You Heard It Here First
Last Thursday I wrote a piece for the blog site about First Minister Questions (FMQs) - which caused quite a stir.
Because Alex Salmond's announced on his feet - and right out of the blue - that he would give more time to the government's proposals for tackling sectarian behaviour in Scotland.
See post dated 23 June 2011: 'Common Sense Prevails'.
While catching up with the papers over the weekend I came across this article by Alan Cochrane - who writes for the Telegraph newspaper.
Alan is a senior member of Holyrood's press pack - who speaks his mind and calls it as he sees it - and his description of FMQs as a 'masterful piece of politicking' is spot on.
However, for those that are interested - you might like to know that Alan's article appeared in the newspaper the following day - Friday 24 June 2011.
'Alex Salmond's new-found listening skill was a masterful piece of politicking'
"Alex Salmond's postponement of the Offensive Behaviour Bill left dropped jaws and raised eyebrows all over Holyrood, writes Alan Cochrane.
Things have come to a pretty pass when we seekers after truth and justice are stymied by political leaders behaving like statesmen. Such was the case yesterday when Alex Salmond bowed to common sense and delayed till Christmas the implementation of his deeply flawed measure designed to stamp out sectarian hatred in this fair land.
We, who had come to monster his foolhardiness, stayed to salute his wisdom. Well, almost.
Up in the cheap seats, jaws dropped and eyebrows were raised as the Dear Leader explained. He had listened to the arguments – that he was rushing things in trying to get his Bill on the statute books before the football season starts – and announced that the end of the year would now be "D" (for deadline) day.
The idea that Mr Salmond listens to arguments, other than his own, is not one with which we are all that familiar. The notion that he would actually act on them has thrown our preconceived notions about life under Nat One into utter confusion.
Mind you, if our consternation was something to behold, imagine that of the hapless minister, one Roseanna Cunningham. Minutes after she had urged MSPs to rush through legislation designed to take religious hatred off our football terraces as soon as possible, if not sooner, she was taken to one side and told the game had changed. Instead of Royal Assent being sought for the Offensive Behaviour Bill by next Friday, Holyrood has until the end of the year.
Phew. It was a close run thing. It was the only logical conclusion, but logic does not always play in politicians' thought processes. That the Bill is an unenforceable crock of good intention clumsily attempting to transform unsavoury activity and language into criminal endeavour is rapidly becoming a "given" in almost every sphere, save those of the First Minister and Lord Advocate.
But to save face, rather than admitting that proscribing hatred in an act of parliament posed more difficulties than he was prepared to admit, Mr Salmond agreed with those who said our legislators need longer than a week to consider all its aspects.
It pains me to admit it, but it was a masterful piece of politicking by the First Minister. He may well have seriously undermined Miss Cunningham – a fact his spinners were determined to deny – but all serious politicians have only one answer to the question: "What are junior ministers for, if you can't let them down?"
However, that it was Mr Salmond who took the decision to delay things on political grounds suggests that Scotland's law enforcement agencies deserve no kudos. While they should have been hoisting warning flags about the content of this Bill and its timetable, both the Lord Advocate's office and the Association of Chief Police Officers (Scotland) appeared content to go along with whatever the First Minister wanted.
That is not what we pay them for. Their first duty is to the public, not their political master. At best, this is a confusing piece of legislation being rushed through without due care. At worst, it is populist grandstanding.
As well as the First Minister's change of heart, we should be grateful for the role played by three women MSPs yesterday. With her reasoned warnings about the indecent haste, Christine Grahame, the convenor of the justice committee, showed why she should have been presiding officer and why the SNP leadership had better watch out for her.
With her urgings for a consensual approach, Margo Macdonald showed why her long years in the parliamentary trenches have made her a tribune with whom to reckon and Johann Lamont's brilliant demolition of the Bill's provisions proved why its passage should be delayed if not scuppered.
All of that said, it is another woman – Roseanna Cunningham – who should have our sympathy this morning."
Because Alex Salmond's announced on his feet - and right out of the blue - that he would give more time to the government's proposals for tackling sectarian behaviour in Scotland.
See post dated 23 June 2011: 'Common Sense Prevails'.
While catching up with the papers over the weekend I came across this article by Alan Cochrane - who writes for the Telegraph newspaper.
Alan is a senior member of Holyrood's press pack - who speaks his mind and calls it as he sees it - and his description of FMQs as a 'masterful piece of politicking' is spot on.
However, for those that are interested - you might like to know that Alan's article appeared in the newspaper the following day - Friday 24 June 2011.
'Alex Salmond's new-found listening skill was a masterful piece of politicking'
"Alex Salmond's postponement of the Offensive Behaviour Bill left dropped jaws and raised eyebrows all over Holyrood, writes Alan Cochrane.
Things have come to a pretty pass when we seekers after truth and justice are stymied by political leaders behaving like statesmen. Such was the case yesterday when Alex Salmond bowed to common sense and delayed till Christmas the implementation of his deeply flawed measure designed to stamp out sectarian hatred in this fair land.
We, who had come to monster his foolhardiness, stayed to salute his wisdom. Well, almost.
Up in the cheap seats, jaws dropped and eyebrows were raised as the Dear Leader explained. He had listened to the arguments – that he was rushing things in trying to get his Bill on the statute books before the football season starts – and announced that the end of the year would now be "D" (for deadline) day.
The idea that Mr Salmond listens to arguments, other than his own, is not one with which we are all that familiar. The notion that he would actually act on them has thrown our preconceived notions about life under Nat One into utter confusion.
Mind you, if our consternation was something to behold, imagine that of the hapless minister, one Roseanna Cunningham. Minutes after she had urged MSPs to rush through legislation designed to take religious hatred off our football terraces as soon as possible, if not sooner, she was taken to one side and told the game had changed. Instead of Royal Assent being sought for the Offensive Behaviour Bill by next Friday, Holyrood has until the end of the year.
Phew. It was a close run thing. It was the only logical conclusion, but logic does not always play in politicians' thought processes. That the Bill is an unenforceable crock of good intention clumsily attempting to transform unsavoury activity and language into criminal endeavour is rapidly becoming a "given" in almost every sphere, save those of the First Minister and Lord Advocate.
But to save face, rather than admitting that proscribing hatred in an act of parliament posed more difficulties than he was prepared to admit, Mr Salmond agreed with those who said our legislators need longer than a week to consider all its aspects.
It pains me to admit it, but it was a masterful piece of politicking by the First Minister. He may well have seriously undermined Miss Cunningham – a fact his spinners were determined to deny – but all serious politicians have only one answer to the question: "What are junior ministers for, if you can't let them down?"
However, that it was Mr Salmond who took the decision to delay things on political grounds suggests that Scotland's law enforcement agencies deserve no kudos. While they should have been hoisting warning flags about the content of this Bill and its timetable, both the Lord Advocate's office and the Association of Chief Police Officers (Scotland) appeared content to go along with whatever the First Minister wanted.
That is not what we pay them for. Their first duty is to the public, not their political master. At best, this is a confusing piece of legislation being rushed through without due care. At worst, it is populist grandstanding.
As well as the First Minister's change of heart, we should be grateful for the role played by three women MSPs yesterday. With her reasoned warnings about the indecent haste, Christine Grahame, the convenor of the justice committee, showed why she should have been presiding officer and why the SNP leadership had better watch out for her.
With her urgings for a consensual approach, Margo Macdonald showed why her long years in the parliamentary trenches have made her a tribune with whom to reckon and Johann Lamont's brilliant demolition of the Bill's provisions proved why its passage should be delayed if not scuppered.
All of that said, it is another woman – Roseanna Cunningham – who should have our sympathy this morning."
