The Nasty Party
The Sunday Herald had an interesting article yesterday - on the fall-out from the recent Scottish elections.
The Sunday Herald reported that at least three former Labour members - who are entitled to £60,000 pay-outs for losing their MSP jobs - are heading back to Holyrood.
Apparently Cathie Craigie, Karen Gillon and Andy Kerr - who lost their seats in North and South Lanarkshire - are all set to become assistants and researchers - for newly-elected Labour colleagues.
All three are all entitled to severance payments - to “assist with the cost of adjusting to non-parliamentary life” after losing to the SNP - and as all three had served 12 years each - they are due the maximum “resettlement grant”.
Which is 12 months’ pay - or £57,521 – with the first £30,000 tax free.
The Sunday Herald was at pains to point out that none of the former or current MSPs have broken any rules - but the SNP were quick to suggest that the swift return of the defeated MSPs - meant that Labour was operating a “revolving door” policy at Parliament.
Margo MacDonald - Independent MSP for Lothians “We seem to be heading towards a US-style political system where you have a caste of politicians who are plying a trade.”
The interesting point for me is that this information had to be leaked deliberately - from inside the Labour party - otherwise it would never have reached the press.
Seems to me that all this in-fighting and turmoil is fast turning Labour into - Scotland's Nasty Party.
Because if they're prepared to knife each other in the back - why should the voters show them any respect?
The Sunday Herald reported that at least three former Labour members - who are entitled to £60,000 pay-outs for losing their MSP jobs - are heading back to Holyrood.
Apparently Cathie Craigie, Karen Gillon and Andy Kerr - who lost their seats in North and South Lanarkshire - are all set to become assistants and researchers - for newly-elected Labour colleagues.
All three are all entitled to severance payments - to “assist with the cost of adjusting to non-parliamentary life” after losing to the SNP - and as all three had served 12 years each - they are due the maximum “resettlement grant”.
Which is 12 months’ pay - or £57,521 – with the first £30,000 tax free.
The Sunday Herald was at pains to point out that none of the former or current MSPs have broken any rules - but the SNP were quick to suggest that the swift return of the defeated MSPs - meant that Labour was operating a “revolving door” policy at Parliament.
Margo MacDonald - Independent MSP for Lothians “We seem to be heading towards a US-style political system where you have a caste of politicians who are plying a trade.”
The interesting point for me is that this information had to be leaked deliberately - from inside the Labour party - otherwise it would never have reached the press.
Seems to me that all this in-fighting and turmoil is fast turning Labour into - Scotland's Nasty Party.
Because if they're prepared to knife each other in the back - why should the voters show them any respect?
