DOUGLAS ALEXANDER AT CENTRE OF ELECTION HYPE FARCE

“SERIAL BUNGLER OF SCOTTISH POLITICS”

Commenting on the Prime Minister’s announcement not to hold a General Election, Scottish National Party General Election campaign co-ordinator Mr Mike Weir MP focused attention on the role of Labour election co-ordinator Douglas Alexander in the hyping up of election speculation.

Mr Weir said:

“Gordon Brown emerges from this episode looking extremely foolish, and with his credibility much diminished.  He clearly lost control of the pre-election hype wound up by his own lieutenants – which started off as a wheeze to wrong-foot the Tories, and ended up cawing the feet from the Prime Minister.

“And the person who appears to have been at the centre of this farce is Douglas Alexander, Gordon Brown’s own election co-ordinator.

“Not content with presiding over the shambles of the Scottish Parliament ballot arrangements, Mr Alexander has now gone one better and messed up the election preparations of his own boss.  He is the serial bungler of Scottish politics.

“The main reason why the Scottish Government is so popular – enormously so according to this weekend’s YouGov poll (1) – is because it is getting on with the business of delivering solid policies on behalf of the people of Scotland.

“It may be too much to expect, but it would be good to think that Douglas Alexander and Co would just get in with the government jobs that they are paid to do – instead of indulging in silly spin and practical jokes that end up making them look like the clowns.”