Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Come on Eileen!
It seems the lack of press interest in what the FibDems had to say about the constitutional position vis-a-vis the Scottish Affairs Committee's report on the West Lothian Question has sprung crack FibDem reaction-commando Eileen McCartin into action.
Writing in the Herald, the Councillor from Paisley boasts: "The Scottish Affairs Committee, and its suggestion for a devolved English parliament, is absolutely right...This is called Liberal Democrat policy, or federalism."
Ex-squeeze me? According to your own party's consultation document your party's policy still remains regional assemblies for England. It does mention in an inexhaustible list of options (Clause 2.0.8) that an English Parliament has been mooted but then goes on to reiterate ways of keeping the regional assemblies option (Clause 2.0.8) .
And is it federalism? Well according to a Stanford Varsity website "Federalism is the theory or advocacy of federal political orders, where final authority is divided between sub-units and a center". Since the Fibs make no mention of dividing final authority between the central government and the assemblies it is not federalism guys. And since the Scottish Parliament has a separate legal system and the Fibs' assemblies won't this is again not a federal system - unless they're going to Balkanise England.
I wonder if Ms McCartin's voters are aware of her duplicity?
Writing in the Herald, the Councillor from Paisley boasts: "The Scottish Affairs Committee, and its suggestion for a devolved English parliament, is absolutely right...This is called Liberal Democrat policy, or federalism."
Ex-squeeze me? According to your own party's consultation document your party's policy still remains regional assemblies for England. It does mention in an inexhaustible list of options (Clause 2.0.8) that an English Parliament has been mooted but then goes on to reiterate ways of keeping the regional assemblies option (Clause 2.0.8) .
And is it federalism? Well according to a Stanford Varsity website "Federalism is the theory or advocacy of federal political orders, where final authority is divided between sub-units and a center". Since the Fibs make no mention of dividing final authority between the central government and the assemblies it is not federalism guys. And since the Scottish Parliament has a separate legal system and the Fibs' assemblies won't this is again not a federal system - unless they're going to Balkanise England.
I wonder if Ms McCartin's voters are aware of her duplicity?
Eileen...sounds a bit like "I lying"
P.S. - In 1997 Eileen was the FibDem candidate in the Paisley South by election where the BBC's political correspondent Brian Taylor complained about the use of a picture of him interviewing her in a Lib Dems' election leaflet. The Fibs chief executive refused to do so (well giving voters the impression of media endorsement is what they like to do) and said people could come and see it at their campaign HQ. The Fibs Chief Executive? One Will-lie Rennie.
