Monday, August 31, 2009

Jack McConnell, "it profits a man nothing to give his soul for the whole world... but for Malawi?”


Dear All

Jack McConnell is the former First Minister of Scotland before he was famously thrown out of office on his ear by the voters in May 2007.

After losing that election; he was persuaded to make way for Wendy Alexander to take over the Labour MSP Group. As part of his package to go he was promised the High Commissioner’s post in Malawi by Gordon Brown.

The timetable for him taking up the post was fluid because the Labour Party didn’t want to fight a by-election in his seat due to their unpopularity. So, Mr. McConnell was given another role as a conflict envoy which was a paper title in name only.

So after Jack was a good little boy; he might find he isn’t going to be the High Commissioner after all. Someone else has taken his job, career diplomat, Fergus Cochrane-Dyet, has taken up his post.

So the promise by Gordon Brown looks like it is going to be reneged on with Fergus sitting happily in Africa till 2012 and next year is the General election which will usher in a Tory Government.

So; I suspect that Jack McConnell will be fighting the Holyrood election in 2011, otherwise he will have no job but that of course will be in the hands of the voters.

SNP MSP Christina McKelvie said;

"Two years of dithering over his departure may have come to an end but his lack of commitment to the Scottish Parliament continues. Labour wouldn't let him leave and call a by-election but the people of Motherwell are left without a real MSP."

True and we should remember that Jack McConnell famously called his area a “pigsty” but strangely he is unwilling to trot off!

The Labour Party has said;

“Mr McConnell was a "highly-regarded and conscientious MSP" who ran a very busy office in his constituency”.

Highly regarded by whom?

The guy has one of the worst voting records at Holyrood and is regarded as a laughing stock, during the May 2007 election both Gordon Brewer and Bernard Ponsonby completely destroyed his credibility on television.

Their interviews are on youtube and worth watching.

In 1966, the actor, Paul Scofield played the role of Sir Thomas More in the classic film, A Man for All Seasons.

From that film; I always remember this quote;

“Why Richard, it profits a man nothing to give his soul for the whole world... but for Wales?”

The same could be said of Jack McConnell and Malawi.
Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

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