Nick Clegg, facing bad results in a dreadful 15% turnout in the vote for the new Crime Commissioners in England and Wales and in three byelections, is nevertheless letting his ego run unchecked.
The national press today reported that the Liberal Democrat Leader took a fancy to the Scotland Office, which is at the splendid Dover House, backing on to Horse Guards Parade.
Never mind that this is the long established HQ of the Scotland Office. Never mind that Clegg and his party are fighting the unionist cause to keep Scotland in the UK.
Clegg decided he wanted it; and that, rather than Better Together, he and his LibDem colleague, the quietly rated Scottish Secretary, Michael Moore, were Better Apart, with Moore to be ejected from Dover House.
Cleggo, exercising the force majeure of rank, has insisted on having for himself [and his entourage] the posh quarters that traditionally house the Scotland Office.
So - out goes the Scotland Office, out goes Mr Moore and at this rate of going, with egocentric grandiloquent failures making hugely symbolic mistakes like this, Scotland itself may take the same road.
The Deputy Prime Minister’s requirement for grand accommodation at all costs will last until the refurbishment of his present grand office in Whitehall is complete. That will take him to 2014. He may well then have a private reason for hoping he can hold on to the Scotland Office – for the remaining year that is all he will have until the UK General Election. The Lib Dems have now been overtaken by UKIP.
Watching the folie de grandeur of politicians as they savour, scheme and slaver over what they see as the goodies, is one of the most repellant aspects of our political scene. No wonder people don’t bother to vote..
Sadly (for us) he is making hay while the sun shines, because we all know, and he knows, that he is only piggy-backing another proper party in government. And when the other proper party beats the current proper party into being the next government, poor Cleggy and his no-hope nobodies will disappear off the face of the political map.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
The whole crime commissioners election issue is ridiculous and it is this sort of haemorrhage of public money that merits robust criticism rather than a mistake about budgets which was then acknowleged and apologised for. Approximately £100m wasted on a process which everyone knew would not engage the public. We elect and pay politicians to make these decisions. Only matters of massive national importance should be subject to referendums or elections. This was not one of those matters and that money has been spent achieving nothing that couldn’t have been achieved for pennies.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Absolutely. Hard to think of a more wasteful and inept exercise.
No serious attempt was made to inform and interest the public at the level one would expect of an election costing such a vast amount.
You either just appoint the blighters and let silence signal acceptance or outcry demand change on reasonable grounds – or you do democracy properly.
Whatever way they had been put in to their positions, these Commissioners are unlikely to make the sort of real difference £100 million could have made if applied to practical need.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Interested that someone has given the thumbs down to this. I don’t really pay much attention to the thumbs up/down thing however on this one I am interested to know if there is anyone out there who actually disagrees that the crime commissioner election process was a ridiculous idea. I am yet to find anyone who things it was the right thing to do so would be genuinely interested in hearing reasons why it was.
Theresa May’s attempt to defend it on the radio was embarassing.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
interesting undercurrents going on with Dover House. Is this UK government ensuring Dover House not Scotland’s High Commission in rUK after 2014?
Either way Scotland’s gain; property value goes into valuation of UK assets for Independence settlement and leaves Scotland plenty in the pot to acquire a less expensive functional base in London.
Was in Paris last week and noticed British Embassy next to Elysee Palace. Property value must be such that Scotland’s share would be enough to finance several functional embassies across the Globe.
Finland’s embassy in Washington a real stunner and won several accolades as a vehicle to promote Finnish design and international trade. Great example and opportunity for Scotland and her architects
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
What has Graeme McCormick been on? He certainly is living on a different planet from the rest of us. It must be something that they are feeding to the Dumbarton SNP constituency members. Even his local Argyll SNP colleagues have addmitted that the referendum vote is lost long before it begins.
Maybe we can find him a spare 6′ x 6′ shed for his back garden so that he can have his own make believe embassy.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
I’m selling it and all profits go to the YES campaign
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
So where’s Mr Moore et al decanting to…..Thames House or Vauxhall Cross?
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
“The national press today reported that the Liberal Democrat Leader took a fancy to the Scotland Office, which is at the splendid Dover House, backing on to Horse Guards Parade.”
Has anyone got a link to this? There’s nowt on the Beeb needless to say… There’s only the FA article after a Google search ….
Like or Dislike:
0 
0