The Wee Pretendy Parliament Steps Out
Ever since the inestimable gift of devolution was conferred on Scotland by Mr Blair there has been a nervous apprehension among the educated or just plain sensible classes north of the Border that the “wee pretendy parliament”, as Billy Connolly termed it, would one day drop us in the deepest doo-doo. Those fears have been realised. At its first meeting, the members of the parliament (MSPs) awarded themselves medals. This was done on the same precautionary principle that motivates Scots to conduct lavish celebrations at the start of the football World Cup tournament, in the realistic anticipation that there will not be a lot to celebrate at its conclusion.
No forum in the world brings more passion to the debate on dog-fouling or the hazards of children’s trampolines than the Wee Scotch Senate. Its finest hour came when, having reached the committee stage of a Bill to ban fur-farming in Scotland, MSPs were informed that there were no fur farms in Scotland. Defiantly, our legislators persevered and completed the expensive processing of the statute; some of us felt they should have included bull-fighting among its provisions. The chief consequence of setting up the Holyrood parliament has been that 129 Scottish villages are missing their idiots.
Oh dear.
August 25th, 2009 at 10:24 am
” Oh dear”!!!!!!!!Understatement, as always, becomes you. The 129 missing idiots, is a far cry from what we suffer in th USA. At least you’ve provided some comic relief against similar jokes against us promulgated that side of the pond. “120 missing idiots” PRICELESS!
August 26th, 2009 at 12:42 am
OK, so the Scottish Parliament’s a bit of a mixed-ability group. There are in fact some MSPs who are quite bright, but they’re not generally listened to. There are alas some genuine thickoes as well – liberal platitudes that looked whiskery twenty years ago are still trotted out as if new-minted. There’s one seriously intelligent member, however, who alas has the all political aptitude of an elk.
This row has set the campaign for an independent Scotland back some distance. Playing with the big boys isn’t as easy as the Nats had thought, it seems. Though independence for Scotland may now be more popular in England.
I must say, however, that American claims about being soft on terrorism ring a little hollow given the utter inaction of successive US administrations when the UK was under attack from the IRA, significantly funded by US citizens. Which is why it’s so nice to see The Swimmer, who was solidly behind the terrorists, finally go to his eternal reward.
August 26th, 2009 at 10:56 am
Oh, Red! Swoon.
August 26th, 2009 at 11:55 am
Heh. I saw something right up your alley, Red. On the Corner? In the Telegraph? Who knows. About how the US is a bit rich acting all high and mighty. Hmm… VDH? Oh heck, I’ll never find it. Anyone else? Oh maybe VDH on PJM? No…
Well, at any rate, yeah. I’d like to think that this would put the Nats back, because they’re a bunch of pinko commie dialoguers, but that real independence in the hands of actual sentient beings would come with a sense of responsibility and wariness in a dangerous world (think Steyn’s opinion of Australia vs pick-your-member-of-Old-Europe). But given the behaviour of the parliament so far (of course, there are decent Scottish politicians who just don’t have time for the Scottish parliament, but if the Scottish parliament were a real parliament…)
I don’t think this incident will (hopefully) cause any real damage, just be one of those clarifying moments.
August 26th, 2009 at 1:34 pm
Oops. “Medical advice on Libyan bomer ‘in doubt’”.
August 26th, 2009 at 8:19 pm
Oh lord, I knew it. Next it’ll be discovered he was released on the advice of Colonel Gaddafi’s personal physician. I was gonna say if he isn’t dead in 12 weeks there’ll be hell to pay, except I really doubt he will be.
August 27th, 2009 at 1:08 am
Dr Richard Simpson, the MSP who’s raised doubts about MacGrahy’s prognosis, has a brain the size of Glasgow, so this could get a bit ticklish for MacAskill.
I was once told by a Nat MSP that Kenny MacAskill, the Justice Minister, has “mental issues”. Not long after that I was told by a colleague of that Nat MSP that she had “mental issues”. Then a third MSP told me that the MSP who’d told me that the original Nat MSP had “mental issues” herself had “mental issues”. Can’t say the third MSPs struck me as being entirely healthy, mind you.
It all helps pass the day.
If the Scottish Parliament were a real Parliament, Gordon Brown would probably be First Minister. Which is why support for Scottish independence is definitely growing. In England.
August 27th, 2009 at 7:42 am
Haha!
August 29th, 2009 at 3:08 pm
Looks like the speculation was right!
September 2nd, 2009 at 2:41 am
Also looks like Red was on the right track: The White House knew about and approved the release.