tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19208183.post5941100707807884617..comments2023-10-22T14:14:16.419+01:00Comments on J. Arthur MacNumpty: Labour: the Race BeginsWillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10978812670312106107noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19208183.post-87819361526354330702008-07-29T11:16:00.000+01:002008-07-29T11:16:00.000+01:00Completely agreed Will. With Margaret Curran sacri...Completely agreed Will. With Margaret Curran sacrificed on the Glasgow East pyre, Jamieson is the only credible candidate left... which, as Scott points out, is a pretty sorry state of affairs for Labour.boxthejackhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16433708237098653640noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19208183.post-36467749182524637822008-07-28T23:42:00.000+01:002008-07-28T23:42:00.000+01:00Scott, I have to admit you have a point - as I rea...Scott, I have to admit you have a point - as I read your comment, I recalled reading back in 2001, on her appointment as Education Minister, that she would pass the running of policy on Schools to her Deputy, Nicol Stephen.<BR/><BR/>Having said that, you look at the alternatives and their record - Andy Kerr's confusion of "efficiency" and "reduction"; Iain Gray's ham-fisted attempts to put forward the Labour view in the first year of Opposition, through abstentions and incomprehensible interviews. There is little else on other that suggests a strong First Ministerial candidate among Labour's ranks.<BR/><BR/>While Kerr will go for the shrill attack dog approach that would see him oppose for the sake of it anything put forward by the SNP, and Gray is the most likely of the candidates to await clearance from the UK Leadership before clearing his throat, Jamieson looks like she can put the broad case across, and ask a decent question.<BR/><BR/>My guess is that Jamieson is the one who will make the Party feel better about itself. A viable FM? Perhaps not. But out of the possible contenders, she is the most likely to bring the self-destruction of Labour to a stop. That is her strongest card.Willhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10978812670312106107noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19208183.post-65391143780909172062008-07-28T22:44:00.000+01:002008-07-28T22:44:00.000+01:00I followed Jamieson's ministerial career closely, ...I followed Jamieson's ministerial career closely, as her job involved various topics relevant to my areas of work. A number of matters seemed by-passed from Justice to other portfolios to avoid having her run them (it appeared) - even though judging by the names present at the Parliament committee meetings for Stage 1 and Stage 2 it was Justice Department officials that were in attendance and consequently running them, or they were topics that had been dealt with by Justice until Jamieson took over and then the same civil servant appeared to be working in new teams in new departments. Now, was this a First minister, wishing to share work out - to ensure that the Justice Minister was not swamped with topics as Jim Wallace was in the first session; a civil service deciding that politically matters would best be handled by other departments and committees to ease the path through Parliament; or was it an acknowledgement (from the first minister or civil service) that she was out of her depth, and unable to get to grips with the legislation she was due to promote?<BR/><BR/>I know where my money is.Scott @ loveandgarbagehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16057169237461813713noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19208183.post-13536190367337527452008-07-28T20:59:00.000+01:002008-07-28T20:59:00.000+01:00Absolutely first rate commentary on the candidates...Absolutely first rate commentary on the candidates for leadership. I completely agree that Cathy Jamieson is the strongest of the candidates so far. Judging from her performance at FMQs standing in for the silenced Wendy Alexander right before the resignation, Jamieson would put up more of a fight against the SNP than Wendy ever could. Let's just hope Team Jamieson have learned vicariously not to accept any dodgy donations...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com