David Maddox: For Foulkes Sake (16) - The late late show episode 2
I know how much cybernats like pieces about written questions from Lord George Foulkes, Baron of Cumnock, MSP to the Lothians and First Lord of the Twittery.
It always surprises me why people who supposedly support democracy object to democracy in action because of cost or perhaps more likely because it embarrasses the party they support, although, it's fair to say, that it is not only Nationalists who are prone to this sort of self delusion.
But anyway here's another couple of the noble one's questions which finance secretary John Swinney has finally deigned to answer quite a few days late.
Readers of the Steamie may remember the questions from Lord George asking about the First Minister's tardiness.
He asked how many times Alex Salmond had been more than 30 minutes late to official events and why he was allegedly more than two hours late to the opening of the latest stage of the Burns Cottage development.
The two answers appeared to be a little contradictory. Here they are:
George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive on how many occasions since May 2007 the First Minister has arrived more than half an hour late for a public engagement.
Mr John Swinney: Under successive administrations it has not been customary to keep a record of arrival times at events by the First Minister.
George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason the First Minister was over two hours late for the opening of the latest stage of developments at Burns Cottage.
Mr John Swinney: The First Minister was not late to this event. He arrived at 13:15, the arrival time agreed in advance with the organisers.
So basically what Mr Swinney is saying is that no record is kept of the First Minister's arrival time unless he is on time. This probably requires less effort.
It always surprises me why people who supposedly support democracy object to democracy in action because of cost or perhaps more likely because it embarrasses the party they support, although, it's fair to say, that it is not only Nationalists who are prone to this sort of self delusion.
But anyway here's another couple of the noble one's questions which finance secretary John Swinney has finally deigned to answer quite a few days late.
Readers of the Steamie may remember the questions from Lord George asking about the First Minister's tardiness.
He asked how many times Alex Salmond had been more than 30 minutes late to official events and why he was allegedly more than two hours late to the opening of the latest stage of the Burns Cottage development.
The two answers appeared to be a little contradictory. Here they are:
George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive on how many occasions since May 2007 the First Minister has arrived more than half an hour late for a public engagement.
Mr John Swinney: Under successive administrations it has not been customary to keep a record of arrival times at events by the First Minister.
George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason the First Minister was over two hours late for the opening of the latest stage of developments at Burns Cottage.
Mr John Swinney: The First Minister was not late to this event. He arrived at 13:15, the arrival time agreed in advance with the organisers.
So basically what Mr Swinney is saying is that no record is kept of the First Minister's arrival time unless he is on time. This probably requires less effort.
Labels: Alex Salmond, David Maddox, George Foulkes, lateness
posted by Administrator at
14:29
10 Comments:
Alternatively John Swinney just asked Alex Salmond if he had been two hours late to that particular event and Alex said no.
I have to say the concept of civil servants' time being wasted on answering these kinds of stupid and pointless questions would aggravate anyone, not simply SNP supporters.
Supposing civil servants did start to record the exact arrival and departure times of the FM and produced an average statistic of 1.2 minutes late on arriving and 2.1 minutes late departing.
Who cares?
Or would it provide an opportunity at FMQs? "If the First Minister cannot even arrive within one minute of his designated arrival time but instead is on average 1.2 minutes late that surely demonstrates that he has well and truly lost it, so will he now accept that his position is completely untenable and resign so that I can be FM?"
Meanwhile in the real world ......
I don't know what is more pathetic, the fact that Lord Foo asked these questions, or the fact that you are blogging on it.
Does Lord Foo have nothing else to do with his time apart from carry out an apparent time and motion study on Alex Salmond?
It's a bit stalkerish really. Will he be submitting questions about how much time the FM spends in the toilet next?
I must be getting old. I can remember when The Scotsman had real reporters who reported the news.
Does this rubbish have any place in what used to be a quality newspaper?
A look at the circulation figures might provide the answer.
David,
As Lord Foulkes is so shy and retiring - soon hopefully - could you not have referred to him as a Senior Labour spokesperson in line with numerous Scotsman articles to prevent him getting a red face, with embarassment, of course.
Cutting edge journalism as usual.
Taking account of Foulkes jibe abour Salmond regarding the ruthless dictator and murdered Mussolini, I thought it interesting that today in this very paper a well known unionist and labour support should write this.
54. Grahamski, Falkirk 29/01/2010 08:42:17
"50 Mr Bully,
If Mr Salmondini started acting like a tinpot racist dictator (as if) and started a programme of killing all the non-Scots in the country then I would hope the international community would come to the aid of all us non 'real' Scots which Mr Salmondini's goons were rounding up and putting in concentration camps...."
http://news.scotsman.com/politics/Protests-to-be-held-outside.6025295.jp?CommentPage=1&CommentPageLength=1000#4872121
Is this acceptable behaviour from 'cyberunionists', why isn't the scotsman reporting on this?
Well unfortunately Lord Foo himself has compared the First Minister to a fascist dictator in Parliament no less.
It appears that it is only SNP politicians and ''cybernats'' who are required to show restraint.
I would not hear of this man. There is a public person and I do not think it was canva. So ready.
asigurari auto
Easy
peasy
on me it just dawned
Alex Salmond
is most probably eating
his 14 course breakfast
afore ANY [prebooked] meeting.
That takes some considerable time.
Ironically he joined the obesity debate so is
this
the proverbial
pot calling
the kettle black
or a fat attack
or e'en heart attack?
If somebody were to conduct a time and motion study on Foo I doubt the results would be published in the Hootsmon as a relevant story.
Its obvious that the Hootsmon has replaced news stories with Libour press releases.
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