Tuesday, April 12, 2005
Friends of Calum (3)
As the Scotsman reports:
Yesterday, Jack McConnell flew to the Western Isles to visit the school building with Calum MacDonald, the Westminster parliamentary Labour candidate for the Western Isles constituency (now known as Na h-Eileanan an Iar). Outside of this election, such a visit would be quite legitimate. Indeed, even during such an election campaign, it would be unremarkable. After all, education and school building are devolved matters.
What has caused protest was the simultaneous presence of the First Minister with the Labour Party candidate. Does this not muddy the waters with local voters, creating the impression, unintended though it may be, that the rebuilding of the school was in some way a Westminster issue?
Would not the appearance of the First Minister with the candidate convey the impression of some form of favourable treatment and endorsement? And should not the cost of the air flight be treated as a party-political expense, rather than part of the First Minister’s travel expenses to be paid out of Scottish Executive funds?
But the big question is, why wasn't Calum in Parliament to deal with what he is paid to do? Could this be because he has only attended 69% of the votes in the last parliament?
Yesterday, Jack McConnell flew to the Western Isles to visit the school building with Calum MacDonald, the Westminster parliamentary Labour candidate for the Western Isles constituency (now known as Na h-Eileanan an Iar). Outside of this election, such a visit would be quite legitimate. Indeed, even during such an election campaign, it would be unremarkable. After all, education and school building are devolved matters.
What has caused protest was the simultaneous presence of the First Minister with the Labour Party candidate. Does this not muddy the waters with local voters, creating the impression, unintended though it may be, that the rebuilding of the school was in some way a Westminster issue?
Would not the appearance of the First Minister with the candidate convey the impression of some form of favourable treatment and endorsement? And should not the cost of the air flight be treated as a party-political expense, rather than part of the First Minister’s travel expenses to be paid out of Scottish Executive funds?
But the big question is, why wasn't Calum in Parliament to deal with what he is paid to do? Could this be because he has only attended 69% of the votes in the last parliament?
