Friday, June 22, 2007

George Foulkes Off

The irony is delicious. Lord George Foulkes, or 'Squealer' as I prefer to know him, has decided that the hard graft of sitting on the Holyrood Subordinate Legislation committee is not for him. Consequently, he's quit the post so that he can spend Tuesdays sitting on Westminster's intelligence and security committee instead.

Leaping once more from trotter to trotter, George is quoted in today's Edinburgh Evening News, with refreshing candour it has to be said, that his appointment to the committee was 'a mistake'. Some might say of course that his getting into Holyrood at all was something of a mistake in the first place, with only a calamitous Labour performance in the Lothians allowing him to scrape in on the list. But that would be churlish and wholly beneath the high-minded purpose of this blog :-)

Anyway, I'll leave the final word to my good friend Dr Ian McKee, SNP MSP of this parish, who points out with commendable restraint: "George spent the election objecting to Alex Salmond having two jobs. So this sounds like perfect justice."

6 comments:

Matt Wardman said...

Fantastic headline.

Richard Thomson said...

Had to be done...

Artful said...

George Foulkes must be the most irritating and vexatious person I have ever had the misfortune to listen to (Although a certain Margaret Curran finishes a close second)

This is the same man who rolled out the red carpet for Vladimir Romanov while constantly smooching his backside.

Mr. Foulkes does indeed highlight the fact that the PR voting system has its undeniable flaws!

Anonymous said...

I had the gross misfortune to be a constituent of the verbally flatulent, self-serving Mr Foulkes (in Cumnock and Doon Valley as was).
He, of course, didn't actually live in this safe Labour seat, preferring to reside in a more douce Tory neighbourhood.
We all have fond memories of his ferocious glad-handing come election time (not to be seen otherwise) and of his championing of local causes - until it became clear it might affect his career.
I well remember my first stint at an election count in 1987, when he skipped among we Nats spanking his hands together like a big girlie when it was clear he had won.
I really, really wish I had punched his objectionable big boat-race.
Anyway, down with George.

Anonymous said...

Rumour mill has been going for a while that his place on the Intelligence Committee might be the reason given for him walking away from Parliament after the summer recess.

I didn`t think it would be so but after this...who knows.

Richard Thomson said...

Aye, I know a few Hearts supporters who welcomed George with open arms, but changed their opinions once they saw what he was like - a vaguely plausible mouthpiece for someone else, and nothing more.

Davie - I can see how they'd spin it now. Being such a respected parliamentarian, his contribution to the committee will be deemed to be so vital to the nation at this time of heightened security, that he simply can't be spared for Holyrood. It'll be priceless if it happens!