Sir 'Ming ' Campbell is to retire from the London Parliament. His job defending the Union is done.
He seemed a decent sort. Serious and 'statesmanlike'.
I remember him campaigning for Scottish devolution while he had decided to stay at the London parliament. Maybe he felt he was too gravitas a figure for the 'pretendy' parliament in Edinburgh ? I attended one of his meetings in a small village hall in Fife and he didn't really explain why he wasn't wanting to serve in the Scottish parliament.
He leaves behind a diminished North East Fife constituency. The RAF are to leave RAF Leuchars. He fought against the plans by the coalition but was unsuccessful. The paper mill at Guardbridge also closed under his watch. Another massive blow to the local area.
A drive through NE Fife will reveal crumbling roads while there is plenty of 'green cash' for a new windmill farm overlooking the famous St Andrews Old Course. The 'home of golf' will be overlooked by useless white elephants from a bygone era. Old fossils mocking us as they add 10% to our energy bills while pensioners hurry to get their affairs in order before the onset of winter sees their numbers whittled down by another 20,000. Too poor and afraid to turn up their heating as they look out on hills full of idle, but very expensive, windmills. Sitting listless in the weak winter sunshine.
Ming fought mercilessly against the illegal attack on Iraq. To no avail. He was keen on an attack on Syria. To no avail.
He welcomed Hillary Clinton to St Andrews University where he is Chancellor. Ms Clinton was honoured for her efforts in "championing the causes of education, human rights, democracy, civil society and promoting opportunities for females around the world."
This raised eyebrows after her performance at the inquiry into the Benghazi debacle where the US ambassador Stephens and his guards were murdered. Their cries for help were allegedly ignored. Ms Clinton got angry at the inquiry and asked 'what difference does it make' how the ambassador and his guards died....
Her appearance on CBS News was also considered to be 'in bad taste' and 'lacking in humanity'....
Ms Clinton has been selected by both the red and blue teams to be the next US President.
Sir Ming did a short spell as Lib Dem party leader but best to zip past that quickly and spare everyone's blushes.
The expenses scandal found him to be keen on 'scatter cushions' and a 'designer bedroom ' for his 'bachelor flat' in London. Nothing untoward here. Scatter cushions are popular with parliamentarians. No I don't know why.
So good luck in retirement Sir Ming. You have achieved more than most. Certainly more than myself. But was it worth it ?
He seems to have failed at more or less everything except filling in expenses forms.
ReplyDeletehi tris....aye being a Lib Dem does seem to be an exercise in total pointlessness.
DeleteLibDems equals weasel words as ermine is their ultimate goal.
ReplyDeletehi cynical....aye ' a parcel o' rogues' putting in the time until they can sit on the HoL benches in their red finery.
ReplyDeleteWhen Ming was the Lib-Dems' foreign affairs spokesperson you could rely on him to speak articulately, fluently and with confidence on the foreign affairs "topic of the day" even when in an off the cuff interview rather than from a prepared speech.
ReplyDeleteThe only problem was that at the end of it you were no clearer on the causes or solution to the foreign affairs problem, what the Lib-Dems policy on it was going to be or what Ming's personal views on the affair were.
He was a man who could speak at length and say nothing which is a magnificent talent for a politician, especially a Lib-Dem one.
hi Doug...maybe the problem with Lib Dems is that they were able to wax lyrical on any subject, knowing that they would never have to implement any of their grand ideas. The ConDem coalition has thrust them into the spotlight and shown them to be wanting. Falling like ten pins through expenses troughing, sexual impropriety and general incompetence.
ReplyDelete