The Edinburgh Evening News has won some killer quotes from SNP Councillor Norman Work as the political heat from the current deep freeze grows more intense.
The pick of the bunch are:
"There is only enough salt to go around. This is no time for laziness."
"stop expecting other people to do the work" – unless they are "90 years old".
"If we start gritting one pavement we'd have to do every pavement."
Whether one agrees with the sentiments or not (I am undecided), it is a political error to come out with such chat at such a sensitive time so I can't imagine Norman is flavour of the month in the SNP Group at the Council.
Then again, he does have past form.
In December 2009 Norman wrote the following letter to a family of a care and support service user:
"Indecently ([sic] incidently), I wouldn't mind working for £12.65 an hour. I also would like to get over time, extra pay for nights and weekends not to mention double time on public holidays, maybe I could get you to help me campaign on my behalf".
Mind you, it can be very easy to be on the receiving end of public anger from an unfortunate word choice as even Finance Secretary John Swinney has found this week.
Swinney said that some parts of the country had "perfectly adequate walking conditions" which, as Alan Cochrance points out in his column today, does suggest a certain complacency.
The risk is, as far as I can see, is that journalists are so primed and ready to pounce on any slip of the tongue or argument that falls outwith the party line that we're going to breed a new generation of politicians who are too scared to speak up. Interestingly, the Edinburgh Evening News is running a poll with 60% agreeing with the sentiments of Mr Work.
Despite this, effectively telling anyone 89 and younger to pick up a shovel and get stuck in won't help what has been a rather cruel winter for the party so it's fair to say that the SNP will be looking forward to warmer climes and a spring breeze that will carry these stories away for another year.
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7 comments:
...we're going to breed a new generation of politicians who are too scared to speak up.
I think that's long been the case Jeff. Even footballers are too feart to say anything other than bland statements of the obvious, in case of an unfavourable headline in the back pages. For politicians it's a lot worse (poor dears!).
Incredible that we unearth evidence that the treasury has hidden 30% of government spending so that the spending to GDP government forecasts are around right and yet so-called journalists ignore that and hang on every syllable of an SNP councillor about gritting the roads.
The money that Brown has just shifted off the balance sheet is more than it costs British taxpayers to pay for the NHS and Scotland is engulfed in a squabble about road gritting.
Jesus wept. This is a matter for the civil service and yes politicians should kick but but letting loose the attack dogs on the SNP is surely a campaign of mass hysteria and distraction.
And, there's a point here. Do we also need government to wipe our noses? Get yer ar$es out there and grit your pavements for heaven's sakes.
Have we all been reduced to a state of perpetual childhood?
...or it might breed politicians with some backbone that can take criticism.
To be honest the calibre of councillors or all colours is pretty poor IMHO.
Curiously I noted on the way home that the elderly couple across from me have cleared their driveway. All us other lazy bastards haven't bothered. They are shaming us these auld yins!
I hate to sound right wing about it, but people generally would expect the state to wipe their arses for them, if they could. It is too much to expect that people get out there and clear their drives and pathways in front of their houses because the nanny state will do it for us... hence the hissy fit when they don't and someone has the temerity to suggest that we the people, get our hands dirty.
This councillor has actually sruck a chord with a huge number of people who have been thinking what he has said out loud.
It's refreshing when that happens.
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