Alex Salmond says that the Donside by-election is a test of the SNP Government's record in office, will the SNP run with the fact that they are willing to deny cancer drugs to Scottish people who are dying, 7,000 majority need to get another party to vote for

Dear All

Alex Salmond says that the Aberdeen Donside by-election is a judgment on his own Government's record.

Wow!

Given the SNP have a massive majority and the previous SNP MSP died in post; it is hardly a challenge for the SNP.

If the SNP had never held the seat or it was close, then it would be a real test.

In by-elections from my experience, if someone dies, then the electorate generally votes in another representative from the same party.

If this supposed rant was supposed to impress anyone, then Alex Salmond is kidding himself on, not the public.

The First Minister launched the SNP's campaign backing SNP candidate Mark McDonald under the banner "Delivering for Donside – Working for You."

And of course he mentioned the MSP whose death led to the by-election because that is what the SNP do, I wonder if bothered to ask the family if he could use that tack?

Salmond said:

"Brian Adam was an outstanding MSP for Donside, and a passionate supporter of an independent Scotland”.

How did he work that out?

Salmond added:

"He was re-elected two years ago on a manifesto pledge to freeze the Council Tax for the lifetime of this Parliament, and support core policies – such as free personal care, the bus pass for over-60-year-olds, no prescription charges and free education for young folk. I know these are local priorities because I have been meeting community groups and listening to people on the doorsteps”.

And less we forget, don’t mention people like Anne Fisher and Maureen Fleming need drugs because they are dying of cancer.

Salmond continued:

"These policies require to be supported each and every year through the Scottish Parliament's budget process and Mark McDonald is the only candidate who can unequivocally pledge to vote for them if he is returned to continue Brian's legacy."

In other words, like the majority of the SNP, McDonald vote is already pledged to anything and everything that comes out of Salmond’s mouth.

I once her Brian Adam speak; his talk wasn’t really about politics, it was about how you have to keep trying to get elect even if the public rejects you.

He spoke well, but it was more of a chat than a speech, but seemed likeable.

Adam as I said had a healthy majority of 7,000, unfortunately he died of cancer, in his place might come a man who like his bosses, Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon won’t stand up for a Cancer Drug Fund that is sorely needed in Scotland.

If anything that is the legacy that is passed on won’t result in a better candidate replacing Brian Adam.

Mr McDonald resigned as a regional list MSP in order to fight the Aberdeen Donside seat, his place on the regional list was taken up by a Frenchman, called Christian Allard who supported the decision of Mugabe in Zimbabwe to remove white farmers from their legally owned land.

Presumably he is another of Salmond’s publicly unelected.

All four parties represented at Holyrood are standing in the by-election, in addition to the UK Independence Party, National Front and two other candidates.

With a 7,000 majority, the SNP should win comfortably but this isn’t a verdict of Alex Salmond’s record, the contest is set in an SNP stronghold where the previous MSP died.

What a great shame, that a man who died of cancer is being replaced by someone who will keep his mouth firmly shut and hold the SNP line to deny cancers drugs to others, on the basis that it is too expensive.

Yours sincerely

George Laird

The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University