Labour leader Iain Gray: "I want a zero tolerance approach on literacy"

The Scottish Labour Party have distributed their regional election addresses across many parts of Scotland and in many editions there is an interview with their leader, Iain Gray.

Iain Gray is quoted within this interview as saying;

"I want a zero tolerance approach on literacy,"

A very odd line to take.

Does he mean he will stamp out literacy in our schools?

That is certainly what he implies, did he mean to say he wanted a zero tolerance to illiteracy?

According to the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary, the definition of literacy is;

• the ability to read and write
Far more resources are needed to improve adult literacy.

• knowledge of a particular subject, or a particular type of knowledge
Computer literacy is becoming as essential as the ability to drive a car. 

According to Dictionary.com, the definition of illiteracy is;

• a lack of ability to read and write.

 

• the state of being illiterate; lack of any or enough education. 

• a mistake in writing or speaking, felt to be characteristic of an illiterate or semi literate person: a letter that was full of illiteracies.

I think that Iain Gray and Scottish Labour may have made a mistake here....why would you want a zero tolerance approach to the ability to read and write?

Scottish Labour leader Iain Gray stabbed in the neck

I thought this photo on The Herald website was a great catch.

It shows Iain Gray MSP, leader of Scottish Labour with an obvious item sticking out of his neck, so which of his own MSPs has done that?

Obviously, it is a microphone, just in case you were wondering?

Is Alyn Smith fed up being an MEP?

It appears that just a year into the new term of the European Parliament, the SNP's Alyn Smith MEP is already bored and getting itchy feet.

News filters though to me from Strasbourg that Alyn Smith MEP will be seeking the nomination to stand as an MSP in next years Holyrood elections.

Not a great shock although this is yet another SNP politician who clearly doesn't get the whole issue of dual mandates and why they are a bad thing.

However, Alyn is possibly looking to stand for the SNP in East Lothian against Labour's leader Iain Gray.

For now Alyn is "playing it by ear".

East Lothian Labour Party in complete disarray as Anne Moffat MP deselected

Anne Moffat MP has been de-selected this evening losing the vital reselection/confidence vote 130 votes to 59.

Given this is the constituency where Labour's Scottish Leader, Iain Gray is the MSP, this is very bad news for the Labour Party here in Scotland.

Labour in East Lothian are in tatters and with the Liberal Democrats being in second place is this the seat where a shock result could happen at the general election?

Labour members in East Lothian attended a special meeting in Haddington this evening where they decided by more than two to one that Anne Moffat should not be the party's candidate in the general election.
However, Labour's ruling national executive committee will have the final say on her candidacy.

Labour have been polling much better in Scotland than other parts of the UK, but given the scandal with Steven Purcell, once tipped as the next leader of Labour in Scotland and now Anne Moffat MP cannot get reselected in East Lothian, are we seeing Labour's wheels coming off in the same way we have seen the SNP falter in recent months?

The forthcoming general election in Scotland is a great opportunity for the Liberal Democrats, in fact we are second to Labour in Scotland in number of MPs and with Cameron's Conservatives just having the one MP and not really expected to gain many more, it is up to the Liberal Democrats to fill that void.