Everyone loves Auntie Annabel
Just what is it with Alex Salmond and Annabel Goldie? Again, at First Minister鈥檚 Questions today, he replied to Ms Goldie not with a bang but a simper.
By contrast, Mr Salmond lambasted Wendy Alexander and lampooned Nicol Stephen.
Now, before you all reach for the 鈥渟end鈥 button, I am aware that the First Minister said the Tories were 鈥渒nackered鈥. I am aware that he is opposed to the Tories.
I am aware that he has worked all his days to displace the Tories from Scottish popular affection. As a certain Welsh comedian used to say: 鈥淚 know 鈥榗os I was there.鈥
But, still and all, Alex Salmond鈥檚 attitude to Annabel Goldie is markedly different from that adopted towards other leaders (and, occasionally, members of his own party.)
He woos, he cajoles, he shares little confidences. Even today, he was teasing 鈥 rather than tormenting. Mimicking David Cameron鈥檚 inadvertent comments at the end of his Blackpool speech, he said he wasn鈥檛 sure whether he loved Ms Goldie any more.
Now, part of this is the personality of Ms Goldie. She is widely liked across the political divide. She is the Forces Sweetheart at Holyrood. She is Auntie Annabel. You can鈥檛 be nasty to Auntie Annabel. It would be as unthinkable as being rude to Lord James (Douglas-Hamilton).
But is there more to it? After Mr Cameron鈥檚 Blackpool speech, the Scottish Labour party issued the following comment: 鈥淒avid Cameron's speech was a thinly veiled cry for help to his SNP bed fellows.鈥
Eh? Run that by me again. I was in Blackpool to hear Mr Cameron. All 67 minutes. If it was an appeal for the SNP to bail him out, it failed. Or I missed it entirely. Or it was so cleverly veiled that only Labour could see it.
The claim is, of course, piffle 鈥 although there is more substance to Labour鈥檚 concomitant argument that, in practical terms, only Labour or the Tories can expect to lead the next UK Government. Expect that to run if/when Mr Brown goes to the country (for an election, that is, not for fresh air.)
Arguably, the SNP might prefer a Conservative Government at Westminster on the possible grounds that it might incline the Scots more towards maximum devolution or even independence.
However, I do not expect that the SNP鈥檚 Westminster campaigners will want to ease up on the Tories to any degree in Perth or Angus or Moray or, to broaden the argument, in Ochil or Argyll or鈥..well, you get the point. I do not buy the theory or the practice.
I think Mr Salmond鈥檚 tactics owe more to the situation at Holyrood rather than the potential breakdown of seats at Westminster.
He leads a minority government. He has already lost a few votes in the chamber. With legislation and, particularly, a budget Bill ahead, he needs to minimise the opportunity for defeat. Hence, in advance, the agreement with the Greens.
But what about the major opposition parties? Can he expect any help from Labour? Behave yourself. Wendy Alexander went for him today on the schools building programme 鈥 and will do so again.
Can he expect substantial help from the Liberal Democrats? Bit more likely 鈥 but Nicol Stephen followed Ms Goldie today in claiming to detect discrepancies between promise and potential delivery over the issue of police numbers. Each was rather effective, in different ways.
More, the LibDems have already rebuffed Alex Salmond when they turned down a coalition. That attitude can become habit forming.
Which leaves the Tories. They have already declared they鈥檙e open to deal on individual issues: indeed, they鈥檝e made it their career option. So be extra nice to Auntie Annabel, First Minister. You might just need her help one day.
I'm 
Comments
What do you mean Wendy Alexander went for him?! She may have tried but she certainly failed - she questioned him on the Edinburgh schools fiasco and then he responded by producing a letter that confirmed what I'd always thought - that the whole thing was a stitch-up by the previous Government and previously Labour-led council. Leave it until after the election I believe it said. Come on Brian!
Wendy was "lambasted" because after cutting the money given to the opposition while in power, Labour is now asking for an increase in the opposition allowance.
I thought that this hypocrisy was the salient point of today's question time. Worth a mention in your blog Brian, no?
Brian Brian Brian.
Your preaching to the converted here. We all know with the voting system for holyrood that scottish politics was always going to be about consensus. Cant say I like it but that is the way the scottish parliament was set up. Unless we change to a first past the post system its always going to be like that whichever party is in power. It was designed and built to be different from westminster in politics and debate. However wee wendy seems oblivious to this fact and to some extent so does nicol stephen. The tories were the people who scuppered wendy's "alternative government" plan. I know beggars belief, the Tories the party of democracy. However westminster now that brian, thats a whole other kettle of politics and politiicians. The voters are well aware of the difference. Brian we all know that london labour is going to fight the election on the SNP = let the tories in. That may have washed with previous generations who beleived in wasted votes. Like labours other scare stories about the sky falling in if the SNP came to govern scotland does still make people shake in their shoes. However the shaking is now due to hysterical laughter, instead of the fear labour hoped for.
Alex and Annabell were great. Wendy was rumbled once again....
Wendy was once again a joke at FMQs, why is the bbc running with "SNP put under pressure on schools" or whatever? Wendy's claims were shown to be the usual "half-truths" (commonly known as lies) cobbled together by Labour's Holyrood minions. You dont suppose she is being intentionally rubbish to prove the need for extra funding in her role as leader of the opposition?
Annabel Goldie is a fox, I鈥檓 not saying either way that she is a foxy lady as I would risk being attacked from both sides of the divide for being sexist; Annabel Goldie is truly a sly vixen using humour and intellect to drive her perspective to a level above her party鈥檚 representation.
Her demeanour is such that she all but wards off all diatribes, once a thinking adversary has time to calculate their options and how their responses would be perceived by any listening third party.
Alex Salmond it must be said, seems always to tailor his responses according to how his adversaries address him, although not always lowering himself to the level chosen for these challenges; it often defuses or deflates adversaries when they are responded to in a manner elevated from their own position.
Alex Salmond has to deal with a fox, a Mrs Angry and a Mr Delusional; all require different levels of response.
I was amazed, utterly amazed,at just how poor Wendy Alexander was at First Minister's questions
How about telling it as it was for once Brian instead of giving us the subliminal pro Labour propaganda?
Wendy asked questions that dropped her and her party further into the doodoo.
On the schools question it transpires it was a pre-election Labour stitch up.
On the allowances it showed the Labour Party up for the hypocrites they are.
Wendy didn't exactly go for him, more like made herself and her party look stupid and incompetent, again.
If people are looking for reasons to vote for independence they have to look no further than the previous incompetents of the Lib/Lab Executive.
Brian, why the surprise of everyone? I said on your blog before the May election that the best result for Scotland would be an SNP Minority Government in effective coalition with the Tartan Tories led by Auntie Annabel. People laughed on here at my suggestion but after almost 6 months, we have an SNP-Tory coalition in all but name on most major issues except the Constitution. I tried to post on Nick's blog the other evening that dont be surprised if Gordon Brown calls an election, gets back with a minority government and then next year David Cameron aided by Alex Salmond, Ian Paisley and the WElsh Nationalists bring Gordon down. That is what happened to the last Labour Chancellor who achieved the top job and that brought in Margaret Thatcher.
As I said on your blog in May, you heard it here first!
A bad tempered FMQ. But Alex Salmond does sound like he has been at this job a lot longer than just a few months.
The opposition just doesn't sound very smart. Wendy must want to punch someone every time she finishes her slot - how do they manage to muck it up so often, so badly. And with Nicol Stevens sounding more and more like the agrieved school wimp and Matron Goldie bringing up the rear, Salmond might soon be up on a case of cruelty if he doesn't watch out.
But Scotland has someone in charge who we can all respect if not like.
All this has re-affirmed my belief that Ms Alexander would make a terrible First Minister - she is a terrible speaker. A first minister should have the ability to negotiate and compromise with their opponents, not patronisingly shout at them, as well as taunt and critisize them. Alex Salmond has been much more diplomatic than I expected in his dealings with the parliment . Wendy's current strategy is simply Nat-Bashing - look where that got her party in May.
Regarding her leaders allowance, New Labour probably thought they would never be put into oppisition and kept the funding at a low level. As Alex Neil put it "sheer hypocrisy".
New Labour treat this country as if it belongs solely to them, which is a view that will hopefully result in them getting a good kicking at the next election, whenever that will be.
Q time today
I ken 'cos I was really there in the chamber - Hi Brian. Brian talked to my students before the 'spat' and made them very aware about what was to come. Debate? Usual knockabout stuff - let's tread the entrenched lines again and again etc. What did not impress me one jot was the change from the civilised debate that was promised during the first 2 'sessions' (Labour rule etc) of this devolved government, to a concerted hectoring/jeers/S1 insults from the opposition. I thought the 'mature' Scottish Parliament was going to leave this behind - most of my students were surprised and voiced this sentiment later...
Pip! Pip!
Brian - behave yourself. You talk as if there are no matters of principle involved. To get the votes of another party you have to pass laws, spend money or cut services where they agree. Salmond must do anything he can to stay in power. When the tories were in power it suited him to attack them. Now he is in power he needs their vote. So it will suit him to do things they agree with. That means Tory polices. What is to stop them doing the same down south to bring down Labour in both places. That woudl suit his purposes. So vote SNP and you would get the Tories. Simple. What! - i hear you say - they woudl never vote with the Tories? But they have and they will.
And come on.... you could not have failed to note the similarity in language with Cameron. Why wouldn't he? Salmond beat Labour. Cameron would be a mug not to learn from them - 'fresh thinking' 'new politics' 'time for a change' 'join us' and salmond woudl be a mug not to notice that... they have a lot in common, they have a similar problem, why would they not, even unofficially, join forces?
It is really annoying to have people continually write that the voting system in place is designed to ensure that no one part will have a majority. If a party gets more than 50% of the vote then the chances they will form a majority. All you have to do is convince the electorate. At the moment this looks unlikely but perhaps it may happen in the future.
As for the SNP doing well, I think the real judgement on that will come when we hit the controversial issues eg Property tax v local income tax, These are issues where there will be winners and losers. At the moment it is not possible to judge how well they have done as they are voted in for 4 years not 5 months.
Wendy Alexander did not come across well in Holyrood at FM questions. Alexander facial expression said it all as the First Minister separated the truth from the lies of the last Labour administration.
It seems Wendy is making all the wrong moves, apologising to the party for losing Scotland, shooting herself in foot concerning School closures and in a rather hypocritical fashion asking for more money to be an effective opposition leader. Wendy in order to be an effective leader the qualities of leadership needs to be present and in Wendy's case they are not!
Wendy Alexander has taken on Labours legacy in Scotland, however that legacy may cast long shadow over Labours fortunes in the coming years and Wendy Alexander has distinguished herself from her predecessor by becoming the SNP's greatest asset within the halls of Holyrood!
The Tories aren't really tied into supporting the policies of the previous Executive as the LibDems & Labour obviously are. This may provide wriggle room as it did with the EARL (but not the 拢600 million tramline).