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Kluseau

Listed below are comments made by Kluseau between Wednesday, 30th April 2008 and Wednesday, 14th January 2009.

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Redrawing the boundaries 5:37pm on 14 Jan 2009 Good grief: not again! For reasons of politics, inertia, public opinion and nostalgia there can never be a "perfect" breakdown into local authority areas, whatever that might actually mean anyway.

Take a look at the huge (and doubtless hugely costly) dislocation which took place in 1975: and then the next in 1996, which in some areas simply undid what had been done in 1975.

Then take a look at where people actually say they live. "Ross-shire" still appears in many addresses, a county which actually ceased to exist in 1890. To say that in too many cases repeated reorganisation has simply caused people to lose touch with local governenment, or cease to care, may seem an argument for change. It isn't: a further wrong won't put this right.
Taking a risk 09:13am on 07 May 2008 This shows clearly where Wendy stands on the issue of "principle" vs "expediency". Only time will tell whether it also ends up among the great political miscalculations of all time. But it's off to a promising start...
Making new friends 7:30pm on 02 May 2008 Perhaps the really scary thing for the SNPs' opponents is that the honeymoon may well be over, but the current administration still comes over as more competent and sensible than any other we've had, and most certainly more sensible and competent that any available alternative.

To put it another way, even without the Wendy factor, the SNP look good. Take her into account and they seem positively stellar.

Meanwhile, I wonder if the Lib Dems are yet having a bout of "what might have beens" at consigning themselves to what looks like long term opposition when the opportunity of sharing power within a genuinely successful government might have been within their reach?
Innocent merriment 4:27pm on 30 Apr 2008 Oh dear, Yevets, if there is any "blind devotion" in any of this, it is the London Labour party's desire to ensure that Labour votes cast in Scotland in UK elections continue to be counted alongside the - more often non-Labour - votes cast in England in UK elections.

Like many in History, from James VI/I through Charles Edward Stuart and beyond, most "UK" rulers/politicians only seen Scotland as a stepping stone to the "real prize", control of the rest of this island.

Given the pragmatic and fairly effective fist the SNP have made of government in Scotland - to the surprise of many - they seem unlikely to be dislodged in the near future, especially in light of the quality of the opposition here.

It would therefore be no suprise at all to find what is effectively a UK Government commission comes up with a list of proposals very similar to those of the SNP Scottish Government. Having apparently given up all hope of retaking Holyrood, Labour at UK level seem content simply to keep focussed on what they consider to be the main prize: and keep Scottish voters voting Labour in UK elections whatever they do in Holyrood elections.
Public fury and street protest 2:16pm on 30 Apr 2008 So true. But why stop at Aberdeenshire? The last administration in West Lothian pushed through approval of a new council HQ on a public park close to the centre of Livingston by ensuring those likely to object did not hear about the proposals in time to do so, and by denying the existence of a much better and far more sustainable site within easy walking distance of Livingston North railway station.

It was obviously far more important that councillors and officers should have a nice riverside location handy for the shops than that the new HQ should benefit from the under construction high quality rail connection with Edinburgh and Glasgow.

No, Aberdeen has no monopoly on bad local government: and the replacement of some of those in West Lothian responsible in the last election does nothing to make their decision any more acceptable or right. Nor does it bring back a lost public park, or ease the parking chaos that will follow the opening of the new HQ next year.

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