Alex Salmond was just on Radio FiveLive justifying why the SNP deserves equal treatment in TV debates with the three main parties. The problem is, he tells lies in order to justify himself not realising seemingly that these lies undermine his whole argument.
Firstly he made the comment that he deserved to be speaking as the SNP's representative in the debate even though he would not be standing because "We do not have a presidential government in this country". Indeed not Mr Salmond. But we also don't have a system where people who are not members of the Houses of Parliament can become Prime Minister.
Secondly, and this is where the lies started to come in . He said in reply to the point that as this was a debate about who wanted to be Prime Minister, he never could be as the SNP only field candidates in 10% of seats, his response was to claim that Nick Clegg was invited to the debates and he would not be Prime Minister. Putting aside the silly rivalries and put downs Lib Dems always get in such circumstances, the fact remains that Nick Clegg could become Prime Minister since the Lib Dems field a full slate of candidates.
Then came the outright lies when it was put to him that many of the issues that the Prime Minister would debate (health, the police, education) were nothing to do with a Scottish party since they have their own parliament to deal with these issues. In response Salmond raised the issue of Trident, commenting that "all three Westminster parties were committed to Trident". As Mr Salmond knows, the Lib Dems are not wedded to trident.
Still, never let the truth get in the way of SNP mud slinging.
11 comments:
i was feeling a bit misled with your title until I realised it was just a typo.
Anyway, as to your points.
What difference does it make if he's not standing for a seat? He is the leader of the SNP, the party that is highest in the Westminster polls in Scotland.
What business of it anyone outside the SNP who the party puts forward to argue the party's position on UK matters?
For your second point, to claim that Nick Clegg 'could' be Prime Minister is just childish nonsense. Of course he won't be.
I take it you think Nigel Farage could be Prime Minister too and should be at the leaders' debate.
And finally, it seems you don't know what the Lib Dem policy is with regard to Trident. Nick Clegg has stated categorically that his party's position is that a nuclear deterrent (i.e. Trident) would remain in some way. That is markedly different to the SNP policy who would happily scuttle the whole lot of it.
So these "lies" you are so happy to talk about are actually nothing of the sort.
Up your game sir.
And to suggest tha tthe SNP should ahve equal footing in a debate that is about who will become leader of the UK is silly.
The Libs have already stated that Trident is on their list of things to go. In order to satisfy their internal policy making procedures this is not an instant process and will have to go through various committees before being official.
I think ww can see that the Lib Dems are not committed to Trident by statements like this
http://www.tiscali.co.uk/news/topnews/reuters/2009/09/19/libdems39-clegg-raises-axe-over-tuition-fee-pledge.html
Ah, pity to have such noice and fury on an otherwise excellent blog.
We don`t have a presidential system like the US and, in theory at least (and probably most!) any MP or Lord could become PM.
So it's possible that an SNP (or PC, UKIP, Green, LD etc etc) MP could become PM - its just not likely to happen.
Your assumption throughout is that to be PM only the leader's party must get a simple majority of the seats - which is piffle. A coalition could be built to get a majority...or even a minority government.
If, for instance, there was to be a coalition between Conservatives, Lib Dems, and various NI unionists and a couple of independents would Cameron be the PM? Perhaps not, its feasile that in such (fantasy politics) circumstances a compromise candidate would be sought - in which case Vince Cable would be a more obvious choice than Clegg (have a look at recent Belgian politics for such compromise PMs being found).
The reality is that across the UK there is a pluraity of opinion and political parties and a simple head-to-head between Cameron and Brown simply wouldn`t represent that. I`m sure its not beyond the wit of the broadcasters to find a solution that represents the system we have the nature of politics across the UK.
To be pedantic, if the leaders debates go ahead then Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Nick Clegg won't be members of parliament at that time. And the SNP, UKIP etc will be doing their best to make sure that they don't become MPs.
The fact is that the election will not be to elect the Prime Minister it will be to elect members to the House of Commons, a House of Commons that will have members of the SNP and Plaid Cymru, by excluding these parties from the debate then the reality of the election is being ignored.
I won't get to vote on who I want to be PM. I just get a vote in my local constitency - for which the main challenger to Labour is the SNP. Why should anyone in my constituency be given the impression that the only relevant parties are Labour, Tories and LibDems? There needs to be fair treatment here and the problem is simply that the media (aided and abetted by Labour, Tories and LibDems) haven't grasped the realities of post devolution Britain.
Is it not terribly sad how illiberal and undemocratic the Lib Dems have become? The internet seems to be awash with Lib Dem bloggers determined to eliminate the SNP from ANY part in leadership debates.
Why on earth can't there be at least one debate only in and for Scotland involving Brown, Cameron, Clegg and Salmond?
If this as a minimum does not happen I will never vote Lib Dem again because of the sheer hypocrisy of it-and I live in a marginally held LIB Dem seat and voted Lib Dem there in 2005.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/alancochrane/6260863/Let-Alex-Salmond-debate-SNP-policies-with-the-Big-Three---and-let-us-all-watch.html
"the powers-that-be might well uphold Mr Salmond’s claim of right to be included in any televised face-off between Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Nick Clegg"
But don't let democracy (UK 21st out of 30 full democratic countries) get in the way of the UK 2 party dictatorship.
I remember before that if you dare to attack the SNP then their trolls turn up.
'Trolls'
Ha Ha! so democracy really is a figment of the imagination as far as LibDem thinking goes. No wonder N.Clegg is for referendums yet T.Scott against, scratch head as the majority of voters do when trying to understand where they stand on anything.
Any such debates should be between those who have serious prospects of becoming PM, Chancellor etc, held to assist those who may find them helpful in deciding how to vote.
This means Lab vs Conservative only.
Alternative proposals, which somehow remind me of a group of madmen brainstorming a new reality Tv entertainment, would not assist the public in their critical decision, but distract from it.
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