Former Labour Equality Minister in Gingerphobic Attack

There was always one chant I always felt uncomfortable with in the stands at Scottish football stands. It was the one attacking the poor unfortunate ginger player on the opposition team, and how his natural colouring was unacceptable. The reason being that being in Scotland there were plenty of ginger fans in our own section, heck the majority of what are now my grey hairs on head or in beard once were ginger.

Therefore to stand at your parties Scottish conference and make a ginger gibe can't not have gone down too well, one of the people sat on the platform looks rather uncomfortable as she applauds, the former Women and Equalities Minister, for it is her. She went futher and called him a rodent. Actually seeing a beavers are rodents and stem the torrent of resources washing away maybe we should use that. Danny Alexander Chief Dambuilder to the Treasury.

There is one other thing, my Lib Dem colleagues in Scotland haven't mutated into Tories and more than they mutated in Labourites during eight years of coalition Government in Scotland. Harriet in Scotland the people understand coalition is the coming together for a common cause, it does not take away from either party what makes them fundamentally themselves.

When will Labour start to talk policy rather than hurl insults? If they want to win seats they have to say what they will do, rather than merely saying, "Oh no! You can't be doing that."

Grow up Labour. Get back into politics and out of the playground name calling.

Update: Here is the Twitter comeback from Danny Alexander:

"I am proud to be ginger and rodents do valuable work cleaning up mess others leave behind. Red squirrel deserves to survive, unlike Labour"

You're Being Sued Mrs Robinson

Before I start I would like to assure Mrs Robinson this is not a witch hunt, her words not mine. Merely trying to get to bottom of just what she has said and has continued to say in her defence since I first posted this, then this earlier this week and also where the story has led.

It appears that on Tuesday the MP and MLA tried to defend her comments made on Stephen Nolan's Radio Ulster show last Friday in the Belfast Telegraph. To be perfectly honest she didn't do the greatest job of it. For starters this:

"I love them [homosexual]; that is what the Lord tells me, to love the sinner and not the sin. And just as a murderer can be redeemed by the blood of Christ so can a homosexual."

Ouch! First when trying to explain herself by accusing a whole subset of the population of requiring psychiatric treatment this comparison was bound to spark further fury rather than quenching the flames she'd set off earlier. Does this mean she sees homosexuality on a par with murder. If she is taking her bible literally both should be taken outside immediately and stoned to death, mind so should every adulterer. Is that what she wants to happen? There has even been a letter in the Belfast Telegraph from Changing Attitude, a church network seeking affirmation for Gay and lesbian Christians in Ireland, criticising her negative view of homosexuality and Christianity.

She secondly went on to defend her comments as her right to free speech. But hang on just a second her right to free speech is one thing but shouldn't it also apply to those who she has condemned, suggested they needed to change, even seek unsubstantiated psychiatric help. They have the right to free speech too, the also have the right to be protected from potentially harmful and hateful comments. If such comments were to come from someone with a responsible, authoritative position surely the need for protection is all the greater. Sorry Iris that defence cannot work on this not in light of you position as chair of the Health Committee, your speech needs to be more guarded as you balance you public life and responsibilities, especially in so public a forum.

In the last week as well as being investigated by the police, she is going to probed by the Assembly's standards committee and she may be being sued under the Public Order Act — article 9 — which deals with threatening behaviour and insulting words.