In House A Magazine for the political anorak
Issue 1 Nov 2014
Includes an Exclusive Interview with Alison McInnes MSP Alex Salmond: The End of an Era? Scottish Labour in Meltdown
Contents
Issue 1 Editor: Oliver Philip
Nov 2014
Alex Salmond: The End of an Era?
2
Scottish Labour in Meltdown & The Leadership Contests
3-4
Sir Malcolm Bruce MP: A Profile
5
Alex Salmond: The End of an Era?
Alex Salmond bows out as SNP leader after 20 years at the helm to make way for Nicola Sturgeon. However, is a return to Westminster on the cards? Alex Salmond has been leader of the
He returned as leader in 2004 and the SNP won by an electoral landslide at SNP for over twenty years and First Minthe 2011 Election winning many previister of Scotland since 2007 but has now ously safe Labour seats including conhanded over the reins, in both positions, stituencies such as Glasgow Shettleston. to his long term deputy Nicola Sturgeon. The support from the electorate now Salmond was born in Linlithgave the SNP a mandate for an Indegow, West Lothian in 1954 to Robert and pendence referendum. David CamerMary Salmond, both of whom were civil on agreed to the terms set out in the servants. Latterly he was accepted by the Edinburgh Agreement and the date University of St Andrews and graduated in was set for the 18th of September 2014. 1978 with a 2:2 Joint Honours Masters de Two and a half years of camgree in Economics and Medieval History. paigning ensued including two highly His first job was as an assistant publicised TV debates between himself economist at the Scotland Office. Two and Better Together chairman Alistair years later he transferred to the Royal Bank Darling. He was generally thought to of Scotland where he rose up through the have lost the first debate but won the ranks to become Chief Oil Economist. second comfortably. Polls at the start of He first became active within the campaign pointed towards a ‘No’ the SNP when he joined the Federation vote however they narrowed significantof Student Nationalists at St Andrews ly during the weeks preceeding the vote. in 1973. He began his political life as a A poll for the Sunday Times a week bestaunch left-winger and was a leading fore the referendum gave the Yes Cammember of the socialist republican arm paign a 2% lead and prompted the ‘Vow’ of the party, the so-called 79-Group, which promised more powers and greater which was barred by the SNP hierautonomy for the Scottish Parliament. archy at the 1982 conference. The final result was a 45% to 55% split in favour of remaining within the UK and he announced his resignation the following day. He is regarded by political opponents and the media as a shrewd political operator. His tenacious personality and astute judgements regularly caught out journalists, an infamous example being a Newsnight interview in 2007 with Kirsty Wark. His resignation from frontline politics will allow him to spend more time with his wife Moira, who is 17 years his senior. He is continuing in his role as MSP for Aberdeenshire East. UPDATE: Elected to the House of Commons as MP for Gordon at the 2015 Gen eral Election with a majority of 8,687.
The Perils of the Establishment 6
EXCLUSIVE: Interview with 7-8 Alison McInnes MSP Glasgow 2014: The Legacy 9
The expulsion was overturned one month later and he rejoined the party. At the 1987 General Election he stood for the Banff & Buchan constituency where he defeated the incumbent Conservative MP with a majority of over 2,000. He gained notoriety very quickly after entering the House of Commons after famously attempting to raise a point of order during Nigel Lawson’s 1988 Budget. He often made vitriolic attacks at PMQ’s towards Mrs Thatcher and her policies relating to Scottish affairs. After the resignation of Gordon Wilson as SNP leader in 1990 he decided to stand for the leadership. He beat his only opponent Margaret Ewing, who was the favourite and backed by Wilson, by 486 votes to 146. In 2000 he shocked many by announcing his resignation in order to return to Westminster. During his first spell as leader there had been a ‘Yes’ vote in the 1997 Devolution referendum which enabled the restoration of the Scottish Parliament in 1999.
Scottish Labour Leader Johann Lamont and Deputy Anas Sarwar Both Quit In Shock Resignation Johann
Lamont’s shock resignation in October 2014 as Scottish Labour leader sent shockwaves through the party both in Scotland and nationally. Ms Lamont, who is 57, claimed that senior party figures had “questioned” her role amid the “serious challenges” faced by the party after the Independence referendum in September 2014. She also described some Labour
colleagues at Westminster as “dinosaurs” and accused the Labour Party in London of treating Scotland like a “branch office”. Her relationship with Ed Miliband was thought to be in good health. She took to the stage at the Labour Party Conference after the ‘No Vote’ to great aplomb which is why her resignation came as such a shock to the political commentariat. However, shortly after the referendum an article appeared in the Daily Mail suggesting Jim Murphy, the Shadow International Development Secretary was being lined up to replace her. The Herald reported that party delegates were beginning to view Murphy
as a possible successor although Lamont attempted to quash any rumours of an ensuing leadership challenge. Alan Cochrane of the Telegraph wrote that many Labour MPs in Scotland feared losing their seats at the 2015 general election without a change of leadership. Ed Miliband paid tribute to Lamont shortly after she announced that she intended to relinquish the leadership role, saying she had “led the Scottish
Labour Party with determination”. Former Labour First Ministers’ Henry McLeish and Jack McConnell both indicated that Lamont’s sudden departure following weeks of speculation could have implications for Miliband’s leadership. McLeish said that Miliband’s chance of becoming Prime Minister could be affected if Labour returned fewer Scottish MPs in 2015, something he called a problem of “historic, epic proportions”. Ed Balls, the Shadow Chancellor, rejected Lamont’s claims about UK Labour’s treatment of its Scottish counterpart.
The veteran Labour MP Ian Davidson claimed that supporters of Murphy, who subsequently announced his intention to stand in the leadership contest to succeed Lamont, had conducted a whispering campaign against her. He further suggested that those on the right of the party had resented her election as leader and ignored her, treating her as a “wee lassie”. The Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland Margaret Curran,
who studied with Lamont at Glasgow University declared her support for Jim Murphy. There were press reports of a rift developing between the two. Curran was asked about the reports of a rift but denied them saying she would be sending Ms Lamont a Christmas card. However, insiders working for Lamont said the long-standing friedship was “over”.
Scottish Labour In Meltdown & The Leadership Contests
Top: Sarah Boyack MSP Bottom Left: Neil Findlay MSP Bottom Right: Jim Murphy MP
Left:
Kezia Dugdale MSP Right: Katy Clark MP UPDATE: On the 13th of December 2014 Jim Murphy MP, the Shadow International Develoment Secretary was elected Scottish Labour leader. Murphy was elected with 55.44% of the vote in the first round meaning second preference votes were not redistributed. Neil Findlay MSP and Sarah Boyack MSP gained 34.99% and 9.24% of the vote respectively. With regard to the deputy leadership, Kezia Dugdale was elected with 62.89% of the vote. Her only challenger Katy Clark MP gained 37.11%. Mr Murphy unveiled his new Shadow Cabinet in the Scottish Parliament on the 16th of December 2014. Kezia Dugdale became Parliamentary leader at Holyrood, taking over from Jackie Baillie who undertook this position on an interim basis for the duration of the leadership contest. Baillie was moved to the Shadow Finance brief. Murphy’s fellow leadership candidates were also given roles within the Shadow Cabinet. Sarah Boyack was appointed Shadow Minister for Rural Affairs, Food and the Environment.
Other appointments to the frontbench team included Jenny Marra who became Shadow Health Minister and Mary Fee who was given the Infrastructure, Investment and Cities brief. On the 14th of December, speaking on the BBC’s ‘Sunday Politics Scotand’ programme, Jim Murphy announced his intention to stand for election to the Scottish Parliament at the 2016 Holyrood elections. He also said he expected Labour to retain every Scottish seat in May’s General Election. At the 2015 General Election Labour lost all but one of their 41 seats. Ian Murray in Edinburgh South was the only incumbent to survive the SNP onslaught. Several big players including Shadow Foreign Secretary Douglas Alexander, Shadow Scotland Secretary Margaret Curran and Shadow Treasury Minister Cathy Jamieson all lost their seats to SNP candidates. With pressure mounting from Labour MPs and MSPs Jim Murphy announced his resignation as leader on the 16th of May after just five months in the job. Kezia Dugdale is currently the favourite to succeed him.
Sir Malcolm Bruce MP: A Profile
The Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats is standing down at the 2015 general election. Veteran Lib Dem MP Sir Malcolm Bruce has had a vibrant and di-
KEY FACTS: • Constituency: Gordon • First Elected: 1983 General Election • D.O.B. 17 November 1944 (Age 70) • Birthplace: Birkenhead, Cheshire, England, UK • Largest Majority: 11,026 (2005) • Smallest Majority: 274 (1992) • Current Position: Deputy Leader, Liberal Democrats • 2015 Election: Standing Down
verse political and non-political career. Born in Birkenhead, nearing the end of WWII he began his professional life in journalism after graduating from Queen’s College at St Andrews (now Dundee University) gaining a degree in Economics and Political Science. Additionally, he achieved a second degree in Marketing from Strathclyde University. In 1966 he worked at the Liverpool Press as a trainee journalist eventually becoming editor of the Aberdeen Petroleum Press before being elected to parliament in 1983. Bruce had unsuccessfully fought the previous two General Elections in the North Angus & Mearns and Aberdeenshire West parliamentary constituencies both times coming second to the incumbent Conservative candidates. He was elevated to leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats in 1988, a post he held until 1992. When Paddy Ashdown stood down as leader in 1999 he put his name forward as a potential successor however came third to victor, the late Charles Kennedy and second place contender Simon Hughes. He became president of the party in the same year. Politically he is a moderate and has been vocal about any coalition with the Labour Party. Since January 2014 he has served under Nick Clegg as deputy leader of the party and has vigorously defended the role of the Liberal Democrats within the coalition government. Sir Malcolm divorced his first wife Veronica in 1992 but later remarried in 1998. His second wife Rosemary Vetterlein is herself a Liberal Democrat and unsuccessfully contested the Beckenham seat at the 1997 General Election. He takes a keen interest in deaf issues as one of his children is in fact deaf. In 2012 he was knighted in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for both public and political service. He announced in September 2013 that he would not seek re-election and will therefore have served the constituents of Gordon for 32 years. UPDATE: The Liberal Democrats suffered a colossal 2015 General Election defeat losing 49 seats. They now only have 8 MPs in the House of Commons. Nick Clegg resigned as leader and was replaced by Tim Farron.
The Perils of the Establishment
Theresa May faces escalating pressure as both Baroness Butler-Sloss and Lady Woolf resign as chair of the historic child sex abuse inquiry. Theresa May (below) may be the long-
est-serving Home Secretary in 50 years and have ambitions of perhaps one day leading her party but the calamity surrounding the appointment of a chair to the Historic Child Sex Abuse Inquiry is severely damaging both her reputation and credibility. Both Baroness Elizabeth Butler-Sloss (opposite, above) and Lady Fiona Woolf (opposite, below) have both effectively been forced to resign amid
allegations they are too well-connected and involved within the social circles of the British establishment. The saga began back in July 2014 when 80-year-old Butler-Sloss was appointed chair by Mrs May of the heavily publicised inquiry into historic child sex abuse in the the wake of the Jimmy Saville scandal. Baroness Butler-Sloss, a crossbencher in the House of Lords had been a high ranking judge and became president of the High Court Family Division in 1999. Her judicial career spanned 35 years and she presided over many high-profile cases. It emerged that her late brother, Lord Havers had been Attorney General in the 1980’s under Margaret Thatcher. Her links with the Conservative Party also questioned her impartiality.
Accusations of corruption and an establishment cover-up began to materialise from victims’ groups with several prominent MPs, including the Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper calling on her to resign. Her position became untenable and she stood down less than a week later. Thersa May said: “I do not regret the decision I made. I continue to believe that Elizabeth Butler-Sloss would have done an excellent job as chair of this inquiry.” In September of the same year Lady Fiona Woolfe was announced as the new chair of the inquiry. Her appointment was immediatly criticised as she held the position of Lord Mayor of London, a role that some believed would create a conflict of interest. Lady Woolf ’s background was also in law and is president of the Law Society. It then transpired that she had dined with the late former Home Secretary
Leon Brittan and had met his wife several times at social functions in London. A letter was then found to have been redrafted which appeard to imply that herself and the Brittan’s were not close aquaintances. The redrafted letter also increased the number of guests who attended the dinner parties. She eventually resigned several weeks later amid mounting pressure again from victims’ groups who repeatedly questioned her suitability for the role. The broadcaster Andrew Neil stated on his ‘Daily Politics’ show that in 2014 the establishment was still so tightknit that nobody could be found to chair the inquiriy that hadn’t dined with Leon Brittan. Fiona Woolf responded by saying that the chair would have to be a “hermit”. UPDATE: Senior New Zealand judge Justice Lowell Goddard was appointed to head the inquiry in February 2015.
In
How did you feel when you realised you had been elected? “It was a very long process as the regional list MSP’s are elected using a complex voting formula. I think I was awake for over 36 hours until I found out!” Do you recall you’re first time in the chamber? “Yes, quite vividly in fact! You have to be sworn into parliament which was a very nerve-racking experience! My parents and daughters were there though What would you say was which helped me enormously.” you’re most rewarding moment during you’re early career in politics? As a member of the Jus “My most rewarding mo- tice Committee do you feel ment would probably be when I it fuctions effectively due to was a councillor and managed cross-party membership? to establish Ellon’s Youth Club as “It is becoming increasingthere was very little in the town ly difficult to work alongside SNP for young people at that time.” members who cannot seem to lis ten to suggestions from other par What was you’re ini- ties. I feel the committee hasn’t been tial reaction when you were se- able to scruticise government polilected to stand for Holyrood? cy as effectively since the influx of “Firstly, I was honoured SNP members at the 2011 election. that the party had decided to select Christine Grahame, the convenor, me and secondly really excited at remains very independent of mind .” the prospect of becoming an MSP.” House talks exclusively to Alison McInnes MSP who has been a Liberal Democrat Regional List member of the Scottish Parliament for seven years having first been elected at the 2007 Holyrood election. So when and why did you join the Liberal Democrat Party? “I was actually approached by the Lib Dems and felt that the party’s values and ideology mirrored my own political beliefs.”
EXCLUSIVE: Interview with Alison McInnes MSP
The Liberal Democrat Regional List member shares her thoughts on everything from the referendum campaign to the future of Nick Clegg as leader of her party.
Were you shocked when Johann Lamont resigned as leader of the Scottish Labour Party? “Yes I was surprised by her resignation but I fully understand her reasoning. I spoke to her in parliament a few days after she resigned. It’s a real shame because we were on the verge of having three female leaders and a female Presiding Officer at the same time!” Could Sarah Boyack win the leadership do you think? “Sarah is a very acomplished politician but I’m not sure she can carry support across the whole party in order to win.” In you’re opinion will Nicola Sturgeon make a better First Minister than Alex Salmond? “The jury’s out on that one! I think more than ever it’s important to have a Liberal Democrat voice in parliament, especially as we have a very controlling government.”
Do you concede that the Liberal Democrats have dire national poll ratings at the moment? “Yes, I will concede that! It is always the case when you are in coalition that the junior partner doesn’t recieve any credit. Government cuts would have been much worse if the Lib Dems hadn’t been in government.” Can Nick Clegg survive as leader of you’re party if you have a disastrous election result? “That’s a conversation that needs to be had if the situation arises.” With hindsight would you change anything about Better Together’s campaign strategy? “Well, with hindsight there are always things that could be changed but I think we fought a good campaign.”
The
2014 Commonwealth Games held in Glasgow were widely regarded by both the public and the media as a resounding success. The excessively Scottish Opening Ceremony on the 23rd of July attracted a vast worldwide television audience and although the Queen didn’t arrive by helicopter and parachute into the stadium (Celtic Park) this time, the Scottish crowd gave both her and Prince Phillip an exceptionally warm welcome. Even when the English contingent marched out into the stadium the crowd erupted into rapturous applause. Probably the first and only time!
Glasgow 2014: The Legacy
However the loudest cheer of the night went to Team Scotland, all of whom were adorned in those controversial uniforms. I’m certain you remember them! After a fortnight of competition the final medal count was very healthy indeed for Team Scotland. Ranked fourth overall the team won 19 golds, 15 silvers and 19 bronze medals. This was the most successful Commonwealth team in terms of medals won. The economic benefits the games has brought to the Scottish economy is unprecedented. According to official research 690,000 people travelled to Glasgow to attend the games resulting in tourism revenues in excess of £282 million. The research also finds that the hotel occupancy rate in Glasgow during the games was a staggering 95%.