Bill Jardine, former editor of the Dunoon Observe, has taken a rhetorical flame-thrower to Jim Mather, Argyll’s MSP.
Living in Brittany, Mr Jardine is as passionately committed to Dunoon as Sean Connery is to Scotland – from a distance. Guys – the basic credibility test is: ‘Are you here?’
However, the subject of Mr Jardine’s perspective from abroad is that, as he sees it, Mr Mather is responsible for the people of Dunoon being ‘sold down the river’, guilty of ‘betrayal’ and of ‘a total abdication of responsibility’.
The onslaught relates to the nature of the tender recently published by the Scottish Government for the Dunoon-Gourock ferry route.
Anyway, while having as much fun an anyone in watching the trajectories – however erratic – of Jardine’s verbal fireworks, they fall prematurely to earth on two counts.
The first to bite the dust is the big one – the target. He’s got the wrong one. Jim Mather’s responsibilities are for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism. However relevant to the issue, these do not include Transport.
By flailing at the markedly energetic Mather, Jardine has taken his eye of the static target, always below the horizon but vulnerable to the plunging shell never launched in his direction.
Step forward Stewart Stevenson, Mr Style-over-Substance and the most inactive and inept – not to say cack-handed – Minister in the current Government. (Hang on. We’re just trying to live up to the Jardine standards of rhetoric here. It’s fun.)
The trouble is that Stevenson is sitting on the Transport brief, one of the most complex, demanding, expensive and fraught of all – and the grease on the axel of Scotland’s development.
Jim Mather has asked the Transport Minister to reply to Mr Jardine’s concerns. That will be enlightening.
Jardine’s second rocket that doesn’t make it into orbit hurls a question at Mather: ‘Did you have no say at all in the drafting of this tender document – weren’t you even consulted?’
Time for an ‘Are you sitting comfortably?’ moment with Bill Jardine. Pause to consider.
Jim Mather is a Minister single-handedly carrying three briefs. Each of these is a full - and demanding – ministerial responsibility.
- There’s enterprise – which, above all things, Scotland needs to develop. The lack of spirit will be slow to change that sees so great a percentage of the employed tucked away in the shelter of an inflated public sector.
- There’s energy – at a time when Scotland has 25% of Europe’s renewable energy resources, untried technologies to see through to maturity, a National Grid that is in no way fit for today’s purposes, a skewed system which actually charges Scotland for delivering energy to that grid and people and government bonded against nuclear power.
- There’s tourism – capable of mining economic development out of Scotland’s greatest resource of all – itself. But that will need marketing we have as yet shown no ability to determine and deliver; and before that, it will need a core strategy and product development for which, as things stand, no agency accepts responsibility.
And BIll Jardine can’t see why Jim Mather hasn’t found the time to help Stewart Stevenson with his homework?
There is another issue in the two incendiary emails to Jim Mather which Mr Jardine released to the Dunoon Observer for publication in today’s issue.
It is one that derives directly from his absence, following his decision to live abroad.
Close observation has led us to understand that Jim Mather is quietly enabling a new politics. He doesn’t talk about it. He doesn’t explain it. He takes the heat of attacks born from expectations of an anachronistic approach to which he does not subscribe. He waits for people to get it. He understands that this will take time and that if it is to bring change, it must take as long as it takes.
We’ve got it – not quickly, but at last. We got it because we’re here, we’re watching, we’re interrogating and we’re thinking. Without that forensic first hand evidence, we wouldn’t have got it – and Bill Jardine, great editor as he was, is disabled by his absence in this respect.
What we’ve ‘got’ is an issue we will shortly address. In this instance it relates to Mr Jardine’s inability to understand why Jim Mather says he needs more voices in Dunoon and Cowal to make themselves heard on the ferry tender issue.
Bill Jardine’s reaction, reasonably – is to say: ‘But you’re that voice’.
Well yes. Once upon a time. Before Brittany. Watch this space.
Bill has indeed missed the target, big time.
Jim Mather is running three large portfolio’s and yet is still required to be the voice of reason in local problems such as the Lochgilphead swimming pool and business signage in and around Argyll but to name a few recent involvements. Why on earth would Bill take a pop at such local and national treasure is beyond comprehension. It must be sangria or sun.
It’s the Dunoon population that need to make their voice heard on the matter and I am sure they will, it is a dynamic community with its own sense of purpose. Whatever influence Jim Mather has at Transport I am sure he will bring to bear for the community of Dunoon. But as the newsroom said in the piece above this is not his department, credit where credit and blame where blame is due eh.
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Good to see I’ve managed to get up someone’s nose….
First of all, Jim Mather’s primary brief is to represent his constituents.
His party won the election in Argyll on the strength of a promise to deliver an unrestricted vehicle/passenger ferry service between Gourock and Dunoon.
I had – note the use of the past tense – a great deal of time for him while his party was in opposition. His predecessor, George Lyon, was, in my view utterly useless, and Jim seemed to offer hope that the long-standing ferry issue would be resolved in the fashion which was clearly the desire of the community; it was certainly an issue on which he focused more than any other.
On that basis, as the then editor of the Observer/Standard, I gave him my implicit backing.
A packed public meeting in the Queen’s Hall voted to a man/woman in support of the concept of an unrestricted vehicle/passenger ferry service between Gourock and Dunoon.
The voices were there. Jim was at the meeting. He heard them. Why does he need to hear them again?
If he does, why doesn’t he call another public meeting to establish whether the public’s view has changed?
On the same basis I’d take issue with the notion that because he holds a ministerial brief he’s too busy to discuss the ferry issue with the transport minister.
Pardon me for repeating myself, but he wasn’t elected to the ministerial portfolio – he was elected by the people of Argyll and Bute to do a job for them – that, first and foremost, is where his responsibilities lie.
If he didn’t give the transport minister the benefit of his views on the matter, then he simply wasn’t doing his job.
When I sent my original email to Jim Mather it wasn’t my intention to release the correspondence for public consumption, but Jim’s responses were so utterly lacking in any substance or, for that matter, any prospect of delivering on his party’s promises, that I decided to let the public judge for itself whether they were worthy of a wider circulation.
I have no doubt that there will be many who will disagree with that decision (and will almost certainly be heaping opprobium (and other smelly stuff) on me in the Standard next week, but equally there are plenty of others who were wondering – as I was – just what Jim’s role in this fiasco was.
It seems, according to you, that he had no role at all, so none of this is his fault.
Join the others in the Hall of Fame, Jim, Nicol Stephen, Tavish Scott, George Lyon, and Alan Reid – oddly enough, none of this was their fault either.
I quote: ‘Close observation has led us to understand that Jim Mather is quietly enabling a new politics. He doesn’t talk about it. He doesn’t explain it.’
He certainly doesn’t. I watched him on Newsnight a couple of weeks back putting his case for the decision on the Beauly-Denny power line – and it wasn’t just the interviewer that had problems understanding what he was talking about.
Quote: ‘He waits for people to get it. He understands that this will take time and that if it is to bring change, it must take as long as it takes’.
How long is that? The current Calmac ferries are seagoing antiques – time is a luxury he hasn’t got.
As for being ‘disabled’ by my absence – I won’t pretend that my finger is on the pulse, but on the other hand, thanks to the internet and email, not to mention the BBC, I’m not entirely ignorant of what goes on Scotland, or in Cowal for that matter.
As a matter of interest, like Shirr Sean I actually support the concept of Scottish independence.
However, it doesn’t follow that I think politicians who stand on an independence platform should be immune from criticism – and I stand by my view that, as MSP representing the area, Jim Mather bears a considerable responsibility for this shambles.
I have yet to receive any communication from the transport minister, although why he should be asked to explain his reasoning – for want of a better word – to me, is something of a mystery.
I have no doubt that his case would be better served if he went to Dunoon and explained it there…but if, on the other hand, he does drop me a line, I’ll be sure to pass it on to you.
…. and incidentally, JP, it’s currently a little above freezing here, so I’m hardly likely to get sunstroke, nor am I likely to suffer from a sangria hangover – I think that’s Spanish plonk.
Nothing would give me greater pleasure than to have to eat humble pie on the ferry issue, and if he can pull it off I’ll be the first person to congratulate (and apologise to) Jim Mather – but I don’t think that’s going to happen, and if it doesn’t then Jim’s going to have a lot of time on his hands after the next election.
Nice website, by the way.
Congratulations.
Bill Jardine
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Jim Mather is leading in a new form of politics. He recognises that have actually a lot less power than the public think. He understands that in order to effect real change it is not for politicians to dictate but to facilitate.
The problems that we face are so often due to the key stakeholders not helping one another for the mutual benefit of all. Cooperation and communication between the key people involved are the way to make long term sustainable progress. Jim is very good at bringing people into a room to look at the problems and encouraging them to find solutions for themselves. It is not up to the government to impose solutions.
It’s a far cry from the flashy government initiative that is good for a headline and drains the taxpayer while achieving little.
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Hi, Bill
While I accept your general premise you are being a bit hard on Jim Mather who has produced more in real terms in two and ahalf years all over Argyll and Bute than was produced by any or all of our elected representatives in the last twenty years.
I wouldn’t use the Dunoon Observer as any guide. Sadly it appears to report every time Alan Reid changes his socks while ignoring a continuous flow of good news stories for Jim Mather’s efforts.
For Argyll indicates where the problem lies. If Jim Mather has a weakness it is in scrupulous adherence to the doctrine of collective responsibility in Government and a loyalty to ministerial colleagues who may or may not be worthy of that loyalty.
You would be doing us all a huge favour if you imparted the well informed views you have on this issue to Salmond, Swinney, Sturgeon and Stevenson.
(That’s the frst time I’ve noticed they all start with esses).
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Hi Dave:
First of all, thank you for your courtesy and understanding of where I’m coming from on this.
I retain an excellent relationship with the Observer going back many years, and while I am reluctant to criticise the paper I have to agree that there is an excessive coverage of the outpourings of Alan Reid – most of which are about matters over which he has no control and precious little influence; in most cases his words are little more than literary flatulence and do him little credit.
I accept without reservation your assertion that Jim is doing the business in terms of Argyll in general, but that doesn’t change my views on his handling of what is, by any measure, the one issue which swung the election in his favour – and I am absolutely not going to apologise for criticising him for it.
As for imparting my views to the upper echelons of the party, that’s not my place – after all, as has already been pointed out, I now live abroad, which somewhat devalues my opinions.
In any case, my views largely concur with those of Cameron Smith and Professor Neil Key, both of whom have already contributed considerably to the debate and are much more knowledgeable on the intricacies of the matter than I am.
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Sorry, ‘Key’ should read ‘Kay’!!
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Cheers, Bill.
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I agree with all the positive comments above , Jim Mather is one of the hardest and committed MSPs that i have known. You have my family,friends,and my VOTES.Keep up the good work Jim.
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Bill,
What evidence to you have to make such a bold claim?
You wrote “His party won the election in Argyll on the strength of a promise to deliver an unrestricted vehicle/passenger ferry service between Gourock and Dunoon.”
If I recall at least 90% (well maybe 85%) of the electorate live elsewhere in Argyll and I hardly think we voted on the strength of the above delivery? Doh!
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Hi Bill, Dave. Jimmy, et al,
I think that Jim Mather’s only problem is that perhaps he has not managed to communicate the feelings of the local people to Mr Stevenson forcefully enough. Or perhaps the Transport Minister is unable to take it in. Jim knows exactly what we want. A walk up Argyll Street is what Stevenson needs. That would focus his mind, if he survived. Go on Jim, give him both barrels. You are the one who will pay if he fails us.
Andy
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I have been told the SNP has removed all the hurdles that were put in place to kill off this service by the Labour/Libdem previous government and this has not been easy as there was a very confused attitude taken by the EU deliberately engineered by the outgoing LabLib pair.
The SNP will be judged by how they proceed from here. Bill Jardine is probably right. It will be a tight contest and a few hundred votes in Dunoon could swing it away from the SNP who have been favourites to win in May.
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If anyone hasn’t seen the original exchange of e-mails it is on the Dunoon Observer’s new website, http://www.dunoon-observer.com
I don’t recall this new site being launched, so maybe it is a beta?
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Hughie:
I stand by my view that the ferry issue won Jim Mather the election. Your figures are pretty much correct as far as I can see – the Dunoon area comprises around nine percent of the population of Argyll. However, Jim’s majority was, as I recollect, a little over 800 votes, and I submit that there were enough people in the Dunoon area sufficiently scunnered with George Lyon’s performance on this issue to swing the seat.
I’d agree with Willie McEwan over the confusion caused over the ferries by Messrs Lyon and Reid.
I took issue with George Lyon on a couple of occasions over statements which he made which were transparently false; I thought he was an utterly appalling MSP, and it it is a measure of the depth of the Libdem talent pool that he was the best candidate they could find to occupy a European seat.
However, the current tender document is arguably even worse than that drawn up by the lamentable Tavish Scott when he held the transport brief.
However, there is one link between the two tenders – in both cases the flexibility of the tender is allegedly limited by ‘EU rules’.
I think it was Alyn Smith who said that EU rules were there to be interpreted, not obeyed.
I live in a country where the interpretation of EU rules is an art form.
All over mainland Europe there are EU flags and symbols. That’s because the French, the Germans and everyone else knows how to use the system for national and community benefit.
In the UK, however, the EU is portrayed as a bogeyman , and ‘EU rules’ is a catch-all term used by lazy and incompetent ministers and bureaucrats who lack the ability to tailor the answer to suit the question.
And that pretty well sums up how the ferry shambles arrived at where it is today.
Andy says: “Go on Jim, give him both barrels. You are the one who will pay if he fails us”, and he’s right.
If Jim Mather is to survive this debacle then he should demand of the transport minister that he face a public meeting in Dunoon to explain just how he arrived at the conclusion that the tender he has produced is the right for the job.
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Perhaps if Argyll + Bute’s MSP and the rest of the SNP administration in Edinburgh spent less time and less of our money pursuing their obsession with breaking up the United Kingdom, important local issues such as this one would be sorted out speedily .
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Only under independence will we have the power to deal with these problems without trying to do things with our financial hands tied behind our backs
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the budget of Scotland’s administration has doubled since devolution began , it’s a shame the snp would rather waste the money on pursuing separation , holding a so called national conversation when scottish cabinet colleagues cannot sort out problems among themselves -obviously a lack of conversation among the snp hierarchy
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Indeed. As also has doubled the price of pint and a gallon of petrol and everthing else since 1997. Do you think we are all daft or haven’t you heard of inflation.
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If kintyre1 cannot contribute anything positive to the debate then he/she should back out while he/she has some credibility left. While kintyre1 may or may not be a member of the Labour Party, it is the typical reaction of that organisation to snipe negatively for party political “advantage”. I thought a thrashing in the polls might have taught them a lesson but it would seem not. Another lesson is being arranged for May.
Many in Cowal, of all parties and none, have been fighting this corner for years and now we see others, like Alan Reid MP (who?), trying to appear as the Messiah who will save our ferry service. You’ve got to laugh.
Everybody who has any knowledge of this affair, and has Cowal’s interests at heart, appears to agree on what is needed. So where is the problem? You all work TOGETHER to get it. Even Western Ferries were demanding a level playing field. Quite right too! But then they should remember that they have been playing with the wind and downhill for years, courtesy of the restrictions placed on CalMac by previous governments. Even the referee was blatantly biased towards them. Can we have a replay please? Mmmmh, I thought not. Can we fine them then? Possibly! But how will that help us? Well, it won’t. But the Government will be richer. Oh, so can we use that to get new ferries? No, we’ll use it to finance another illegal war, Trident missiles, MP’s expenses and a few more inquiries that can whitewash other dodgy decisions we’ve made up until now. Oh, OK. Cynical, moi? Could somebody give me a good reason to vote in May? Please.
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Bon soir,
Oh dear!Oh dear! Oh dear, there’s been a murder!Ex pat slain in France! How dare he critcise anything that is happening in Scotland just because he doesn’t live there anymore. Bill Jardine still takes an active part (albeit at a distance) in the politics of the area and of the local politicians contributions and stances on the pertinent issues in that area. The idea that he has to physically live in Argyll to be able to comment knowledgeably on local subjects is incredibly naive and parochial. In the modern world of technology and subsequent cross-fertilisation of ideas and viewpoints distance has become unimportant. Only relevance matters.
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Could you please give Hugh Primrose a message. I am in Canada and searching my Family Tree. My great grand-father was Robert Primrose. Perhaps we are great cousins.
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