Musings from the Merse
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Hustings Heat hits Home (pronounced Hume-except in Coldstream)
No doubt spurred on by this blog the Berwickshire is whipping up election fever via its banner headline: Four Way Fight for seat in Holyrood. Apparently election fever is 'starting to build' 'especially for the Scottish Parliament' But only the Tories have it as a top ten seats target. Indeed if the seat was won on the amount of Rain Forest destroyed to produce electioneering material Mr John Lamont, the bright young Tory thing, would be home and dry. Not that he has much competition as so far we have seen nothing of SNP, Lib Dem or Labour phamphlets so Global Warming is still kept at bay in Berwickshire at least.
The Borders Council elections still merit little coverage but as nominations closed only yesterday there is still time for some husting activity before 3 May.
One outgoing MSP, the Laird, described as 'Paxton based' gets some valedictory coverage of the typical Berwickshire uncritical variety. One of his Home forebears* says the B opposed the 1707 Act of Union and it was Johnnie himself who as a young delegate to the Labour Party Conference in 1976 moved the resolution which committed the Labour Party to devolution. And when he had to chose between being a tiny fish in Westminster (as MP for East Lothian) or a wriggly larger one in Holyrood 'John opted for the Scottish Parliament' We now await news of Lord Paxton, about which there has been a massive silence for some months. JHR also features on page 4 about the 'World's oldest fishing (Trout) club' opening a museum in Paxton House. The Laird as chairman of the Paxton House Trust explained how his family hand 'handed over the magnificent house and its contents to share with visitors and with the local people'
And now with the good fisher folk of Ellem
Did he explain why? And how really generous was this gesture' There are a number of theories about this not all flattering to the donor but nuff said. In the meanwhile Hutton Think Tank have been asked to commission a locally based children's fairy story. The working title is ;
*'Johnny and the Forebears'
Non libelous suggestions for the plot will be welcomed by the HTT writer in residence. In a brown envelope please
No doubt spurred on by this blog the Berwickshire is whipping up election fever via its banner headline: Four Way Fight for seat in Holyrood. Apparently election fever is 'starting to build' 'especially for the Scottish Parliament' But only the Tories have it as a top ten seats target. Indeed if the seat was won on the amount of Rain Forest destroyed to produce electioneering material Mr John Lamont, the bright young Tory thing, would be home and dry. Not that he has much competition as so far we have seen nothing of SNP, Lib Dem or Labour phamphlets so Global Warming is still kept at bay in Berwickshire at least.
The Borders Council elections still merit little coverage but as nominations closed only yesterday there is still time for some husting activity before 3 May.
One outgoing MSP, the Laird, described as 'Paxton based' gets some valedictory coverage of the typical Berwickshire uncritical variety. One of his Home forebears* says the B opposed the 1707 Act of Union and it was Johnnie himself who as a young delegate to the Labour Party Conference in 1976 moved the resolution which committed the Labour Party to devolution. And when he had to chose between being a tiny fish in Westminster (as MP for East Lothian) or a wriggly larger one in Holyrood 'John opted for the Scottish Parliament' We now await news of Lord Paxton, about which there has been a massive silence for some months. JHR also features on page 4 about the 'World's oldest fishing (Trout) club' opening a museum in Paxton House. The Laird as chairman of the Paxton House Trust explained how his family hand 'handed over the magnificent house and its contents to share with visitors and with the local people'
And now with the good fisher folk of Ellem
Did he explain why? And how really generous was this gesture' There are a number of theories about this not all flattering to the donor but nuff said. In the meanwhile Hutton Think Tank have been asked to commission a locally based children's fairy story. The working title is ;
*'Johnny and the Forebears'
Non libelous suggestions for the plot will be welcomed by the HTT writer in residence. In a brown envelope please
Comments:
If he really did handover Paxton House to the masses why is he (or members of his immediate family) still on every committee assoiated with the house and grounds?
# posted by 
: 2:49 PM
: 2:49 PM
Oh that’s easy. Just answer these simple questions:
1. What state was the place in before it was “handed over”?
2. How much grant funding was allocated to the refurbishment?
3. Where does the money come from for ongoing upkeep?
4. Why is he called John Home-Improvement?
First to write with the correct answers wins a signed copy of “Parliamentary Expenses & Me”.
1. What state was the place in before it was “handed over”?
2. How much grant funding was allocated to the refurbishment?
3. Where does the money come from for ongoing upkeep?
4. Why is he called John Home-Improvement?
First to write with the correct answers wins a signed copy of “Parliamentary Expenses & Me”.
# posted by : 7:43 PM
: 7:43 PM
I'll contribute every sheet of paper that John the Tory needs if it would get rid of the nearly man, the silent but not deadly, the fence sitting, speaking out of both sides of his mouth, dull and totally ordinary sitting Lib Dem MSP. If ever a constituency needed change we do. I actually like Aileen Orr and think she'd be much better than Libdem Man, but there's the little business of the SNP's obsession with independence which doesn't seem well thought through.
By that I mean thought through at a practical and economic level. Boring as it seems it is vital. I totally get the emotional Braveheart stuff but as we all know emotion is no substitute for the nitty-gritty
By that I mean thought through at a practical and economic level. Boring as it seems it is vital. I totally get the emotional Braveheart stuff but as we all know emotion is no substitute for the nitty-gritty
I'd rather have Euan Robson (the man with all the emotional range of Formica™) than the irrepressible Lamont who seems to be against everything that's not his idea, unless popular opinion is for it of course.
Mind you anyone convicted of running for public office ought to be disqualified from actually gaining public office ;-)
Mind you anyone convicted of running for public office ought to be disqualified from actually gaining public office ;-)
Talking of Euan Robson. Did anyone else wonder why he remained silent on the Home/Edinburgh flat scandal?
He also has a public-paid-for-flat in Edinburgh and he lives only half an hour away! No wonder he kept quiet! Under every stone there is a wartier toad.
He also has a public-paid-for-flat in Edinburgh and he lives only half an hour away! No wonder he kept quiet! Under every stone there is a wartier toad.
# posted by : 11:28 AM
: 11:28 AM
It's a long way after a long day of doing whatever it is he does... and he has to practice his 3 emotions (see any Euan Robson publication for examples - there's Euan having fun with old ladies in Kelso, Euan demonstrating he knows where the bus shelter is by pointing at the timetable that says "next bus Wednesday" - and of course there's his unputdownable "Mound" column in the BN)
a word for the maligned ER. He has always been very supportive of Hutton and Paxton problems and took thr trouble to attend a Community Council meeting at which he gave good advice on how to et about saving Hutton School. Sadly this mostly fell on deaf ears as far as the School Action Group under the leadership of a well known SNP personality was concerned.
No doubt the SNP personage in question blames the erstwhile leader at SBC, what with him being SNP-turned-independent-in-coalition-with-the-Tories and all that.
Now that is very interesting and news to me. Certainly the battle over saving the school deteriorated into a slanging match rather than any real discussion of the issues as far as our action group was concerned
The Borders Party don't have a candidate in East Berwickshire - which is a shame.
http://bordersparty.org.uk/?page_id=43
http://bordersparty.org.uk/?page_id=43
Incredible. What on earth is the Borders Party for when it hasn't a presence in an entire county?! There is more to the Borders than Galashiels, Melrose and Reivers ridden Hawick
They have had trouble getting anyone in East Berwickshire to stand. I think I'm right in saying that they feel most people this far East don't see themselves as Borders. Don't feel hard done by ther are several other wards that haven't got candidates.
Maybe Hottonian should stand?
Maybe Hottonian should stand?
If I had the time..... But I am happy enough at the very sharp worms eye end in the Community Council. Much as I hate to say it we really need councillors from the more decent bigger parties playing more of a role in the Borders-they at least have clout with the highheidyins in Embra (and London) A Borders Party is a good idea as a local pressure group but even if it returns all 7 candidates it will count for little in St Boswells and for nothing further up the greasy pole
Given the candidates - only the independents have the ability to form a majority administration - even if all da Lib Dem Crew or all the Tory candidates standing get in they're still 4 seats short of a majority.
So no good for winning friends and influencing amongst the movers and shakers in Ould Reekie or the Bigger Smoke
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