Dual mandate hypocricy of the SNP - attacking Labour and Conservatives

I nearly gagged on my mouthful of maltesers (okay, there were three) when I saw the Twitter message from the SNP come through - "Labour & Tory candidates must rule out dual mandate".

I obviously have nothing against their message as not only have I blogged about the arrogance of people like John Lamont MSP (Conservative) and Cathy Jamieson MSP (Labour), along with Margaret Curran MSP (Labour) and Alex Johnstone MSP (Conservative) for all being MSPs but also now candidates for the Westminster general election but Alex Salmond remains the biggest culprit and hypocrite.

There has been nothing stopping wee Eck standing down as the MP for Banff & Buchan since he was elected as an MSP in 2007.

The SNP website today quotes Bill Kidd MSP - "In contrast First Minister Alex Salmond made it clear to the voters of Banff and Buchan and Gordon he would be seeking a dual mandate at both the 2005 and 2007 elections, and he would stand down at the forthcoming General Election."

Although this is sheer arrogance, I suppose it is one election pledge the SNP have stuck to, however, and a serious point, the SNP have also signed up to the Kelly Report and recommendations so why when the Report was published did Alex Salmond not stand down?






Why, if the SNP really are now against dual mandates have none of their MPs signed Alistair Carmichael's Parliamentary Motion, number 155, on this very matter?

One of John LamontMSP 's voters - far more influential than I, said on my blog about John Lamont "...He should stick to Holyrood and stand down as the Westminster candidate before he too is pushed."

Jeremy Purvis MSP has challenged David Cameron to put his money where his mouth is on this matter.

The most important part of this is that the SNP, Conservatives and Labour are quite obviously not interested in cleaning up politics when it comes down to it. Their candidates, Alex Salmond, John Lamont, Alex Johnstone, Margaret Curran and Cathy Jamieson all belong to political parties that have signed up to implementing the Kelly Report's recommendations in full, all aprt from this one which enables them to pocket two salaries and two lots of expenses.

It is a great pity that these five individuals and their parties have not learnt from the furore and public anger over the MPs expenses scandal.

Now Labour's Cathy Jamieson MSP to ignore Kelly Report

Surely the MSPs have not been locked in a time warp bubble over the summer and missed the public fury over the abuse of MPs expenses?

I seriously do wonder.

I ask because we now learn that Cathy Jamieson MSP is throwing her hat into the ring to become the next MP for Kilmarnock and Loudon following the announcement from Des Browne MP that he is to step down.

First we had Holyrood's most expensive MSP, Conservative, John "Bubbles" Lamont MSP announce he was going to stand for Westminster, then Labour's Margaret Curran MSP (the one who lost in Glasgow East and I advised to call for the recount), then along came Conservative Alex Johnstone MSP and now, bringing up the rear Labour's Cathy Jamieson MSP.

What angers me is that all four of them at some time have made it clear they will stay on as the MSP if they are fortunate enough to win as the MP for one year, and then stand down at the Scottish Parliamentary elections in 2011.

So, not only are they admitting that they will only be part time if they even win but that they don't give a stuff about their Parties signing up to the Kelly Report's proposals in full as promised by their Leaders, Gordon Brown and David Cameron nor will they follow the guidance in the report.







In fact the Kelly report is very clear in saying that this practice of sitting in two legislatures should end before the 2011 elections so in fact John Lamont, Cathy Jamieson, Alex Johnstone and Margaret Curran should decide to either (a) quit as MSPs now and fight the general election or (b) quit as a Westminster candidate now and focus on what they were elected to do which was a be a full time MSP.

The reason I say again to them to quit now is the new election expenses legislation starts on January 1st 2010, so now is the right time to make the decision, especially if they really believe in cleaning up politics?

John Lamont and Alex Johnstone are clearly an embarrassment to both of their leaders, Annabel Goldie and David Cameron as both leaders are on the record now accepting the Kelly report in full - will either of them be telling John Lamont and Alex Johnstone to drop one or other, or have they changed their minds?

Or, will they just sit back and wait for the election to come and go as they don't really expect to gain any more seats in Scotland? Even people in their own party think that the Cameron effect hasn't reached Scotland, and isn't likely to either.

It is just appalling that these MSPs have jumped on a bandwagon and are clearly sticking two fingers up at the people who voted for them, their part leaders and the public as a whole.

There are many politicians seriously trying to clean up politics and regain the trust of the British public after the awful expenses scandal, it is just a great pity that Cathy Jamieson, John Lamont, Alex Johnstone and Margaret Curran don't agree.