Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Ian Davidson’s anger over purge of ‘dead wood’ city councillors, is this a sign in political parties, merit doesn't count, ‘does your face fit?'
















Dear All

Ian ‘The Deerhunter’ Davidson is a Glasgow MP, he also may want to be deputy dog of the new improved Labour Party in Scotland.

When he isn’t doing foreign trips to the Cayman Islands and elsewhere; at our expense!

Recently the Labour Party in London has done a purge of some of the Labour Councillors of shame in Glasgow.

It was out with the dead and in with the living.

However, Davidson has condemned his party’s clearout of “dead wood” councillors in Glasgow as a rigged purge which could boost the SNP.

That shows poor judgement on his part as the Labour Party isn’t just sticking in any old tat.

They intend to make a real fight of hanging on to the City of Glasgow, the heart of the Labour Empire in Scotland.

They are facing a challenge from the SNP led by Councillor Allison Hunter currently the SNP Group leader.

Ian Davidson says he was “appalled” at the way hard-working Glasgow councillors had been treated.

Hard working Glasgow Councillors?

Is he talking about the ‘part time’ hard working Glasgow Councillors?

Being a councillor is a full time job because people don’t have part time problems.

The next big scandal to hit Glasgow is the ‘Palio’ scandal, this is the staff of MSPs standing in areas they work, effectively being paid twice to do the same job.

It is as bad a scandal as the Aleo scandal under the Labour Party.

Another interesting point put by Davidson was that some had been dumped because of internal machinations, rather than merit.

In other words he is saying ‘does your face fit?'

You can be the hardest worker in a political party, do the most campaigns, the highest amount of workdays, be reliable, punctual and do every job asked of you in a political party.

And still not get selected.

It really doesn’t come down to merit but rather does your face fit, however political parties who treat people as menials only highlight that a clique operates, a party within a party.

It seems that some Labour Councillors of shame are finding that out.
One thing that people will home in on as the Glasgow 2012 battle for Glasgow will be the ‘middle class’ Councillor elections.

Expect to see a few if any of the working class people being allowed to stand by the main political parties.

Another aspect of the 2012 will be the fact that a considerable number of Councillor Candidates will be people not born in Glasgow.

It seems that Glasgow is being geared up to accept outside rulers.

It is the middle class outsider election.

Almost half of Labour’s 47 councillors in Glasgow face de-selection after a tough vetting process.

Poor performers were weeded out instead of being kicked out with talent to the City Chambers brought in.

Will these people work?

Anyone’s guess!

Many of the de-selected councillors claim the vetting was unfair, legally unsound and biased.

They may have a point, the rules were changed and that is unfair and legally unsound, Glasgow was singled out, however there are reports of other Councils were deadwood resides.

All those who failed vetting will have appeals heard by senior party members next weekend.

How many will win their appeal is open to question.

Ian Davidson, MP for Glasgow South West, will appear in support at the appeals of two councillors, Tommy Morrison and Stephen Dornan.

Dornan is Ward 5, Govan, a key battle ground.

Morrison sits in Ward 3, Greater Pollok.

Davidson said:

“I’m appalled at what has happened.

In Ward 4, Alastair Watson, of the SPT scandal is said to have lived to fight another day.

As had Gilbert Davidson in Ward 15, everyone thought he was for the chop.

And of course, William O’Rourke has survived, which gives political parties ammo to use against him over his comments regarding a little girl allegedly raped.

Cleared by the Standards Commissioner!

If Davidson does stand for deputy dug, he faces Anas Sarwar, although MSPs Lewis Macdonald and Elaine Murray have also put their hats in the ring.

I remember Anas Sarwar when I was a coach of the boxing club at human rights abusing Glasgow University.

He used to tell me about his father’s cash and carry business and how rich the family was, not particularly interesting to an unemployed person with no money, teaching for free.

Councillor Graeme Hendry, the SNP whip on Glasgow City Council, said Mr Davidson’s comments showed “a clear breakdown of trust” within Glasgow Labour.

I can completely understand what Councillor Graeme Hendry means when he talks about “a clear breakdown of trust”.

Trust once broken in a political party doesn’t come back.

But it lets you know who your enemies are.

Sarwar said:

“The selection process needs to take its course. Whatever happens we need to have a strong group of candidates.”

A Scottish Labour spokesman said:

“Being a Labour councillor is not a job for life. No-one should underestimate our determination to field the best possible set of candidates.”

It seems that Glaswegians will have the opportunity to a have a real choice; I will look at each candidate on the basis of merit before I cast my votes because I have already had experience of a bad councillor in Ward 5, Govan.

They won’t be getting the time of day from me, let alone my vote.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

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