Dual mandate double standards

A piece of rather sloppy journalism in the Herald has led me to make this post: the paper is reporting on the LibDems' criticism of Alex Salmond seeking election in Gordon (one of their constituencies) while remaining as Westminster MP for Banff & Buchan.

Midway through the piece, they drop the clanger, by informing its readers: "Unlike previous dual-mandate parliamentarians... Mr Salmond would also be the first to represent two different sets of constituents."

In actual fact, the first parliamentarian to do so was Donald Gorrie, who was MP for Edinburgh West when he was elected as an MSP for the Central Scotland Region (which does not contain Edinburgh West) in 1999. Gorrie did not stand down from Westminster until 2001.

I do not recall the LibDems complaining (at least in public) that Gorrie would be either a part-time MP for Edinburgh West or a part-time MSP for Central Scotland. Now either the Liberal Democrats are the only party whose politicians can legitimately represent two different areas, or they just forgot about Gorrie. Clearly the Herald did...

Alex for Gordon

No, I'm not outing anyone, but simply informing readers of a report on the BBC website that Alex Salmond has accepted an invitation from local SNP activists to put his name forward to stand in the constituency of Gordon next year (he isn't the candidate yet, mind!). Gordon is at Number 18 on the SNP target list, and as such it's exactly the sort of seat that the Party needs to win if it's to have a good shot at forming the next Executive. Unfortunately, at Number 18, it isn't exactly going to be handed to the SNP on a silver platter.

By the way, the SNP have selected Douglas Chapman as their candidate for the Dunfermline and West Fife By-Election. The LibDems have selected Willie Rennie, which shows their confidence (or lack of it) of winning the seat: he's already been selected to fight Dunfermline West in 2007.