Friday, January 13, 2012

SNP MSP Joan McAlpine defends 'anti-Scottish' claim on BBC, Labour MP Anas Sarwar asks her, "Am I anti-Scottish?", gloves are off now!












Dear All

On the back of the warfare on independence, we have our first piece of ‘hand to hand’ fighting in the trenches.

SNP list MSP Joan McAlpine has accused the Tories, Labour and the Lib Dems were being "anti-Scottish" in their attitude to the planned independence referendum.

The verbal attack happened at Holyrood on Thursday which prompted Scotland’s Maggie Thatcher, Ruth Davidson to say that the comments were "ignorant and petty" while Labour MSP Neil Findlay chipped by saying they were an "utter disgrace".

And things didn’t get any better when she went on BBC Scotland’s Call Kaye programme hosted by Kay Adams.

On that programme she stated how shocked she was by Labour MPs congratulating the Tory-led government for intervening in Scotland.

Ms McAlpine told BBC Scotland's Call Kaye programme:

"They have been lining up in cahoots with the Tories. They have been lining up to congratulate the Tories for intervening into Scottish democracy and I will let the people of Scotland draw their own conclusions from that."

Ms McAlpine, Alex Salmond's parliamentary liaison officer, added:

"The issue here is the behaviour of the anti-independence parties coming together to stop Scotland having a referendum at a time of our choosing."

Sitting with her on that programme was Scottish Labour's deputy leader Anas Sarwar who studied a dental degree at human rights abusing Glasgow University. He joined the boxing club for a period while I was a coach; he loved to talk about how rich his father was from their cash and carry business.

So, in a fiery exchange between two, Sarwar said:

"What is being questioned here is my commitment and my love of my country. The country in which I was born and brought up, the country to which my grandfather came in 1939 with nothing and made a life for himself. This is really serious."

He then said to Ms McAlpine:

"Am I anti-Scottish?"

Ms McAlpine, the SNP MSP for South of Scotland said he was trying to "personalise" her comments and she would not be drawn into that.

From now to polling day of the independence referendum, I think we can be certain that this ‘debate’ will be a fairly bad tempered and nasty affair.

I don’t think that Ms McAlpine has acquitted herself well from this incident, it looks poor and doesn't play well with the public or even with me as an SNP member.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

11 comments:

cynicalHighlander said...

Agree George.

G Laird said...

Dear CH

The road to independence can and has to be won on our cause is just.

SNP smearing people will backfire and has backfired, didn't Joan McAlpine learn anything from the Gail Lythgoe, the wife of Muslim MSP Humza Yousaf and an employee on her own staff who smeared Ian Davidson?

We don't need gimmicks or anything else to win independence.

The case for independence stands alone on its own merits, it needs people to argue the case in a rational manner at all levels.

Independence can be lost if the wrong people articulate the case.

Depending on which poll you look at support is between 29% to 38%.

We aren't starting from a clear lead rather, the opposite.

This incident didn't help our case.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow Uniersity

Bob said...

That's handy. Studying dentistry and doing boxing.
Is Mr Sarwar related to the former MP Mr Sarwar elder and all that unpleasantness ?

G Laird said...

Dear Bob

Yes, he is, I remember him from my time as a coach in the uni boxing club.

He liked to tell people how well off his family was.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

Bill4Labour said...

Is the SNP independence campaign to be a racist anti English one George, do tell please.

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/culture/jmacmillan/100059628/alex-salmond-is-exploiting-scotlands-reservoir-of-anti-englishness-dont-be-surprised-if-it-overflows/

Anonymous said...

http://carons-musings.blogspot.com/2012/01/how-very-dare-you-joan-mcalpine.html

She should be sacked immediately

Bob said...

Unwilling to apologise for her despicable comments, pathetic George.
It seems that Ms. McAlpine has joined the evil 'cybernat' community. Funny how some of these outed people seem to be connected to senior SNP at the highest level. What a sad bunch of misfits, Scottish people will not trust them once they see through them.

The real Bob said...

Seems my name has been taken in vain by a troll George.
Will get a google account and hopefully stop the moron.

Anonymous said...

Bob funny that should mention senior members of a political party!
Has Davidson learned anything yet about calling the SNP facists? Or has Tom Harris learned anything yet?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Va6r5Ez-VF8&feature=player_embedded

Anonymous said...

the top dogs in the snp are anti british stop all the talking and let us have a vote now on seperation
cjm

G Laird said...

Dear Bob

Point out which comment and story you are talking about and I will look into it. I generally publish most comments with the exception of excessive swearing in the content.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University