Help Sitemap Home Skip Navigation Contact Us Disability Statement

Endinburgh Council
 
 
Saturday, 7th November 2009 Change Date

Tories want Alexander to be stripped of election role

Premium Article !

Your account has been frozen. For your available options click the below button.

Options

Premium Article !

To read this article in full you must have registered and have a Premium Content Subscription with the Edinburgh Evening News site.

Subscribe

Registered Article !

To read this article in full you must be registered with the site.

Click on thumbnail to view image
Click on thumbnail to view image
Click on thumbnail to view image
Click on thumbnail to view image
Click on thumbnail to view image

Published Date: 24 October 2007
TORY Leader David Cameron today called for former Scotland Secretary Douglas Alexander to be stripped of his responsibilty for elections after his role in May's Holyrood vote fiasco.
At Prime Minister's Questions he told Gordon Brown: "How can the MP responsible for this fiasco as Secretary of State for Scotland who is now International Development Secretary go round the world telling other people who to run their elections?''
Mr Cameron demanded an apology from Mr Brown after the independent Gould report into the May poll accused Ministers of putting party political interest ahead of the proper running of the election.

The Prime Minister said the Report into the confusion caused by the ballot papers in May does not blame individuals or parties.

Mr Cameron said the report says ministers put partisan political interests before the voters' interests. He asked how International Development Secretary Mr Alexander, in charge of Labour general election manifesto, could lecture other countries about electoral "probity" given his own track record at the Scottish elections.

Mr Brown said Mr Cameron was "misleading people" about the conclusions of the report.

This sparked a rebuke from Speaker Michael Martin who called for "temperate language from the prime minister". MPs are not allowed accuse other members of lying in the House of Commons.

Mr Cameron said he did not know how the prime minister had the "gall" to accuse him of misleading anyone, and called for former Scotland Secretary Mr Alexander to explain himself to MPs and be stripped of his current responsibility for elections.

But he stopped short of calling for him to be sacked from the Cabinet.

The Paisley and Renfrewshire South MP has already said sorry for his role in the May elections fiasco.

His apology came as First Minister Alex Salmond said control over all Scottish elections should be transferred to the Scottish Government.

More than 140,000 votes were spoilt in May's council and Holyrood elections.

International expert Ron Gould's report claimed that Scottish ministers - in Edinburgh and London - had focused on partisan political interests and voters were treated as an "afterthought".

The elections saw a new ballot paper design brought in and a new voting system for the council seats.

Mr Cameron described the mishandling of the Scottish elections as a "scandal".

However, Mr Brown told the Commons the Gould report made clear that no one individual or organisation was to blame and accused the Conservatives of misleading people over its contents.

He said Tory and Liberal Democrat leader had agreed to the content of the ballot papers covering Holyrood and local elections.



The full article contains 439 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
Page 1 of 1

  • Last Updated: 24 October 2007 1:44 PM
  • Source: Edinburgh Evening News
  • Location: Edinburgh
  • Related Topics: Holyrood Elections
 
1

Hugh T,

Fife 24/10/2007 14:54:15

Whatever your politics, the election was a disgrace and how nobody's head has rolled is beyond me. It could only happen in the back-covering world of politics - if it had been in any form of real life Alexander would get the bum's rush.

2

Willie,

24/10/2007 16:07:17

David Cameron has a short memory.
Wasn't he an advisor to the Chancellor on Black Wednesday.
Did he resign?
No.
So reminiscent of the party he leads?
Every time they err its somebody elses fault!

3

Matt M,

Edinburgh 24/10/2007 16:31:51

Utter hypocrisy from both the Tories and the SNP, the former tying to airbrush out of history the fact that they agreed to many of the things which the Gould report identified to be at fault while on pages 45 and 51 of his report Ron Gould directly criticises the SNP for naming the party "Alex Salmond for First Minister" on the regional section of the ballot. Is there any apology forthcoming from Alex Salmond? Of course not. He's shameless.

4

Andrew Allan,

24/10/2007 17:27:37

#3.Matt M.
Did Ron Gould say why putting Alex Salmond in the place they did made a difference, I'm only asking as the SNP weren't the first people to do this, and though I can't remember where it was done, it didn't create any problems, and was an advantage to the party which did it.

5

Richardinho,

24/10/2007 17:42:36

Labour could quite easily have put 'jack Mcconnell for first minister'why didn't they?

6

Jimbo2,

24/10/2007 18:32:13

Matt M #3

Why should Salmond apologise for doing nothing wrong? What he did was completely legal and within the rules at that time. Nobody complained when Tommy Sheridan did the same at the previous elections.

On the other hand Mr. Gould states that what Alexander did was manipulate the system for 'partisan purposes'. Mr. Gould must have evidence of this fact or he would not have made that statement.

We need a full and open judicial enquiry into this mess and if it turns out Alexander did in fact attempt to rig the elections he should go to prison.

7

The laird.,

leadhills. 24/10/2007 19:05:04

the tories in england,
they are heading for a similar defeat by the same crooked method come the next general election thats why this conman has been left in charge of the next election, blue labour new they were going to get gubbed in scotland and this bunch of the mafia sabotaged the scottish election to cut there losses and they managed to hold curtain the S.N.P.from a large majority to a minority government so they nearly got away with it and have no mistake about it these bunch of scumbags will do the same in the general election as there is no limit to how low they will stoup I hope the electorate will understand the decietful government that is currently running the brittish isles remember the promised referendum that hen broon the big issue seller and the rest of his snake oil salesman in his den of theives.

8

The laird.,

leadhills. 24/10/2007 19:13:23

if there ever was a case of public accountability this is one, this clown should not even get the oppertunity to resiegn if this bunch of incompetent morons have an inch of dignity left the rag time band duo and there coherts should be sacked immediately no ifs and no butts.

9

hill_billy,

24/10/2007 19:19:20

2 - "Wasn't he an advisor to the Chancellor on Black Wednesday. Did he resign?"

A 26 year old advisor 3 months into the job is about 100th in line in terms of responsibility for Black Wednesday

10

Sassenach Observer,

Edinburgh 24/10/2007 20:45:51

"The Laird" wins today's prize for the longest ramble in a single sentence and gets bonus points for spelling. Congratulations.

11

Ayrshire Scot™,

24/10/2007 20:53:50

11 no butts about that :-)

12

Matt M,

Edinburgh 25/10/2007 09:36:29

Jimbo2 and Andrew Allan can't have it both ways. They want to pick and chose which findings of the Gould report they want to accept. If they maintain the SNP did nothing wrong on the basis that it was within ther rules Ron Gould clearly disagrees. Contrarary to Jimbo's contribution nowhere in the report alleges anything illegal, he does however specifically criticise the SNP for their tactic of sloganising on regional list vote as contributing to voter confusion but predictably no apology whatsoever from Alex Salmond. Granted Tommy Sheridan has also used this tactic and is equally unapologetic but two wrongs don't make a right. Shame on them both.

13

Gordon Browne,

West Edinburgh 25/10/2007 10:15:51

Is the First Minister still MP,for Banff+Buchan?
Also for slogans on a voting slip-Vote for me!-That is totally out of order..Maybe,He should resign along with Alexander,One for one,eh?.


 

Comment on this Story

 

In order to post comments you must Register or Sign In

 
 
 
  

 
 


Sister Newspapers:
Press Complaints Commission

This website and its associated newspaper adheres to the Press Complaints Commission’s Code of Practice. If you have a complaint about editorial content which relates to inaccuracy or intrusion, then contact the Editor by clicking here.

If you remain dissatisfied with the response provided then you can contact the PCC by clicking here.