Comments on: Ross Finnie: why I want to be Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats http://www.libdemvoice.org/ross-finnie-why-i-want-to-be-leader-of-the-scottish-liberal-democrats-3097.html Our place to talk - an independent website for supporters of the Liberal Democrat party in the UK. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 08:55:56 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Anonymous http://www.libdemvoice.org/ross-finnie-why-i-want-to-be-leader-of-the-scottish-liberal-democrats-3097.html#comment-57205 Anonymous Fri, 01 Aug 2008 17:28:54 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/?p=3097#comment-57205 Here's the link http://www.theherald.co.uk/search/display.var.1411290.0.finnie_holds_door_open_for_talks_on_coalition.php "Liberal Democrats should be open to coalition talks with the SNP once the independence issue has been sidelined, according to Ross Finnie. The senior LibDem MSP and former Environment Minister has opened the door once more to the prospect of Alex Salmond being able to find the 65 seats he needs for a Holyrood majority, by working with 16 LibDems and two Greens." Here’s the link

http://www.theherald.co.uk/search/display.var.1411290.0.finnie_holds_door_open_for_talks_on_coalition.php

“Liberal Democrats should be open to coalition talks with the SNP once the independence issue has been sidelined, according to Ross Finnie.

The senior LibDem MSP and former Environment Minister has opened the door once more to the prospect of Alex Salmond being able to find the 65 seats he needs for a Holyrood majority, by working with 16 LibDems and two Greens.”

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.libdemvoice.org/ross-finnie-why-i-want-to-be-leader-of-the-scottish-liberal-democrats-3097.html#comment-57203 Anonymous Fri, 01 Aug 2008 16:17:12 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/?p=3097#comment-57203 Apologies. I didn't appreciate this was quite such a controversial point - some clarity might help matters a bit. There was a story, I think in the Herald, right back in the aftermath of May 2007 saying that Ross Finnie was keeping the door open for a coalition once a referendum vote had been held in the Parliament (and presumably lost given the arithmatic, and our position). It seemed to me to be particularly counter-productive at the time, and Salmond made fun of it at one of the later question times. I'm afraid I can't find it online - but I'm confident the story was there, and that the comments which formed the basis of it were direct from the man himself. Apologies. I didn’t appreciate this was quite such a controversial point – some clarity might help matters a bit.

There was a story, I think in the Herald, right back in the aftermath of May 2007 saying that Ross Finnie was keeping the door open for a coalition once a referendum vote had been held in the Parliament (and presumably lost given the arithmatic, and our position). It seemed to me to be particularly counter-productive at the time, and Salmond made fun of it at one of the later question times. I’m afraid I can’t find it online – but I’m confident the story was there, and that the comments which formed the basis of it were direct from the man himself.

]]> By: Neil Craig http://www.libdemvoice.org/ross-finnie-why-i-want-to-be-leader-of-the-scottish-liberal-democrats-3097.html#comment-57199 Neil Craig Fri, 01 Aug 2008 15:32:22 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/?p=3097#comment-57199 The devil is in the detail. For example how do you intend to achieve economic development if the most obviously successful way of doing it - classic liberal policies of cutting business taxes & regulation as Ireland has done - is officially "too right wing" to even be thought about. Does Mr Finnie still stand by his promise he made in debate with me at conference in 2001 over nuclear power - that it is safe to trust the politician & their windmills because he personally guaranteed they wouldn't let any blackouts happen? The devil is in the detail. For example how do you intend to achieve economic development if the most obviously successful way of doing it – classic liberal policies of cutting business taxes & regulation as Ireland has done – is officially “too right wing” to even be thought about.

Does Mr Finnie still stand by his promise he made in debate with me at conference in 2001 over nuclear power – that it is safe to trust the politician & their windmills because he personally guaranteed they wouldn’t let any blackouts happen?

]]> By: Vincent http://www.libdemvoice.org/ross-finnie-why-i-want-to-be-leader-of-the-scottish-liberal-democrats-3097.html#comment-57198 Vincent Fri, 01 Aug 2008 15:31:58 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/?p=3097#comment-57198 I would like to ask Anonymous were these attributed views came from as, I am a keen follower of Mr Finnie and never in all his campaign material has anything like this ever been said, I think his actual views involve a return fundamental Liberal Democrat Values. I would like to ask Anonymous were these attributed views came from as, I am a keen follower of Mr Finnie and never in all his campaign material has anything like this ever been said, I think his actual views involve a return fundamental Liberal Democrat Values.

]]> By: Karen Utting http://www.libdemvoice.org/ross-finnie-why-i-want-to-be-leader-of-the-scottish-liberal-democrats-3097.html#comment-57196 Karen Utting Fri, 01 Aug 2008 15:10:14 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/?p=3097#comment-57196 I'm new to LibDem Voice, and quite disappointed to see that the first comment I clicked on is from "Anonymous", and talks about "attributed" views. I was hoping for better. As to the subject matter - alas the real problem seems to be that the SNP are managing their "minority" government rather well and no longer need the inconveience of political partners. I’m new to LibDem Voice, and quite disappointed to see that the first comment I clicked on is from “Anonymous”, and talks about “attributed” views. I was hoping for better. As to the subject matter – alas the real problem seems to be that the SNP are managing their “minority” government rather well and no longer need the inconveience of political partners.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.libdemvoice.org/ross-finnie-why-i-want-to-be-leader-of-the-scottish-liberal-democrats-3097.html#comment-57195 Anonymous Fri, 01 Aug 2008 14:37:49 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/?p=3097#comment-57195 This doesn't shed much light on the most prominent aspect of Ross Finnie's campaign to date - his (attributed) view that we should ask Alex Salmond if we can go into coalition with him after all. Given that Salmond has already said 'no' to this fairly bizarre proposal when it was originally floated by Mr Finnie last year, there would seem to be some danger of kicking off his leadership with a completely predictable and self-inflicted fiasco. We need to be working with the SNP where we agree with them, of course, and opposing them strongly where they are failing badly (material is not in short supply). But our leader in Scotland needs to know that the idea of our returning to Government before the next Scottish elections is straightforwardly ridiculous. They've got to renew our sense of purpose, but that goes hand in hand with building up the party again. It's disappointing that isn't a clearer priority here. This doesn’t shed much light on the most prominent aspect of Ross Finnie’s campaign to date – his (attributed) view that we should ask Alex Salmond if we can go into coalition with him after all.

Given that Salmond has already said ‘no’ to this fairly bizarre proposal when it was originally floated by Mr Finnie last year, there would seem to be some danger of kicking off his leadership with a completely predictable and self-inflicted fiasco.

We need to be working with the SNP where we agree with them, of course, and opposing them strongly where they are failing badly (material is not in short supply). But our leader in Scotland needs to know that the idea of our returning to Government before the next Scottish elections is straightforwardly ridiculous.

They’ve got to renew our sense of purpose, but that goes hand in hand with building up the party again. It’s disappointing that isn’t a clearer priority here.

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