91Èȱ¬

Wendy Alexander is woman of calibre. She understands the key techniques and has demonstrated some proficiency and ability to communicate them by word and deed. A credible amount of experience and support highlights her insight and patience. She is a master strategist by example.

Alex Salmond is clever but lacks wisdom. He has the flash and bang of the showman but lacks calm and gravitas. At his strongest he is unable to deliver or draw people to his cause as demonstrated by his watered down ambitions and kowtowing. His political wires are crossed and his fuse is blown.

I feel confident that Alex Salmond is mere fog to her Zen arrow. His illusion of superiority is simply that, an illusion. By remaining calm, practical, and in touch, Wendy Alexander will naturally move past the obstacles as if they didn't exist. She is a bubbling stream flowing past Alex Salmond's rock.

Never mind the width, feel the Tao.

From the early demise of Donald Dewar Scotland's Labour leadership started rolling downhill, first Henry McLeish, then Jack McConnell and now Wendy Alexander continues the descent into weak ineffective leadership; this pattern provides the real reason there was no contest for the Labour Leadership, a distinct lack of talent.

Wendy Alexander will continue trying to convince us she is not Gordon Brown's poodle, trumpeting policy claims of "Autonomy over policy, organisation and presentation", yes Wendy and Gordon are trying to convince us the Scottish Labour Party is autonomous; presenting Scottish Labour Party policy to combat Scottish National Party policy will do nothing if they continue with the unchanged London Labour's agenda setting the pace.

Wendy will buckle under pressure as she has in the past; when Labour's political position is not restored who will she blame, or will she merely choose the route of withdrawal from public life one more time.

I am English, and any sane English person who can see the political predicament of the English, must hope that Alexander falls flat on her face, politically speaking.

The only way that we English are going to progress with our own self-determination is off the backs of astute, patriotic Scots such as Alex Salmond and SNP colleagues.

The notoriously politically apathetic English are relying on the SNP for their own salvation.

A poor show, but there it is.

I agree with John C above. It is right to respect the likes of Salmond and in so doing hope that he sets the English free by winning Scottish Independence. Can we just simply say good bye to our Scottish cousins now?

Alex Salmond's SNP has displayed a competence in government at Holyrood that has confounded Labour and increased the nationalists' lead to a massive 16 points in current opinion polls in Scotland. How frustrating for Gordon Brown, having notched up a 10-point lead over the Tories in the UK owing to the blunders of David Cameron, to see the prospect of a snap October general election disappear because of a collapse in support in his Scottish heartland.

In a recent interview for The Scotsman, Scottish Secretary Des Browne ruled out transfer of more powers to Holyrood. Wendy Alexander has announced that under her leadership of the Labour group, everything is up for review, including the party's approach to the devolution settlement. So not only is Alex Salmond in the box seat in Scottish politics, he has effectively driven a wedge between Labour politicians in Scotland and Westminster.

Whether Mr Cameron can take advantage of the breathing space won by the Scottish nationalists to restore the Tories' fortunes is another matter entirely.

I'm English and see Alex Salmond for what he his. He's an attention seeker and a divisive influence. He's a backroom boy with a job on the front line, an extreme personality type in love with his own vision and little sense of practical realities or the society around him. He may mean well and care for people but his dial is cranked too far around. He needs to calm down and get real.

Britain is broken. There's been a flood of insightful comments from the media on these issues but things are developing in a better way on education, crime, and society and the economy. Scotland, Wales, and Ireland have their issues but the beginnings of something with a better and more glued together quality are there. I can't see how contrary and negative attitudes help.

Both Gordon Brown and Wendy Alexander are personality types heavily focused on quality and teamwork. By brushing aside low confidence and anxieties, their policy focus directs all energy towards a better end with everyone on board. That people like this have risen to the top at this time is amazing. If we didn't have them we'd have to invent them.

By building on initiatives like mentoring by military officers in ghetto areas, developing forward looking business initiatives, and the floated hints of grand projects, like the estuary electricity generating barrage and Shinkansen style high speed national rail network, I feel like I've died and gone to heaven. It doesn't get any better than this.

Wendy Alexander is intelligent, of that there is no doubt. Half the problem is that there is no doubt in her mind. That's her problem. She considers herself to be superior to everybody and is not afraid to show it. Not something that will endear her to the electorate.

Her past experience as a Minister showed that her intelligence was of absolutely no use to her because she lacked common sense and political guile. The evidence of the last few months is that she has not learnt her lesson.

Alex Salmond is a sharp political operator. Wendy Alexander is not. Alex Salmond is very effective speaking in Parliament. Wendy Alexnader is not. Alex Salmond is backed by a very good SNP team. Wendy Alexander is backed by a very poor Labour team. Alex Salmond (at the moment) is respected by the electorate. Wendy Alexander (at the moment) doesn't.

Whoever the new leader was it was going to be a hard ask. With Wendy as leader it just got harder.

Whilst Ms Alexander is not my 'cup of tea' I have this feeling that she is not all that she appears to be. I think some of the above have judged her too quickly, indeed she isn't Scottish Labour's Leader yet!

I look forward to the vibrant debates, exchange of views and sharp comments from Wendy and Wee Eck. Who knows they might just up the game in Scottish politics!

#7 Alasdair

I decided to try and find out a bit about Scottish politics a while back and have participated on various blogs such as that run by The Scotsman newspaper.

I have been staggered by the enthusiasm and passion of Scottish people for discussing political issues.

One can easily see why we English have effectively ended up in the current situation of having professional Scottish politicains running England.

From participating on those Scottish blogs, I was able to see how the 'dead' hand of Labour over the decades in Scotland, had acted to effectively stifle the aspirations of Scottish people.

Salmond and the SNP seem to be much more energised in seeking political solutions for Scotland.

The English are different.

Tony Blair himself said :

"The default political mode of Middle England is to the right of the Labour Party."

The English must shake off their political torpor and work towards their own self-determination and then once again, the English will come home singing from the fields.

My experience was that Wendy Alexander was not well liked or trusted by a significant number of Scots during her previous stint in the Scottish Administration. I see nothing to change this view. Worst still, she is too closely tied to Westminster and as such will be seen as Gordon Brown's "delegate", rather than a representative of the Scottish people. This will be her/Labours biggest downfall. Whether you think he is doing it through gritted teeth, Alex Salmond is at least making a serious effort on concensus government. You just can't imagine Wend Alexander doing this.

Wendy Alexander is intelligent, of that there is no doubt. Half the problem is that there is no doubt in her mind. That's her problem. She considers herself to be superior to everybody and is not afraid to show it. Not something that will endear her to the electorate.

Wendy Alexander may be perceived as arrogant and out of touch by some but her personality type is similar to Gordon Brown. She has vision and listens carefully. Any previous failure on her part was a serious learning lesson. I'm confident she's learned from this.

People confuse substance with personality. The might not understand something or feel their nose is being knocked out of joint. Instead of focusing on the task their own personality gets in the way and they lose sight of the ball. It's not very mature and just drags everything down.

I greatly admire Shigeru Miyamoto and Ken Kutagari. They're similar personality types but a more local and familiar one is Sir John Harvey Jones. He's a personal hero of mine, and if Wendy Alexander can capture some of his spirit she'll square the circle and go like a rocket.

Go Wendy. Peddle to the metal. Hiyah!

The political culture in Scotland is by convention different from that of England: instinctively collectivist (count how many times the phrase "the Scottish people demand" enters into a political speech from ANY Scottish politician), inherently nationalist (small 'n'), sentimental, suspicious and opportunistic.

That's a reality that shapes the political room for manoevre of people like Wendy Alexander. She's got to find a way of working within that political culture while asserting what is effectively unionism, the Brownite 'new vision' (whatever that might turn out to be....) and the competence of an administration-in-waiting for Scotland.

Should be interesting to watch from here in England how she manages to square the circle.

A far more important question is what political voice and engagement is going to be available to the 90% or so of us not in N. Ireland, Scotland and Wales - that little place called England. Some positive proposals from Mr Brown wouldn't got amiss - unless they are flaky.

Chuck E H! Haud yer wheesht! Gordon's as false as Blair (still) is. If he's behind 'Bendy' Wendy I wouldn't give that, '*', for her.

as nowadays all polititcians are now tought politics at college. how can any of them be any different, from each other. So who ever we put in power, they will do the same as every one else. as they all have very simular ideas, with just slight changes. The grass roots politics is to do the best for the most people. but nowadays, seems to be what do i get aswell, as whats good for every one. especialy when they organise their own pay sructures, and rises. As we see that when Labour took over from the Torys, nothing much has changed.

I have the misfortune to have Wendy's brother as my local MP, while my father benefits from the talents of Wendy as his MSP. Between the pair of them, they continuously prattle on in the local press as if all was perfect in their constituency and all because we are blessed to have Labour in power.

Unfortunately the reality is that neither care a jot about my town. The town centre is crumbling before their eyes. Business after business has withdrawn from the High St. The police appear innefectual in the face of yobbism and serious crime. It seems to me that this pathetic pair have only one interest and that is in climbing the greasy pole, aided by their mentor GB.

I would have more respect for the Alexander Sisters (or is it Brothers?), if they would set about restoring pride to their constituency town, rather than claiming they can solve the problems of either Scotland (in the case of Wendy), or the World (in the case of wee Dougie). If either or both can do something meaningful locally, then maybe they will have earned the right to move onto higher things. Until then, they will be seen as self serving, and well paid to boot.

#15 Geza Hoffmann

You could consider voting for an Independent candidate at the next election.

Independents such as ex-MP Martin Bell have demonstrated an excellent track record in serving their constitutents.

It is a great pity for English people, who are not intrinsically interested in politics, that the media is so fixated upon political parties, so genuine independents do not get a look-in.

That means that the English people as a whole, simply have no real idea why boosting the number of independents in Parliament is such a good idea.

Basically, having a set of people with independent views is more likely to lead to better collective decision making.

The 'party' system should be obsolete in this age of modernity.

The English people sense this, which is why they refuse to join (political parties).

Why does the 91Èȱ¬ keep saying this rubbish.Please note,Wendy IS NOT the leader of the Labour party in Scotland,it includes MPs and Lords.She is simply the leader of the labour MSPs in Scotland. Of course, we should not expect the 91Èȱ¬ to bother to get it's fundamental facts correct as it is only Jockland.The usual attitude when it comes to anything Scottish.

# 18 Eric Malan

Seems to me that the 91Èȱ¬ is sub-conciously reflecting the reality of Scotland as a entity in its own right, when it states political things in this way.

Similarly, those who live in England don't say 'north of the border' without implicitly recognising that Scotland is/should be a separate country.

So Scotland's only 8 years old and they've already got their first woman Prime Minister.