Do As I Say........
Alex Salmond, Scotland's former First Minister, continues his strange transition from a once serious and respected figure into a new breed of 'celebrity politician' who play by their own rules.
Having criticised other politicians and political parties over second and third (paid) jobs, the SNP is now turning a blind eye to the fact that their former leader is now operating on a part-time basis, given his extensive outside interests as well as a seat in both the Scottish and Westminster Parliaments.
And after poking fun at Labour's Jim Murphy and Gordon Brown over the self-same issue, I think it's only fair to say that Alex and the SNP leave themselves open to the charge of saying one thing and then doing another when it suits their purpose.
The job of a Holyrood MSP or Westminster MP is clearly a full-time responsibility, yet here we have a senior figure pretending otherwise and trying to muddy the waters by invoking 'charitable works', just as the Labour leader Gordon Brown did for the five years between 2010-2015 while spending much if his time abroad.
http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/14186570.Salmond_s_new_radio_show_set_to_confirm_him_as_Scotland_s_highest_paid_politician/
Salmond's new radio show set to confirm him as Scotland's highest-paid politician
Salmond's new radio show set to confirm him as Scotland's highest-paid politician
By MICHAEL SETTLE
ALEX Salmond has defended his status as Scotland's highest-paid politician after taking up a high profile post as host of a London radio station phone-in show.
No other politician gave as much to charities and good causes, he said.
With his £74,000 a year salary as an MP and around £108,000 from his newspaper articles, Mr Salmond already earns more than David Cameron, whose wage is £149,440, and Nicola Sturgeon, who receives £144,687.
By MICHAEL SETTLE
ALEX Salmond has defended his status as Scotland's highest-paid politician after taking up a high profile post as host of a London radio station phone-in show.
No other politician gave as much to charities and good causes, he said.
With his £74,000 a year salary as an MP and around £108,000 from his newspaper articles, Mr Salmond already earns more than David Cameron, whose wage is £149,440, and Nicola Sturgeon, who receives £144,687.
'Three Jobs' Murphy (03/03/15)
Just the other day Jim 'Two Jobs' Murphy confirmed his intention to stand in May's general election to the Westminster Parliament.
But now it seems that Jim might have to be accorded a new moniker of 'Three Jobs' Murphy as the Labour leader is refusing to confirm that he will have to resign his Eastwood seat if he wins in May 2015, but goes on to win a seat in the elections to the Scottish Parliament in 2016.
Now Jim has to stand and win a Holyrood seat in 2016 to fulfil his declared ambition of becoming Scotland's First Minister, but the Labour leader has a problem because he would be a member of the Scottish and Westminster Parliaments at the same time.
The obvious thing for Jim to do would have been to stand down from Westminster in May so that he could have concentrated on his biggest job at the moment which is trying to revive the Labour Party's fortunes north of the border.
By not making this obvious and selfless move, Labour is signalling that without Jim's personal following the party may well lose its Eastwood seat which, arguably, is not natural Labour territory.
On the other hand if Jim says he is only going to stay on at Westminster for a year until he wins a seat and becomes a Holyrood MSP in 2016, the voters of Eastwood are hardly likely to be impressed by someone who, politically speaking, is 'here today and gone tomorrow'.
So Jim is on the horns of a very Scottish dilemma although if you ask me he's made the worst possible choice because 'Three Jobs' Murphy sends out all the wrong messages and makes the Labour Party look like a bunch of hypocrites.
'Two Jobs' Murphy (28/02/15)
Jim Murphy took on a new job and an mighty new challenge when became leader of the Scottish Labour Party back in December 2014 which was on top of his day job as a Westminster MP.
In the past few months Jim has put enormous effort in to turning Labour's fortunes around in Scotland, to little avail so far according to the opinion polls, but even his worst critic would have to agree that being the Scottish Labour leader requires a huge amount of time and commitment from the Eastwood MP.
In other words Jim is doing two jobs at the moment as a result of his new role and this has to be having an effect on his ability to operate at the same level as a Westminster MP, unless he's Superman of course.
So you would think that Jim would have stood down from his Westminster seat at the May general election to concentrate on his declared aim of becoming Scotland's First Minister which requires Jim to win a seat at the 2016 Scottish Parliament elections.
Yet according to this report from the BBC Jim is going to hold on to his Westminster seat perhaps as a safety net in case he fails to win a Scottish Parliament seat in 2016 or maybe because Labour fears that a new Labour candidate in Eastwood would fail to win in May 2015.
Either way it's not a great advert for the Labour Party or Westminster particularly at a time when there's a big public debate underway about whether or not Westminster MPs should be allowed to operate on a full-time versus part-time basis.
Jim Murphy will stand for Westminster seat
Jim Murphy replaced Johann Lamont as Scottish Labour leader
Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy has said he is the party's candidate for the East Renfrewshire constituency at the general election in May.
Mr Murphy, who is not an MSP, has already said he will be his party's candidate for first minister at the Scottish Parliament elections in 2016.
He has faced calls to clarify his position over the Westminster seat.
He said he wanted to "contribute to making sure the Tories are kept out of East Renfrewshire and Downing Street."
The current MP for East Renfrewshire was unanimously reselected by the party for the Westminster seat in November 2013.
However, following his appointment as Scottish Labour leader in December there has been speculation about whether he would stand.
'Good response'
Mr Murphy said: "As I have said many times before, I am the Labour candidate for East Renfrewshire against the Tories in May and Labour's candidate for first minister in 2016.
"We have had a really good response on the doorsteps in recent weeks.
"We need to do everything we can to stop the Tories being the largest party. I want to contribute to making sure the Tories are kept out of East Renfrewshire and Downing Street."
Mr Murphy was first elected to the seat in 1997 when the Eastwood constituency, as it was then known, had the largest Conservative majority in Scotland.
Conservative candidate for East Renfrewshire David Montgomery said: "The voters in East Renfrewshire deserve better than an MP who has already got one foot out of the door.
"We also know that, if elected, Mr Murphy won't be focused on representing the local interest of people here at Westminster."
Kirsten Oswald, the SNP candidate for East Renfrewshire, said: "Jim Murphy has a lot of explaining to do to the people of East Renfrewshire.
"When elected as leader he made it clear he was 'not attracted' to the idea of being an MP and an MSP at the same time - so would he intend only serving the people of East Renfrewshire for a year at Westminster if he gets elected to the Scottish Parliament in 2016?"
Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy has said he is the party's candidate for the East Renfrewshire constituency at the general election in May.
Mr Murphy, who is not an MSP, has already said he will be his party's candidate for first minister at the Scottish Parliament elections in 2016.
He has faced calls to clarify his position over the Westminster seat.
He said he wanted to "contribute to making sure the Tories are kept out of East Renfrewshire and Downing Street."
The current MP for East Renfrewshire was unanimously reselected by the party for the Westminster seat in November 2013.
However, following his appointment as Scottish Labour leader in December there has been speculation about whether he would stand.
'Good response'
Mr Murphy said: "As I have said many times before, I am the Labour candidate for East Renfrewshire against the Tories in May and Labour's candidate for first minister in 2016.
"We have had a really good response on the doorsteps in recent weeks.
"We need to do everything we can to stop the Tories being the largest party. I want to contribute to making sure the Tories are kept out of East Renfrewshire and Downing Street."
Mr Murphy was first elected to the seat in 1997 when the Eastwood constituency, as it was then known, had the largest Conservative majority in Scotland.
Conservative candidate for East Renfrewshire David Montgomery said: "The voters in East Renfrewshire deserve better than an MP who has already got one foot out of the door.
"We also know that, if elected, Mr Murphy won't be focused on representing the local interest of people here at Westminster."
Kirsten Oswald, the SNP candidate for East Renfrewshire, said: "Jim Murphy has a lot of explaining to do to the people of East Renfrewshire.
"When elected as leader he made it clear he was 'not attracted' to the idea of being an MP and an MSP at the same time - so would he intend only serving the people of East Renfrewshire for a year at Westminster if he gets elected to the Scottish Parliament in 2016?"
