Dear All
It is pretty clear that Anas Sarwar’s campaign has been
dreadful, dreadful at the start and in all likelihood will be dreadful at the
end. The big torpedo was obviously the ‘real living’ wage issue which his
family doesn’t pay their employees. In order to attempt to kill the story, Anas
Sarwar transferred the shares to his children.
I personally thought, how long will it be before someone said
instead of him ‘exploiting the workers’, he has now palmed it off on his
children, it was a flaw strategy in my opinion. When Labour MSP Jackie came out
with the tweet:
“By giving up his shares in the company, @AnasSarwar puts the party and the
country first. Big sacrifice, mark of a true leader #Anas4Leader”.
He transferred the shares to his children!
Some people after reading this tweet might be duped into
thinking that Anas Sarwar just gave away £4.8 million in shares but when you go
into detail, you see his children get them.
Is this the mark of a ‘true leader’ using your kids as a
vessel to cut down avenues of discussion?
Another interesting little gem was
the epic attacks on opponents as Sarwar's people started to blame the SNP, Leonard’s
crew and anyone else they could think of.
It should be remembered that all the ‘issues’ brought up
relate to what Anas Sarwar and his family have done in the past, no one is making up stories.
In what must be another episode of sour grapes, a row erupts
over fears that Unite could help stitch up Scottish Labour leadership for Richard
Leonard. Is there going to be a trade union stitch-up to install the left-wing
Corbyn-supporting candidate?
Well, it seems that Unite had signed up 2,700 members to the
union’s political levy in just two days last weekend which gives them a vote in
the contest. I sincerely doubt that the bulk of the 2,700 members will be
Sarwar supporters.
One thing which is known; is that Asian Labour “members”
have a habit of turning up at candidate selection, selecting an Asian candidate,
never do any activism, never attend meetings and then simply disappear. So, I am not
too bothered that having learned how to ‘’play the game’, some people operate
in the same fashion as Asian members have in the past.
Richard Leonard is a prominent trade unionist although not
as well known as Anas Sarwar who has the higher profile, but it appears that he
is getting more grassroots support.
The Blair Faction or Progress which Anas was deeply
connected to, on the other hand appears to be the unrepresentative minority who
have had their day. In a show of despair, Anas Sarwar has warned that Scottish
Labour activists “wouldn’t take kindly” to any attempt by Unite to return the
party to “a branch office”, this echoes what Johann Lamont said as she departed
the leadership re branch office.
Clearly this is a rattled Anas Sarwar who has gone negative.
Clearly this is a rattled Anas Sarwar who has gone negative.
It is Anas Sarwar’s job to present a positive image, he is
failing to do so, his proposed scheme to give every school-leaver a job,
training or education is simply retread bullshit packaged to look ‘new’, it isn’t.
When I read this, I thought back to all the other
politicians who spun the same idea in election after election after election.
To me, this is like Scottish Labour’s ‘knife campaign’ which they rolled out in
by-elections for Holyrood, the ‘campaign’ was a farce as it led to…… nothing,
no private member’s Bill.
That con trick should angry people as Scottish Labour used
it repeatedly, it was a by-election ploy but it also showed that Scotland
is exceptional poor re political talent.
The pool in Scotland
is rather shallow, and has been for some time, can you name a really great
politician?
Chances are…….no!
Hen you look at this contest, I don’t see Anas Sarwar have
broad cross party support or beyond, Richard Leonard has the official backing
of Unite in Scotland ,
plus the support of three other major unions: Usdaw, TSSA and Aslef. And if the wind is blowing in the right
direction, Leonard may also pick up Unison.
Leonard has received from parliamentarians, councillors, the
grassroots and trade unions; I don’t think that Anas can claim the same cross
section.
If he loses and stands again down the line, he may reflect
on that aspect of his campaign, along with his personal situation, as to his current
campaign, it is just dire!
Yours sincerely
George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University
Anas Sarwar. Is this a champagne socialist I see before me?
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