How Shit is Your Media? (an occasional series)

I may be accused of being on the qui vive for malice and distortion, but that's at least two articles by Iain Macwhirter on the Dunfermline and West Fife By-Election without a mention of the SSP Candidate.

You could say what's the big deal? Well, McAllion is a massive defection from Labour to the Socialists. It's a leap of faith that has no equivalence in recent history and has been met by a vast shuddering medi silence. This makes me think that he might just have a chance of putting serious dent in Labour's 11,000 odd majority.

What instead is Macwhirter's focus? That political manqué Charles Kennedy (!) I've never trusted Macwhirter since he blew his cover as a respectable liberal pen-pusher to write a load of reactionary drivel around the time of G8.

My instincts of dodgy-Scottish media bias were confirmed by this from Mr T Sheridan...

11 Comments

McWhirter is an apologist for new Labour. Check out his links with the party and especially Jack McConnell.

anon on February 9, 2006 at 1:02 AM

Tell me more. I notice the Herald hasnt published his letter.

Gus on February 9, 2006 at 9:53 AM

Remember McConnell's so-called kitchen cabinet? The names McWhirter, Alf Young (Herald), Carol Craig (his partner and recipient of Scotish Executive largesse) Kirsty Wark ...

anon on February 9, 2006 at 10:58 AM

When you examine all the media coverage during this Dunfermline by-election, you'd think the only two candidates running in this election were Jack McConnell and Gordon Brown.

Forget about the other nine candidates -- whoevery they are. Not a single word has been mentioned about them. Every single newspaper article in the last 10 days has been about McConnell, Brown and the Bridge!!!!!

So in essence, does this mean the race (according to the media) is about the battle for leadership of Scotland and who's in charge -- Holyrood/Westminster, MSPs/MPs, Devolved/Reserved, McConnell/Brown????

DON'T KID YOURSELF. THEY ARE BOTH LABOUR.

This is a Labour party strategy. What we are witnessing is a LABOUR-CONTROLLED MEDIA utilising a media blackout on all the other candidates.

THOSE BASTURTS.

Soisealach on February 9, 2006 at 8:53 PM

And now McConnell is being called to London for a dressing down. I guess Brown wants to emphasise the fact that he is indeed the man in charge and that he doesn't like being made the fool in public on his own turf.

Turf wars? 'Tongs, ya bass!'

Soisealach on February 9, 2006 at 8:59 PM

I didn't have you down as a sweary person Niniane!

anon on February 10, 2006 at 1:05 AM

Much good it did them, in the light of the result.

delescluze on February 10, 2006 at 8:40 AM

Well this is a true and good but what a disaster for the SSP? 537 votes, barey more than the Chrristians (!) fair nuff the Liberals will be a bit hard pressed to present a case in the Scottish Elections, but its still a bad one for the SSP. Perhaps the short-time scale want long enough to build a campaign? I for one, hope it doesn't dissuade MacAllion of standing again.

Gus on February 10, 2006 at 9:47 AM

agreed. McAllion had more going for him than most and the vote was a great disappointment. Maybe at a general election he will make a bigger impact, this one possibly being just a two fingers to Blair [and Broon] job.

delescluze on February 10, 2006 at 4:27 PM

In all fairness, the SSP didn't drop their PERCENTAGE of votes in the Dunfermline by-election: 1.6%.

Soisealach on February 13, 2006 at 8:34 AM

In fairness they got beaten by the Tories and the seat was won by the liberals, complicit in the Scottish Executive disaster administration and after the worst month of news about Liberal leadership since Jeremy Thorpe.

Gus on February 13, 2006 at 10:26 AM

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