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Reluctant Hero

Gordon to stay on as MSP

I know it is an eternity until the next election and so many things can happen, but I wonder how the constituents of Cathcart will react?  Will they remember this episode and vote him out?  Or indeed, will the local Labour Party no relect Gordon as the Labour candidate?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/7132893.stm

Quote:
Gordon pledges to stay on as MSP
 
The man at the centre of the Labour Party political donations row has said he plans to remain as an MSP.
Charlie Gordon said he would stay as the member for Glasgow Cathcart despite his role in the controversy.

He has admitted to blunders over a £950 donation from a businessman to the leadership campaign of Wendy Alexander.

Speculation was rife that Mr Gordon, who quit as Labour's transport spokesman last week, would stand down from the Scottish Parliament.

In a statement, he said: "I will deal with whatever arises from the Electoral Commission in due course.

"Meanwhile, I will stay on as Cathcart's MSP."

The donation from Jersey-based Paul Green broke the law on foreign donations.

'Claim innocence'

Mr Gordon said he had unwittingly told Ms Alexander's campaign team that the donation was in order.

But he had wrongly assumed the donation had come through a Glasgow company where Mr Green had a controlling interest.

SNP Glasgow MSP Sandra White said: "It is clear Charlie Gordon is not prepared to walk the plank for his Labour colleagues and certainly not to take the blame for Team Alexander's illegal actions.

"Wendy Alexander and her team have admitted accepting illegal donations.

"It is simply not credible for all of those involved in Wendy Alexander's campaign to claim innocence and keep their jobs.

"Labour must stop playing pass the parcel, accept responsibility and take action."


Aventinian

I'm not really that excited by political scandals unless they are a bit sleazier. But did anyone catch Have I Got News For You on Friday? Very amusing mention of Wendy etc - "Does anyone know how much the donation was?"
"£950 wasn't it"
"Yes, which doesn't sound like a great deal... but it was Scotland after all. The only other declared donation was some blood... which Ms Alexander managed to extract from a stone"

I was amused.
SLG

It's bound to have an effect, especially combined with the damage the previous representative did to Labour's rep.  I still think there's a decent chance he won't survive that long though.
agentmancuso

Further cutting-edge commentary at the Jaggy Thistle:

Quote:
Heroic, selfless, senseless Charlie to sacrifice himself at point in future

Under-fire MSP Charlie Gordon pledged his undying support for Wendy Alexander as his leader heroically pushed him into the firing line whilst herself diving for cover.

The move came as Wendy faced an investigation over £950 allegedly donated illegally by a foreign-based businessman to Wendy's leadership campaign.

As the £950 was part of £17k spent on a campaign that never took place, political analysts are asking where the money went.

One analyst told the JT : "Apparently Wendy's campaign team managed to burn through £17k despite the fact that she was elected as Labour leader unopposed. All I can think is that they must've got through a hoor of sausage rolls at the victory party."

Frank McAveety, MSP for Shettleston and professional buffet slayer later confirmed to The JT that this was indeed the case remarking that he'd not had anything to eat that day since lunchtime, so he hudnae.

Meanwhile, hapless Charlie's role as sacrificial lamb was triggered by a succession of tragic events just like out of "Platoon" or something, with first Gordon Brown pushing Douglas Alexander into the line of fire, then Douglas gieing his sister a shove and so on culminating in Charlie standing there on his own wondering where everyone else had gone.

According to analysts, under the dictionary heading "Box, not the sharpest tool in the" there's a picture of Charlie, so it's not clear if Charlie understands what the phrase sacrificial lamb actually means.
doodells

Re: Gordon to stay on as MSP

Reluctant Hero wrote:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/7132893.stm
Quote:
Gordon pledges to stay on as MSP
The donation from Jersey-based Paul Green broke the law on foreign donations.


The donation broke the law, but the donation can not be prosecuted. Those in involved in setting up the donation can be prosecuted. Who knows how long he has left as an MSP? Investigations could conclude anything.
It seems Gordon feels he has sacrificed enough for Wendy and doen't want to lose his job over it. I don't think he should step down (unless the electoral commision come back with suggestions that he should). I think he will be reselected by the party but supported slightly less by the electorate.
However, being a leader of a party or a business or organisation is always better paid, comes with more power and also more responsibility. If law breaking occurs in another department then it is the leaders job to ensure those responsible are dealt with but when its in the leader's dept. surely they need to face the music. She should step down and let Labour try to recover. She was never the best choice for Labour anyway. I think she will ultimately take the blow and Gordon and others will recover.
Holebender

That's the view from Spain is it?

From where I sit he has no chance of being re-elected if he has the gall to stand again as a candidate. I actually doubt if his party would reselect him as a candidate.

Let them all hang on until the next election and let the electorate pass judgement on them! The longer they stay the more the public will become scunnered by their lack of shame and the worse the hammering they and their party will take.
SLG

Well, you have to wonder in some constituencies whether the general public notice that much.  I think Cathcart is close enough that this certainly would swing it in favour of the SNP - especially given the national polling evidence.  Labour of course will hope that by the next election there will be a national swing towards them that might save them in seats like this.

From an SNP point of view, I really think it would be great for there to be a by-election somewhere off the back of this.  They are doing well in the polls and in council by-elections - but a big win in a Holyrood by-election would really cement their position as the countries leading party.  It would also give them a wee bit more leeway in the Parliament.
Holebender

Cathcart has had two consecutive Labour MSPs who have turned out to be criminals. Don't you think the local electorate will have had enough of being a national laughing stock by now?
Reluctant Hero

SLG wrote:
From an SNP point of view, I really think it would be great for there to be a by-election somewhere off the back of this.


Paisley North perhaps?  Very Happy
doodells

Holebender wrote:
That's the view from Spain is it?


No I can actually see the Seria Navada and the Alahmbra from my balcony    Laughing

Like I said I think its too early to tell, but I don't know if the electorate will be sufficiently aware of his actions by the time of the next election. That doesn't mean that I don't want him to stand and be punished by the electorate for trying to cheat. And if Labour Party think they'd get away with selecting him I'm sure they would. I agree a bye-election for Holyrood would be great for SNP just now, they'd surely win with Labour in their present state and the other parties maintaining their usual form.
SLG

Holebender wrote:
Cathcart has had two consecutive Labour MSPs who have turned out to be criminals. Don't you think the local electorate will have had enough of being a national laughing stock by now?

I thought after the Watson incident, the SNP would win Cathcart this time, but their vote held up enough.  I think this will be enough to swing it for the SNP, but who knows.  The Labour vote is not just going to melt away in constituencies like these, no matter what Labour are up to.

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