Budget Passes 123-2

So... budget passed 123 votes to 2, and everyone can legitimately say they've got something - even the Greens, who still couldn't bring themselves to vote in favour.

Most pointless contribution of the day though has to be the one from Margaret Curran. About to vote the same way as the Conservatives (and the Lib Dems and the SNP), she had the brass neck and effrontery to castigate the SNP for working with the Tories on the budget!

Yeah - as if Labour don't do similar in council chambers up and down the land, or even in Holyrood when it suits them to do so. Clearly, she's learned nothing from her experience of pretending to be that which she was not in Glasgow East.

Anyway, it's done and dusted now. The budget has huge legitimacy; and a valuable lesson can be learned not just about minority government, but of the responsibilities of a majority opposition as well. And with local authorities signed up to the historic concordat and all parties bar the greens signed up to an even more historic budget bill, I presume that means there'll be no more complaining about future spending lines? :-)

Content Warning

Those of a normal, courteous and gracious disposition may find the following scenes disturbing and offensive.

Let's make sure that if we have to endure this sort of shrill, partisan nonsense in the early hours of Friday morning, that Ms. Curran has to wait until after the SNP candidate has finished his speech before she gets her turn...

The Writ's In The Can...

The writ for the Glasgow East by election will be moved in the Commons tomorrow. That makes the date likely to be the 24 or 31 of July.

Bet you won't be able to move in Easterhouse in the next month for Labour leadership hopefuls...

Wendy 'Ready To Run'

From Scotland on Sunday:

Another leading candidate for the post, should McConnell quit, is new shadow justice secretary Margaret Curran. Speculation is growing within the Labour Party that the two may sign up to a 'joint ticket'.

Both, however, are understood to want to dampen down speculation they will challenge McConnell. A source close to [Wendy] Alexander added: "The person who makes the wrong move at the wrong time will come unstuck, because they will come across as disloyal."

Whoops... that'll be no marks for courage or for loyalty, then.