

Here is the latest Scottish sample of a Yougov poll for Westminster voting intentions. It is only 195 people (weighted) and 241 in total so cannot be taken as scientific. However, it is interesting because it is the first one since the MP expenses scandal impacted on the public consciousness.

SNP 30% Lab 28% Con 20% LD 16%

Putting this into Electoral Calculus you get the following number of Scottish Westminster seats:

SNP 13 (+7) Lab 30 (-11) Con 5 (+4) LD 11 (no change)

This seems to indicate that the SNP and Lib Dems are less damaged by the expenses scandal and their support appears to be up. In the Lib Dems case it is their best sample in many months.
The Tories seem to have only sustained limited damage and their vote is still holding consistently around 20%.
However, as expected the expenses scandal seems to have hit Labour hardest and while this calculation may still have them as the biggest party there are many marginals there for them to defend and many of their MPs North of the border who may have some explaining to do.
It will be interesting to see the next few Scottish samples, but David Cameron's warning to Unionists seems to have some substance in that the chances of the SNP being the biggest party and getting the 20 seats Alex Salmond is targeting is looking a much better bet than before.

David Maddox: Whither Paul Martin?

Anybody who heard Speaker Michael Martin's statement to the Commons a few minutes ago will know that he is holding on desperately to his job and his seat.

But one interesting question it raises up here is on the future of his son, Glasgow Springburn MSP Paul Martin (pictured right).

It has long been open gossip in Holyrood that the Speaker was hoping to pass on his Glasgow North East seat to his son. If it were true it would seem to be an example of the sort of self-interested practice which has come under question in recent days.

The question is now whether the constituency party would want to now put the Speaker's son in his place given the bad publicity that is now attached to the Martin name, although that has absolutely nothing to do with Paul Martin.

And if the Speaker does step down and as a result quits as an MP, which many think would be the inevitable consequence, then who would want to fight Glasgow North East for Labour?

Given what happened in Glasgow East and the recent opinion polls added to the lower level of damage to the Nationalists than Labour from the expenses scandal, would all point to another by-election victory for the SNP.

David Maddox: Why are the Nationalists so keen to defend the Speaker?

Tomorrow (Monday) is a defining day for the future of the embattled Speaker Michael Martin (pictured right) as he makes as statement on expenses to MPs and faces his growing number of critics.

But one corner where he does have some friends appears to be among his historic die hard opponents in the SNP

This blog has noted before how SNP's Westminster leader Angus Robertson gave his backing to the Speaker Martin at another time of beleaguerment.

And this week his colleague Glasgow East hero John Mason (pictured below left) has been saying the same thing as the same thing on Good Morning Scotland and on the Politics Show today.

It is surprising considering that there is little love lost between Scottish Labour (especially of its West of Scotland variety) and the Nationalists. It is not even as though Mr Mason, unlike Mr Robertson, has had his snout in the trough.

Both Mason and Robertson at different times have pointed to the snobbery against the working class Glaswegian Speaker, but also paid tribute to his fairness.

"He always calls me to speak when I want to," said Mr Mason today, echoing the words of his Westminster leader a few months ago.

But interestingly of the Scottish contingent only the Lib Dems have taken a pop. the sole Scottish Conservative David Mundell has also supported Speaker Martin.

All of which gives the impression that possibly there is concern within the Scottish ranks cross parties that their opportunities may be more limited if he is replaced by a new Speaker from south of the border.

David Maddox: The numbers game (11) - Scottish Tory conference special

According to one paper this morning Ladbrokes are only offering 3/1 on the Tories getting seven or more seats in Scotland. The point was alluded to by Annabel Goldie in her longest day speech (it went on a bit, like the famous film) yesterday as proof that the party is on the way back.
Regular readers of the Numbers Game blogs on the Steamie will know that the Electoral Calculus predictions based on current polls, which do not even properly account for local loyalties, has the Tories getting seven seats on the most generous interpretations of the polls. So this is one of those occasions that it is better to hold on to your money.
However, it might be worth getting odds on five seats or more the way things are going, assuming that the SNP are not the only ones to benefit from a Labour collapse North of the border.

David Maddox: Tory conference - No longer the McBridesmaid

The Tories wheeled out two "celebrity" speakers this morning. One was the knife crime campaigner John Muir, the father of Damian who was brutally murdered by a knife wielding thug in 2007, who had come to endorse the Tories' new policy of two year minimum sentences for people caught carrying knives.
Before that though was their "controversial" new convert, the leading QC Paul McBride (pictured right).
Controversial because they claimed he joined the Tories three weeks ago and abandoned Labour to do so.
Labour have gone to great lengths to say: "Paul who?" And point out he was not a member at the time and apparently never seen by them.
Lord George Foulkes, First Lord of the Twittery etc, even wrote to the Scotsman ,to question Mr McBride's former Labour credentials. The Baron of Cumnock also asked a question in parliament to check if Mr McBride had declared himself a Labour supporter in his role as a member of the Legal Board, something he would have been required to do if he was a party member or active supporter in the last five years. He had not.
However, Mr McBride maintains he was a Labour supporter for most of his adult life, let his membership lapse in the late 1990s, but later attended fundraising events until recently.
Mr McBride has been described as arrogant by some in Labour in recent days, his e-mail address apparently includes the words topQC, but seeing him this morning you can see why Labour are so wound up about his "defection" and the Tories are gloating about it.
McBride is the sort of bright, sharp dressed, talented individual who flocked to Labour in the early years of Blair, but who can see that the bright future is now with Cameron and the Tories.

Tom Peterkin on MPs' expenses

Re David Maddox's latest Foulkes sake posting, I was interested to see Lord Foulkes attempt to defend the indefensible. I suppose he, at least, is one of the few prepared to put his head above the parapet and talk about the scandal.
When writing about MPs' expenses for last Sunday's paper, getting politicians to speak on the record about their allowances was a tricky task.
Normally, politicians are desperate to see their names in print pontificating on anything at all - no matter their ignorance or otherwise on the topic.
Perhaps it should not be surprising that getting politicians from any of the major parties to condemn the abuse of expenses proved difficult. After all, it is the one issue that unites them all.
The deafening silence merely reinforces the impression that they've all been "at it".
To me, it is the detail of this story that makes it so fascinating and infuriating. Claims for chandeliers, swimming pools, gardening, tennis courts, groceries, not to mention their second homes - just incredible.
Despite David Cameron's attempt to take the initiative and Gordon Brown following suit - one still wonders whether some MPs "get it"?
By that I mean whether they "get" just how annoyed the public are about the extent to which they've abused the system at our - the taxpayers'- expense.
I know that Foulkes is no longer an MP, but the defence offered by this Labour MSP and peer would appear to indicate to that the political classes have still some way to go before they "get it".

David Maddox: For Foulkes Sake (10)

Labour have deployed their weapon of mass distraction in the MP expenses row.
Yes Lord George Foulkes, Baron of Cumnock, First Lord of the Twittery, MSP to the Lothians and interviewer of Jack McConnell, has been let loose on BBC journalists, who you may remember are among his favourite targets.
No stranger to the odd expenses row of his own - £54,000 I seem to remember (as revealed by my colleague Tom Peterkin) - he has been sent in to defend the indefensible on the TV.
This interview is worth a look as he harasses a publicly paid BBC presenter into admitting that she gets £92,000 off the British public for sitting their wearing lip gloss or "harrassing politicians," as the good Lord put it.
Amazingly, despite earning that wage she had not thought of actually doing any research to counter Foulkes on his various jobs and expenses.
It was a classic example of sinners and casting the first stone, but in these times of austerity maybe a warning shot across the bows of the BBC.
After all, as Lord F pointed out, that particular presenter is one of the lower paid BBC presenters paid at the public's expense to "sneer at democracy."

David Maddox: The numbers game (10)

My usual sources have sent me the latest results of the rolling poll analysis.
This involves taking the Scottish samples of the last four Yougov polls in the hope that it may give a more reflective view of what is going on in the minds of Scottish voters. Four polls essentially includes the views of around 700 to 1,000 people.

The latest analysis gives the following in Westminster voting intentions:

Con: 23.75% Lab: 34% SNP: 26.25% Lib Dems: 12.75%

Our old friends at Electoral Calculus give the following breakdown in seats this would lead to:

Con: 7 Lab: 37 SNP: 7 Lib Dems: 8

Regular readers will know my scepticism about polls anyway, but this latest sample of four comes with more of a health warning than most, not least because of two rogue samples which gave the Tories 27% and 29% in that selection.
But, more importantly, as we have seen in the papers today there is already a knock-on to the expenses row which is impacting on Labour and the Conservatives support in particular.
No party has come out of the expenses affair totally clean, but it seems that the worst excesses have been from the two biggest parties so it will be interesting to see the same analysis done of samples of the first four polls following the scandal.

Nevertheless, polls still work as an indicator of the general flow of opinion and it is interesting to peruse the full analysis I have been provided with at this link: Scottish%20Yougov%20analysis

David Maddox: How Holyrood tightened its belt for the recession

The Scottish Parliament authorities spent £16,949 on 13 new tables and 48 new soft chairs for the Garden Lobby.
I have pictured some of them (right) outside Holyrood's members restaurant, using my mobile phone's not particularly good camera, so apologies for the dubious picture quality.
But getting back to the cash, admittedly such a sum would not suffice for the back room (or even dry rot treatment or swimming pool garden) of an MP's third home, but it does seem bizarre when Scotland is supposed to be short of money. The old furnishings seemed to be in reasonable shape.
Anyway here is the official spokesman's explanation: "We have increased the seating capacity in the Garden Lobby by more than 50 per cent. This is one of the busiest parts of the building and on business days in particular there can be a shortage of seating for people holding meetings or meeting visitors. The old tables and seats will being re-used throughout the campus."
This is not the same official spokesman who is about to be recruited for £38,000 a year at the spendthrift parliament.

David Maddox: Half term report cards

Here are the spoof half term report cards put together by Labour and distributed to hacks prior to FMQs today (click on the link):
Report%20Cards_Layout%202.pdf

Pity that Iain Gray, the Scottish Labour leader, apparently forgot to actually use them in his four questions preferring his usual mantra on broken promises.

Nevertheless a spokesman for Alex Salmond felt the need to put out a response to them:
"The verdict of the people is what counts, which on the basis of the 50 key policies we have delivered over the past two years is highly satisfactory. The SNP have a commanding lead in the polls, even at the government's mid-term point. The score Iain Gray should be worried about is that only 7% of Scots support him to be First Minister - Alex Salmond is more popular than Iain Gray even among Labour supporters!"

The statement came with this briefing:
Polling%20Brief%2006-05-09.doc

The marks may be poor all round, but, as the SNP, say the final examiners (the voters) will give their verdict in 2011.

David Maddox: Has Alex Salmond undermined the Lockerbie bomber decision?

The First Minister faced questions today on whether al-Megrahi, the man convicted of the 1988 Lockerbie bomb atrocity, should be returned to Libya after that country signed a prisoner transfer agreement with Britain.

He was at pains to say that he could not prejudge the decision which will be made, he said, by Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill now that an application has been made.

However, he was reminded by Lib Dem leader Tavish Scott that in a statement to MSPs in 2007 when he fumed about the UK government discussing setting up a prisoner transfer agreement, he said that al-Megrahi should serve all of his sentence in Scotland.

Then SNP bacbencher Christine Grahame alleged that there was a conspiracy by the UK government to stop an appeal going ahead so that further light will not be shed on the murky issue of the Lockerbie bomb.

And Mr seemed to agree with her that it would prefer due process (ie the appeal) to continue.

Former Labour First Minister Jack McConnell made a point of order asking the Presiding Officer Alex Fergusson to look at this, which he is going to do.

The issue will be raised by hacks in the post FMQs briefing shortly. Read the conclusion of this intrigue in tomorrow's Scotsman.

David Maddox: The strange habits of MSPs

Dr Ian McKee is a modest, quietly spoken man who was first thrust into the spotlight when he was wheeled out to prove that the SNP are not anti-English because he has an English accent and has made some thoughtful speeches since, mainly in health debates.

But his contribution in a Tory sponsored education debate this morning will live long in the memories of those who heard him, even though many are trying to erase from their minds.

The debate was on a motion calling for the creation of "second chance units" outside schools to deal with classroom troublemakers.

However, Dr McKee wanted to share something else with MSPs instead. He told them how he had spent a long time last night researching corporal punishment on the web.

According to the good doctor, silk handkerchiefs are helpful for reducing the pain of the cane. He also researched the price of a good cane. It may be he hoped to give his opponents a good thrashing.

The mind boggles at the thought of some of the sites he may have been seeking advice from for his contribution, but even the Tories said they felt "disturbed" although he did offer to give Conservative MSP Jackson Carlaw the fruits of his labour.

The Presiding Officer Alex Fergusson, who as an Old Etonian may know a thing or two about corporal punishment, simply suggested that Dr McKee returned to the subject of the debate.

Tom Peterkin on the Kirk

As a member of the Kirk (albeit one who rarely actually goes) I am dismayed to read of the case of Rev Scott Rennie, the homosexual clergyman who has moved his boyfriend into the manse.
It has been reported today that almost one third of Church of Scotland ministers have signed a petition attacking his appointment to Queen's Cross Parish Church, Aberdeen.
It reminded me of an event I covered in Belfast - a place where religion and intolerance have often gone hand-in-hand.
The occasion was the United Kingdom's first lesbian wedding, a celebration which happened in Northern Ireland because of a legal quirk that meant that the Province has a shorter registration period for civil partnerships than GB.
It was held at Belfast City Hall and was hilarious. The guest list consisted of some extraordinarily flamboyant guests from local gay scene wearing the campest costumes imaginable.
Not on the guest list, but in attendance nonetheless was a crowd of hardline presbyterian ministers many from Ian Paisley's church. Waving placards saying "Save Ulster from Sodomy", they bristled with moral indignation as they denounced the guests as "fruits" while shouting "filth, filth - you're going to hell".
But the demonstrators, who really stole the show were two friends of the happy couple who satirised the clergymen by dressing up in their own presbyterian minister outfits. These consisted of toothbrush moustaches, dog collars, hideous tweed jackets and Y-fronts (no trousers).
They carried their own placards. One said: "Bring back slavery". The other said: "Earth is flat."
It was a most effective piece of satire.
Thankfully, the Kirk has traditoinally displayed more tolerant views than those expressed by the clergy in Belfast on that day. But this petition has led me to wonder why some good Christians seem so keen to cast the first stone.

David Maddox: What's good for the councillor is not good for the MP

The Tories have just put out an interesting press release on the announcement by two Nationalist MSPs, Bill Kidd and John Wilson, that they are to step down as councillors in Glasgow and North Lanarkshire.
Apparently they do not believe they can do both jobs to a high enough standard.
A similar decision was taken by North East SNP MSP Nigel Don when he won his seat and opted to resign as a Dundee councillor. Stefan Tymkewycz took the opposite decision and gave up being a list MSP to remain as a Edinburgh city councillor.
"But what about Alex Salmond?" ask the Tories.
He still continues to be the largely absentee (from Westminster) MP for Banff and Buchan as well as the MSP for Gordon and, of course, First Minister.

Chris Mackie: 30 years on again (2)

There was a fair smattering of blue rinses and pinstripe suits in evidence at the Signet Library last night as a packed house settled to watch some political pugilism over Margaret Thatcher's legacy on the 30th anniversary of her election victory. Debating the motion "Margaret Thatcher did more good than harm for Scotland" were some political heavyweights marshalled by the affable presence of referee/chairman, Bernard Ponsonby.

In the blue corner sat Malcolm Rifkind - holder of ministerial office for the entire span of the last Tory government, - and David McLetchie - a self confessed Conservative foot soldier in 1979 - lined up to defend Maggie's legacy, looking every inch the Conservative politicians they are.

In the red and yellow corner were "Wee" Brian Wilson - a former Labour MP and secretary of state for energy - and Jim Sillars - the former deputy leader of the SNP, who ribbed Malcolm Rifkind about being the "former Governor General of Scotland". Sillars was cheered on by wife Margo MacDonald, sat, disconcertingly for the Tories on the panel, directly in front of the lectern in an unmissable floral blouse, ready to offer them withering looks when required. There was even an icy Margo stare and sharp retort directed at her husband when he declared that he was, along with Brian Wilson, one of the only two socialists in Edinburgh.

Before each speaker got into the meat of his argument, however, they took the opportunity to warm up the crowd with some humorous banter - each of them pretty successfully it has to be said. But whose humorous banter landed the knockout blow? You be the judge:

Malcolm Rifkind:

"Brian Wilson and I are both former ministers and when you retire as a minister it's quite traumatic. The best definition I heard of what retirement means for a minister is 'when you climb into the back of your car and it doesn't go anywhere'."

Brian Wilson:

"It is a great pleasure to line up against Malcolm Riflkind and welcome him back from Thatcherite exile in Kensington and Chelsea - one of the few recorded successes of the Year of Homecoming."


David McLetchie:

"Last year I spoke at a conference in St Andrews on Saint Andrews' day and I told the audience that Saint Andrew had never set foot in Scotland; had never heard of Scotland; that Scotland, as Scotland did not exist when he was alive and that his connection with Scotland was tenuous to say the least, being based on a small bag of some of his bones being brought to Scotland by a Monk now known as Saint Rule. Nevertheless, he became Scotland's patron saint, which just goes to show that the less you do for this country of ours, the more you are appreciated. That is, of course, because nobody kent his faither."

Jim Sillars:

"When I won the Govan by-election, the poll tax was a very important and pertinent matter and I was always very grateful there wasn't a camera present at Govan Cross one day because I had just finished shouting, about 60 times, 'Ah'm no going tae pay Thatcher's poll tax".
"And a man came up to me and said 'Ah don't know what the hell you're talkin' aboot - she disnae stay here'."

And, as a bonus gag:

"Alistair Darling is the first Trotskyist who ever nationalised a bank and was unhappy about it."

For my money, Jim Sillars just about shaded the comedy, but his side was defeated in the debate, with a close win for the Blues confirmed only after a second show of hands.

You can read full coverage of the discussions in the Government and Public Affairs section of tomorrow's Scotsman.

Chris Mackie, edits the Scotsman's Government and Public Affairs pages where he will be providing a fuller write-up on Thursday.

David Maddox: The Numbers Game (9)

The weekend poll which gave the SNP a 10 point lead in list voting intentions and 12 point lead in constituency voting intentions for a Holyrood election has brought about a predictable but nevertheless interesting press release.
The SNP have worked out that they would gain 11 seats overall and actually more importantly should pick up 26 new constituency ones.
This is based on the predictor Scotland Votes, which somehow seems to work out a solution from one of the most complex voting procedures in the world.
The constituency number is always considered more important by parties because it gives them a much stronger platform to build for the future.
According to the latest poll this would see Labour leader Iain Gray and many of the shadow cabinet thrown out.
However, the usual bucket of salt needs to be applied. Like Electoral Calculus this does not take into account local circumstances or personal votes. For example the SNP also claim they will take out Presiding Officer Alex Fergusson, who was number two on their target list last time and actually managed to hugely increase his majority.

Seats that potentially fall to SNP (and their potential victims):
Airdrie and Shotts - Karen Whitefield, Education Committee Convenor (Lab)
Cumbernauld and Kilsyth - Cathy Craigie (Lab)
East Kilbride - Andy Kerr, Labour's Finance spokesman
Falkirk East - Cathie Peattie (Lab)
Cathcart - Charlie Gordon (Lab)
Glasgow Kelvin - Pauline McNeil, Labour Culture spokeswoman
Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross - Jamie Stone (Lib Dem)
Ross, Skye and Inverness West - John Farquhar Munro (Lib Dem)
Edinburgh Central - Sarah Boyack, Labour's Rural & Environment spokeswoman
Edinburgh North and Leith - Malcolm Chisholm
Edinburgh West - Margaret Smith, LibDem Education spokeswoman
Linlithgow - Mary Mulligan (Lab)
Midlothian - Rhona Brankin, Labour's Education spokeswoman
Dunfermline West - Jim Tolson (Lib Dem)
Kirkcaldy - Marlyn Livingstone (Lab)
Clydesdale - Karen Gillon (Lab)
Cunninghame South - Irene Oldfather (Lab)
East Lothian - Iain Gray, Labour Leader
Galloway and Upper Nithsdale - Alex Fergusson, Presiding Officer (Con)
Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale - Jeremy Purvis, Lib Dem Finance spokesman
Clydebank and Milngavie - Des McNulty, Labour transport spokesman
Dumbarton - Jackie Baillie (Lab)
West Renfrewshire - Trish Godman (Lab)
Aberdeen Central - Lewis McDonald, Labour Energy spokesman
Aberdeen South - Nicol Stephen, former Lib Dem leader
West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine - Mike Rumbles, Lib Dem Chief Whip

David Maddox: 30 years on again

Whilst on the subject of Mrs Thatcher's famous victory, I noticed a strange but perhaps accidental tribute to the Iron Lady in Glasgow on Saturday night.
If it was a tribute it was a back-handed one by Bob Dylan, who was performing at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre.
His opening number was I aint going to work on Maggie's farm no more, which of course became an anthem up in Scotland and elsewhere of the various groupings opposed to her and her works. I played it on the day she resigned much to the disgust of fellow schoolboys at the independent school I attended.
The tributes will go on though. This evening there will be an interesting debate at the The Signet Library, Parliament Square, Edinburgh tonight - "We in Scotland" Thatcherism in a Cold Climate where former Scottish Secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind MP and former Scottish Conservative leader David McLetchie MSP will go head to head with former Labour minister Brian Wilson and former SNP deputy leader Jim Sillars.
It will be promoting the excellent journalist and historian David Torrance's new book by the same name. Tickets are £6 a head and it starts at 6.30pm.

David Maddox: For Foulkes Sake (9) - 30 years on

Not for the first time I've just had a strange telephone conversation with Lord George Foulkes, MSP for the Lothians, Baron of Cumnock, First Lord of the Twittery.
He asked me if I was watching BBC Parliament's replay of the coverage of the 1979 election.
There are several TV sets uned into it in several of the hacks' offices in Holyrood.
The programme is running to mark the 30th anniversary of Margaret Thatcher's historic victory.
But why would Lord George want to relive the election which saw his party out of office for 18 years?
"Well it wasn't so sad for me," he said. "South Ayrshire's result is just coming up and I'm just checking if I won again."
Of course, that was when he was first elected as an MP and from the coverage there are some familiar but much younger looking faces of people well known now in Holyrood, not least Margo MacDonald and George Reid, then both of the SNP, losing their seats after siding with the Tories to force the election.

As a Westminster career was born others died. and as one of the commenters has just reminded me Lord Foulkes beat former SNP deputy leader Jim Sillars to get his seat.