Comment posted Council Elections: the tally in Argyll and Bute by BFOandC.
And Maurice Corry – whom you list as an independent?
BFOandC also commented
- Just a query.
You say that the Conservatives and Unionists have got two seats, as before. The Argyll & Bute website lists four Con&Un councillors: David Kinniburgh, Gary Mulvaney, Maurice Corry & Donald Kelly.
Recent comments by BFOandC
- So it is to be an ‘in or out’ EU referendum – with imponderables
For me this is final proof that Cameron has no real interest in maintaining the Union. If the SNP were writing his script it couldn’t work out better for them.So he ‘insists’ on a one question referendum meaning the stark choice is between the status quo or independence. Then, shortly after the SNP have seemed to be taking damage over the issue of Scotland’s membership of the EU post-independence, up pops Cameron and puts EU membership in doubt even if Scotland remained in the UK.
So, any Scot who wants more powers devolved from Westminster and also wants to know they will be in a state which is a member of the EU will have only one sure choice in the referendum.
- EC President’s ruling on membership not a real issue
It seems quite clear that if/when Scotland regains its full independence it will have to apply (as a ‘new’ state coming into existence) to become a member of the EU. We can argue about how willing the EU might be to welcome Scotland into the fold, but the reality is that their ‘welcome’ will depend on what the precise conditions of membership are when agreed.
Therefore post a ‘successful’ referendum there will have to be a detailed negotiation with the EU to decide those terms and agreement will need to be reached before independence comes into effect.
One question: will the electorate be asked to approve whatever those terms turn out to be? - Russell back in the bathtub, now trying to sink Keith Brown’s boat
Sorry but I’m not dealing with issues of rights and wrongs here nor what MR should or should not have done. All I wanted to point out was that Mr Ramsay had both recorded and distributed his recording. That fact is now at least recorded and accepted by you. - Russell back in the bathtub, now trying to sink Keith Brown’s boat
Sorry, I really don’t think anything I said was misleading. The facts (not opinions) are:
Mr Ramsey made and distributed a recording without others at the meeting knowing about it.
MR intervened because a recording had been made and distributed.
Those are the facts. - Most constructive move yet from the slomo pro-union side
I wonder whether if, nearer the time, it looks like the referendum could give a majority for independence we might see an ‘agreement’ between the main Westminster parties that if Scotland rejected independence they would hold a ‘Devo-max’ referendum a few months later.I have never understood why the majority of the Westminster parties should have allowed themselves to be put into a position where the Scottish People are to be offered either the status quo or independence.
I suppose it depends on whether they think that the majority of those unhappy with the status quo will vote against independence. But is still seems to me a very risky approach for the union parties to take.
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Just a query.
You say that the Conservatives and Unionists have got two seats, as before. The Argyll & Bute website lists four Con&Un councillors: David Kinniburgh, Gary Mulvaney, Maurice Corry & Donald Kelly.
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But Donald Kelly is not a real Tory, is he?
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Unless he did a last minute U turn I thought that Corry, of Lomond North altho’ he lives in Helensburgh, stood as a Conservative.
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He did indeed. This was our mistake entirely. All the necessary connections have been made and we apologise to Mr Corry, to the Scottish Conservatives and to readers for the error.
Mr Corry’s win takes the membership of the Conservative group within the council to 3.
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It is a matter of public record that Donald Kelly declares himself to be a member of the Conservative party but does not join the COnservatove grop in the council.
He is one of the three founding members of the Argyll First group that really have brought change to the way many voters in Argyll now see local politics.
His local constituency have nothing withheld from them and have enthusiastically endorsed his position in a triumphant fist place .
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And Maurice Corry – whom you list as an independent?
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He was wearing a blue rosette at the count and looked and sounded like the genuine article to me.
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newsroom – I think BFOandC’s point was that Maurice Corry was on the slate as Conservative & Unionist, not independent as you have shown above. There are three Conservatives plus Donald Kelly elected.
Congratulations to Iain MacDonald in Ward 5 – evidently his driving policy of bringing some ‘glasnost’ to Kilmorograd has struck a chord with the electorate.
NB Neil MacKay was in Oban North & Lorn, not Oban South & Isles.
Interesting result overall – if Dunoon returns the same 3 (2 Alliance + 1 SNP) as last time, Alliance+LibDem+Tory will still be unable to form a majority administration, even if both MacDougall & R G Macintyre join them. But then neither would SNP+Argyll First+genuine independents… there will need to be some musical chairs amongst the party groups it would seem.
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Has anyone heard the rumour that Robin Currie, Donnie McMillan and Rory Colville are forming a breakaway independent group of councillors, ‘Argyll Worst’, with the primary intention of aligning themslves with whatever group can offer them extra perks in the form of financial benefit for chairing committees etc, of nodding when told to, of conveniently forgetting whatever promises they’ve made their electorates, and of formation flipflopping at their leader’s command?
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Obviously 1300 people in Argyll disagree! Power to the People!
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Possibly the funniest post I’ve read this year. Thanks Robert, for raising a smile on this frosty morning!
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Heaven forbid we get the same ruling group. Another few years of that lot would be a disaster.
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the snp have chosen today of all days to award the northern isles ferry contract to serco , i fear a political stitch up
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And the wonder is that at the same time that Keith Brown is trumpeting the benefits of Serco as northern isles ferry operator he’s silent on the shambles that is SPT’s Kilcreggan ferry service. It’s obviously the big picture that counts, the small communities can go to hell.
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But you can’t be both a Conservative and Argyll First as Donald chooses. Well you can but why do represent a political party if you don’t intend to stand shoulder to shoulder with your fellow party councillors? Saying that Donald is a fine Councillor, arguably the best in Argyll!
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Maybe Donald’s not so much representing the Conservative party as just stating that he’s a Conservative voter in national politics – after all, presumably the vast majority of independent local politicians vote for one of the main parties at national level, but think that national party policies might be unnecessarily constricting – or inappropriate – when dealing with local issues at local level. I know this will be interpreted by some as just ducking the issue of committing to specific policies, and that this has been the core problem with the behaviour of Walsh & Co, but it’s surely a valid viewpoint for those local politicians who do have integrity.
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Sandy Taylor , the successful first time candidate in Mid Argyll, is an SNP member
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