Sunday, January 24, 2010

Tory MSP Annabel Goldie in choo choo expenses molehill, she should use the cattle truck once in a while like the rest of us




















Dear All

Annabel Goldie is the leader of the Scottish Tories in Scotland.

Of late the question of her leadership has been called into doubt as if the Scottish Tories problems are her fault.

The Tories are despised in Scotland; the legacy of Thatcher is still firmly remembered by the people.

There is no Tory bounce in Scotland as by-election after by-election shows only too well.

So because the London Tories aren’t backing her, she is seen as fair game.

The issue of her taxpayer funded first-class rail travel has hit the headlines, in a time where she is calling for cutting “non-essential” spending and calling on low-income workers to take a pay freeze, she rides about in luxury and comfort.

Do I have a problem she is taking the train, first class?

No!

Her expenses for train travel over 4 years are £10,000, about £50 a week.

Has she done something wrong?

No!

Her staff travelled the same route standard class.

I don’t begrudge her seat in first class but how much more sensible would it have been to travel in the cattle truck with the rest of us on occasion?

So, her leadership, has she done badly, actually no, given the party, she has done every well with effectively nothing to work with.

Last October, she was excluded from a dinner for Scottish Tory fundraisers and UK leader David Cameron near Glasgow, a mistake because she brings a certain steadiness by picking her fights carefully.

If the Tories decide to find an alternative at this time, it would be a mistake, she is trying her best.

And she comes across as likeable.

It seems Tory stupidity may win over patience.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I thought all MPs, MEPs and MSPs travelled first class.

I disapprove of it of course, on the basis that, if the rest of us have to travel cattle class, and they get to travel First, then how on earth will they ever know what it is like for "ordinary" people?

And it they never find out, they will never do anything about it.


The Queen thinks that the world small of paint; that everyone wears smart, clean, pressed clothes; that women always look as if they have just come from the hairdressers and that we all have biscuit and coffee served in best china cups every day...

It's not her fault that she has no idea that most of us don't have a pot to pee in.

Likewise Ms Goldie and all other MPs. They will never learn what it's like to live in this country unless they start doing it.