Maq Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 New Deputy FM. He's a good guy, not convinced at how capable he'll be though. Hard act to follow Nicola, best of luck to him All seems a bit complicated though - him and Nicola leading at Holyrood, Stewart Hosie Deputy leader, Angus head at WM, Alex yet to enter the fray... Unless those jobs have all been announced as well? I only saw the Swinney appointment on twitter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flora MaDonald Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 Cracking lad, but too soft. Too many pals across the chamber. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Armchair Bob Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 Swinney's been leader of SNP before, not as successfully as he would have liked. An able and likeable man without being a leader. Definitely an able deputy, though I guess that at some point in the next few years the deputy FM/shadow deputy FM (if SNP lose 2016) role will be filled by someone new, identified as a potential future FM. That's just an assumption though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freeedom Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 good guy but charismatic as a plank of wood, not capable of inspiring people towards independence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flure Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 Exactly the placid, logical foil to Sturgeon's passionate approach. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlfieMoon Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 Bad move. He's not strong enough. Would've thought it could have made sense for Keith Brown or Humza Yousaf to get the DFM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toepoke Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 A fairly significant reshuffle. MacAskill and Russell gone, quite a few new roles for others. Interesting to hear Dennis Canavan on the radio there saying more important than the gender balance is the fact that the majority (all?) of the cabinet were state school educated, as opposed to the Westminster equivalent, and therefore it is much more representative of society as a whole... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Armchair Bob Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 More important than the gender balance, is that Kenny Macaskill has gone from Justice. Surprised about Mike Russell though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZoltanBuchan Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 While I'm sure the move to a 50-50 gender balance in the Cabinet has been done for reasons of equality (and I am, I'm not being snide here), it certainly won't do any harm with attracting the female vote either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jailender Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 Apparently Russell and MacAskill told Nicola that they wanted to quit. Maybe some personality clash issues? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larky Masher Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 More important than the gender balance, is that Kenny Macaskill has gone from Justice. Surprised about Mike Russell though. This is confusing for gender balance and they're men but also total fannies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thplinth Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 (edited) When Swinney was leader I felt it was very dark years for the SNP and independence. Don't understand this appointment at all. Furthermore if anyone actually sat down and decided that it must be 50/50 men and women then it bodes very badly for the future. Hopefully just a coincidence. Edited November 21, 2014 by thplinth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Endell Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 Apparently Russell and MacAskill told Nicola that they wanted to quit. Maybe some personality clash issues? Excellent news, that clown shouldn't be anywhere near front-line politics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rossy Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 He's superbly analytical, but lacking in any real drive or personality. Pretty much every time he was on TV in the lead up to the referendum he was a car crash. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ally Bongo Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 He's superbly analytical, but lacking in any real drive or personality. Pretty much every time he was on TV in the lead up to the referendum he was a car crash. Think thats a bit harsh. He was good in most one to one interviews but not so much in Question time debates He came across really well in the Salmond documentary on Wednesday Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toepoke Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 (edited) I think too many are maybe judging their views on the role of deputy FM by the previous incumbent. It's previously been held by such heavyweights as Jim Wallace and Nicol Stephen. Looking at it from a UK level you've got to go back to the early 1950s to find a deputy PM who went on to run the country... Edited November 21, 2014 by Toepoke Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iainmac1 Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 I think too many are maybe judging their views on the role of deputy FM by the previous incumbent. It's previously been held by such heavyweights as Jim Wallace and Nicol Stephen. Looking at it from a UK level you've got to go back to the early 1950s to find a deputy PM who went on to run the country... Gordon Brown? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iainmac1 Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 When Swinney was leader I felt it was very dark years for the SNP and independence. Don't understand this appointment at all. Furthermore if anyone actually sat down and decided that it must be 50/50 men and women then it bodes very badly for the future. Hopefully just a coincidence. Unfortunately they did. There was a big debate about gender quotas and a vote on it at the snp conference. Nicola sturgeon and others wanted quotas. Christine graham and others were against it as women would be appointed to positions simply because they were women and not purely on ability. It was close but quotas won. I felt the arguments made against quotas were far stronger and put across much better but as Nicola sturgeon supported it it passed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toepoke Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 Gordon Brown? Wasn't deputy PM, that was Prezza... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thplinth Posted November 23, 2014 Share Posted November 23, 2014 Unfortunately they did. There was a big debate about gender quotas and a vote on it at the snp conference. Nicola sturgeon and others wanted quotas. Christine graham and others were against it as women would be appointed to positions simply because they were women and not purely on ability. It was close but quotas won. I felt the arguments made against quotas were far stronger and put across much better but as Nicola sturgeon supported it it passed. Really, wow. Well I was a big voice for joining the SNP in the last two months but that is enough for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thplinth Posted November 23, 2014 Share Posted November 23, 2014 (edited) The instant you pick a less competent person instead of a more competent one based on some 'ideal' is the instant you become a bigot. Edited November 23, 2014 by thplinth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bzzzz Posted November 23, 2014 Share Posted November 23, 2014 good guy but charismatic as a plank of wood, not capable of inspiring people towards independence. Couldn't disagree more, did you watch the programme about Alex Salmond last week? JS came across as a very funny man full of life! There is no doubting his ability, I think he's an ideal Deputy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cove_Sheep Posted November 23, 2014 Share Posted November 23, 2014 (edited) Couldn't disagree more, did you watch the programme about Alex Salmond last week? JS came across as a very funny man full of life! There is no doubting his ability, I think he's an ideal Deputy. JS is probably much better suited to a deputy role than that of leader. Very much a calming influence and safe pair of hands. Edited November 23, 2014 by Cove_Sheep Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flora MaDonald Posted November 24, 2014 Share Posted November 24, 2014 I'd buy a car fae JS. I'd run a mile fae Alex, but unfortunately, it's charisma what counts Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thplinth Posted November 24, 2014 Share Posted November 24, 2014 My admittedly hazy memory of Swinney back during his period of leadership was that he was wishy washy and ineffectual and that the whole movement seemed to go into decline during that period. That may be incorrect or harsh but that was my perception at the time as someone not following any political party at that point. I think it was this phase that made many people realize what they had lost in Salmond who may have his faults but was clearly much better suited to that job. I am not convinced by this line up at all. We'll see... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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