Weasely and greasely

For the Shetland councillors to be condemning the Scottish government for launching an inquiry into the future management of the Maritime Coastguard Agency in Scotland, because there has been a suggestion made that this blue light emergency service could possibly be better managed for Scotland from within Scotland, demonstrates a logic and mentality that explains so much about their well-documented inabilities.

In automatically adopting such narrow mindedness, it is recognised that they echo and endorse the knee jerk unionist reaction expressed by Shetland MSP Tavish Scott and Labour leader Iain Gray. All of this is rendered all the more infantile and pathetic by the knowledge that instead of being “electioneering” on the part of the SNP government, the idea was first mooted among others by John Farquhar Munro, the  respected senior Liberal MSP for the West Highlands.

Given that nearly everyone in Shetland and Scotland recognises that the MCA proposals for change are ill-conceived, ludicrous and darned right dangerous, any sensible avenue should be explored to safeguard the future of our mariners and environment.

By adopting the stance of ridiculing the potential for a Scottish government to have the necessary qualifications to manage our seas the Liberal party and its Shetland cohorts have now made this a political subject and one of vital importance.

Let no-one forget who sponsored the foolish MCA “consultation” closure proposals, namely the Liberal Democrat/Conservative coalition at Westminster, so culpability undeniably rests among others with our Liberal MP Alastair Carmichael.

In its previous role as a supporting act to the Labour government in Holyrood, we in Scotland with an interest in the administration of our nation soon learned how the weasely and greasely Liberal party would always claim credit for anything of worth and put light years between themselves and Labour when elections loomed and contention surfaced.

Now, we see the slippery Liberals with their latest bedfellows at the same unprincipled game: attack the SNP and distract attention away from themselves as far as possible.

Well boys, your tea’s out, because every opportunity will now be exploited to expose you for the unashamed, opportunistic, duplicitous parasites you have become.

It is very obvious that unless you are financially benefiting as an MP, MSP or have your rear-end firmly ensconced on a bench in the House of Lords, being a Liberal means nothing virtuous whatsover. Just how many coastguard stations, tugs and helicopters could you run for the weekly price of the unelected House of Lords?

What will happen next? I would predict that the proposals will be called in, the ministers concerned will also be “called in”, firmly and publicly rebuked by their boss and told not to do it again. This strategy ought to mollify Joe Public, circumvent too much damage to the few, fragile Lib-Dem/Tory MPs with egg on their faces and hopefully let time wither the episode from voters’ memories.

Meanwhile, for the rest of us, every effort must be undertaken to ensure the future needs regarding the safety of our seas and coastline must be clearly presented in numerous responses to the consultation. However, dare I suggest that the weight placed on the response from the Scottish government will now have particular relevance.

As for the Shetland councillors who place so much faith in the ability of the perpetrators of the existing closure plans, well that can wait for another day but our memories will not be impaired.

Peter Dodge
Aith,
Cunningsburgh.