Holyrood TV Debates

[Oedo 808]

Did anyone else watch it?

Pass marks for Salmond, Goldie wasn't too bad, Scott squirmed through the whole thing and Gray was largely terrible and the only person the audience actually laughed at.

[Scootray]

From what I saw of it (it was bloody cringeworthy) Salmond seemed to look the best out of the 4. Scott struggled to distance himself from Nick Clegg. I hate Goldie because she's a Tory and gray was made to look out of place (with a swollen cheek, or is that normal?). The host, Bernard, was awful and the audience were poor.

[Oedo 808]

Iain Gray actually looked a lot better than normal last night. I think he'd been shaved to within an inch of his life moments before being put in front of the cameras. He's usually a lot scruffier looking. In terms of what he said and did it was still a total car crash though. Arguing with the audience, butting in when Salmond was talking. Getting angry, being laughed at. Simply terrible.

[Oedo 808]

I don't quite agree with your assessment of the Scottish Parliament but it is correct that Iain Gray is the best MSP the Labour Party have left and he is not fit for purpose. He's a sort of Gordon Brown type character without the same keenly focused sense of political direction, internal party respect or any real personality.

[Scootray]

I saw him on tv last night and his cheek seems to have deflated slightly.

[Oedo 808]

Maybe it's mumps.

[Le Stu]

I watched the first couple of parts but it was so poorly managed and the audience so incoherent that I gave up. It was like a div version of Question Time.

I had to laugh at the woman who had a go at Annabel Goldie because she got her policy backwards. Damn those Tory scum, cutting away at pensioner's council taxes!

I'm fairly sanguine about Ian Gray being First Minister, given the fiscal constraints imposed on him, and the possibility that people in Scotland might actually consider who they're voting for in future and not just the colour of their rosette.

[Shaki]

Who is going to win this election? I can't even get interested although I know I should. I think the SNP seem alright for this level of politics. Anyone with a strong view and why? INFORM ME.

[Oedo 808]

Who is going to win this election?

Either Labour or the SNP.

I can't even get interested although I know I should. I think the SNP seem alright for this level of politics. Anyone with a strong view and why?

I don't want to prevaricate so I'll cut straight to the chase: I'll be voting SNP.

Since the election will be a two horse race I have to weigh up which of these two parties is best placed to run Scotland over the next 5 years. (We usually have 4 year terms but the Scottish election after this will be forced back a year by the ConDem Government at Westminster running roughshod over Holyrood and adopting the same date for the next UK election).

Since I watch First Minister's Questions every week I've had a fair amount of time to size up all of the parties, their leaders and prominent party members.

Quite simply, the SNP's Alex Salmond is head and shoulders above the rest. He knows his stuff and the people he surrounds himself with (for the most part) do their jobs very well. The worst leader by a mile is Iain Gray and he is the best amongst Labour's current front bench. An insider within the current Labour group was quoted saying Gray is led by an "immature element" within the party and is seen to put party political interests before the good of the country. Those are pretty damming 'qualities' to have in a prospective political leader. (He is more interested in tribalism than doing the right thing.)

Over the last four years:

The SNP have abolished bridge tolls and prescription charges

They have frozen Council Tax (A move which Labour voted against every single year - that's 4 times)

They have put 1000 extra police on the streets (Crime is now at a 32 year low and knife crime is at a 10 year low)

They have built 3300 new council houses (The last Labour administration managed 6. That's right, 6)

Created a record number of new apprenticeships

Saved local A&E services for the chop under the previous Labour administration

Those are just the things that spring to mind.

Labour on the other hand:

Forced through the Edinburgh Trams scheme which has proved to be a total disaster and is still nowhere near completion

Voted against minimum alcohol pricing in Scotland while supporting it for the rest of the UK

Voted even against the policies they supported and called for such as new apprenticeships

Is it any wonder that Wendy Alexander, one of Labour's few remaining heavy hitters at Holyrood will not be standing in the upcoming elections?

Some of Labour's policies over the next term of the Scottish parliament will be based on an idea called "triangulating". That basically means whatever the SNPs policies are Labour will adopt them even though they oppose them - confused yet?

This is why Labour now support the Council Tax freeze that they opposed and voted against 4 times

They promise to maintain A&Es which they had previously said they'd close

They will not introduce student tuition fees in Scotland (Even though they were the ones who introduced them in the first place)

These are good policies and I agree with every single one of them. So why vote SNP and not Labour? Because they are SNP policies which the Labour party has only adopted in the last two or three weeks. So I ask myself who I trust more to carry them out; the party who has been fighting for them since the beginning or the party who has fought against them every step of the way and has suddenly made a U-turn in the final moments before the election.

When I think of uniquely Labour policies I think of:

Mandatory jail time for carrying a knife

A move towards new nuclear power plants...

There's a hint of desperation about Labour that makes me incredibly, incredibly wary.

Anyway, don't simply take my word on who the best choice for Scotland is: Here's a choice quote from John Farquhar Munro yesterday - member of the Scottish Parliament for Ross, Skye and Inverness and a senior member of the SCOTTISH LIBERAL DEMOCRATS:

"I have known Alex Salmond for several years and have come to appreciate his political acumen, his debating skills and his devotion to Scotland.

"I consider Alex Salmond is the only one who can lead us through the next session of Parliament ensuring a more prosperous and sustainable future, and that is why I'm pleased to support him."

(my bold)

When your political opponents openly admit in the run up to a major election that the best man for the job is Alex Salmond it has to make you sit up and take notice.

[Shaki]

Thanks for your input Robert. I'm pretty much decided I'll be voting SNP because although I don't have your level of knowledge I had the idea that they've done pretty well in the current term. I've also met John Swinney a few times through work because I provide a website for the government which he champions. He's always struck me as an honest, hard working and intelligent guy. Anyone else with strong views?

An insider within the current Labour group was quoted saying Gray is led by an "immature element" within the party and is seen to put party political interests before the good of the country. .

Is that not party politics all over?