You know that sound this morning, you know that sound around quarter past 8 this morning that woke you up. Well that was BBC Scotland's politics elephant Brian Taylor harumphing about the protests that curtailed Iain Gray's plan to campaign in Glasgow Central yesterday. Taylor didn't appreciate people's right to have their say, especially during an election. Oh the cheek! Politicians, like comedians, should be big enough and ugly enough to take any flack that comes their way.
What no one has said is that yesterday was an unexpected opportunity for Gray. It was an opportunity to stand firm, to listen to people's concerns and to (attempt to) put his case. After all (New) Labour policy is now that there should be less cuts with repayment of the deficit over a longer term. Not a million miles from the aims of Citizens United Against Public Sector Cuts. In short it was an opportunity for Gray to look First Minister material... and he and his possee flunked it! He instead chose to run away from a debate and hide in the nearest cubby hole he could find, like a big girls blouse.
Not First Minister material.
3 comments:
And he was disappointed that Jackie wasn't there.
Not really sure what to think of this one.
When I first saw the footage the protestors seemed a bit too 'in yer face' to really engage with, and thus I felt a bit of sympathy for Gray.
On the other hand, you do make a good point.
But as usual the attention afforded to the incident seems wholly disproportionate to its true relevance to the campaign.
But it gives the media and politicos something to chew on rather than boring old substance.
Highlander:
Bird?, Ballie?, Chan?(for his "hauners" obviously)
Stuart:
I think that if he had made an attempt to speak to the protesters, then he could have claimed a sort of moral victory. He could have spun it that they were too irrational to speak to. That he didn't showed a lack of courage.
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