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Alistair Carmichael memo leak and inquiry: should he resign?


Should Alistair Carmichael resign?  

141 members have voted

  1. 1. Should Alistair Carmichael resign?

    • Yes
      84
    • No
      57


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The art of being a good secretary is knowing how to sprootle and when to sprootle.  How many secretaries say "They're in a meeting right now" when they know full well that their boss isn't in a meeting?

 

Same with politicians.  100% honest and decide to announce everything they know:  the good, the bad, and the ugly?  Or do they hold back thinking "I'll save that for the next debate"?

 

I accept that skullduggery goes on and I'd be incredibly naive if I didn't acknowledge that the majority of politicians are far from being Mr SqueakyCleanNiceGuy.  And would I trust Nicola Sturgeon (not his opponent as she wasn't standing)?  Hell, absolutely not.

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Is Ghostrider a Grant Shapp like alter-ego for Mr Carmichael?

 

Never heard of Mr. Shapp, but for half his salary I'll be Carmichael's doppelganger any day. Payment in in full, up front, in used, unmarked, low denomination, non-consecutively numbered notes of course.

 

I'll begin, just as soon as I have received and counted them.

Edited by Ghostrider
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Wrong, totally wrong, Ghost. Not voting is acceptance by default. Not voting is allowing anyone to use and abuse you and your money. Not voting is refusing to stand up and attempt to get what is best for you and those around you. Not voting is not having the sense to at least attempt to put the best in power. None of them are perfect but some are worse than others and we have the right to the best of a bad bunch. Do nothing and Alistair Carmichael remains in place and does nothing for us except tell, or allow to be told, porkies to keep life easy for him and his ilk. Not voting is saying, "Yes, come along and rip me off!!!" Not voting is shooting yourself in the foot and there's no complaints that you can put forward about it, either.

 

If nobody voted for them, nobody would have a mandate to govern. They are put there by us, to respresent us, and to be answerable to us. We do not need their permission or approval to remove the present system of government and replace it with another.

 

The alternative to not voting to achieve a different system of government is revolution/anarchy, which would you prefer?

Edited by Ghostrider
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Its a rotten corrupt system filled with rotten corrupt people from the bottom to the top, if you engage with it, you're by default perpetrating and supporting it is some way. Don't like it, oust it and put a better one in its place.

 

The system is indeed far from ideal but there's not much chance of making a change unless we call out MPs when they have clearly breached basic ethics (whether or not we voted for them). To claim that one example of wrongdoing doesn't matter because there's other examples of wrongdoing is classic 'whataboutery'

 

If you know there's wrongdoing and don't engage with it you are "by default perpetrating and supporting it in some way"

 

 

Nah, I've just given up on believing our current political system is worth salvaging, like an old car failing its MOT the rot is breaking out in holes at so many places, there's no point in trying to patch it up any longer. Dump it and start over.

 

Whatever becomes of Carmichael will not change things one iota anywhere, life and a broken political system will continue like it never happened. Pursuing him regardless of the future is a futile gesture that at best may massage a few egos along the way - yawn.

Edited by Ghostrider
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With the greatest respect GR, what is it that you're doing to bring about the revolution you speak of?

 

I'm assuming that not voting and criticising folk online who are trying to make at least a small difference can't be the sum total.

Edited by Davie P
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Wrong, totally wrong, Ghost. Not voting is acceptance by default. Not voting is allowing anyone to use and abuse you and your money. Not voting is refusing to stand up and attempt to get what is best for you and those around you. Not voting is not having the sense to at least attempt to put the best in power. None of them are perfect but some are worse than others and we have the right to the best of a bad bunch. Do nothing and Alistair Carmichael remains in place and does nothing for us except tell, or allow to be told, porkies to keep life easy for him and his ilk. Not voting is saying, "Yes, come along and rip me off!!!" Not voting is shooting yourself in the foot and there's no complaints that you can put forward about it, either.

 

If nobody voted for them, nobody would have a mandate to govern. They are put there by us, to respresent us, and to be answerable to us. We do not need their permission or approval to remove the present system of government and replace it with another.

 

The alternative to not voting to achieve a different system of government is revolution/anarchy, which would you prefer?

 

 

The result of not voting is that someone would take control, regardless. Then you will enjoy your revolution and anarchy, then they would do precisely what they wanted to and there would be no reason for complaint. The alternative to not voting is voting, voting for the person, party or system you believe to be best and then you can at least say, "I tried my best."

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If nobody voted for them, nobody would have a mandate to govern. They are put there by us, to respresent us, and to be answerable to us. We do not need their permission or approval to remove the present system of government and replace it with another.

 

The alternative to not voting to achieve a different system of government is revolution/anarchy, which would you prefer?

If you vote with the "herd" then, this is what you get.  If you don't vote, then you end up being governed(?) by your inferiors and, whilst "they" do not need our permission to remove/replace them, "they" have (legal(?)) mechanisms in place designed to prevent any such eventuality.  We don't even have the power of ReCall..

 

Like it, or not, we have Carmichael for the next 5 years so and, under the current system, he is just about "untouchable". People who complain about it had better get a life..

 

Furthermore, would we be having the same discussion if Skene had said/done something similar and, would the SNP be willing to risk losing the seat in a by-election?

 

I don't know about anyone else but, I am adult enough to EXPECT our elected representatives to try and "get one over" on their opposition at every opportunity.  This does not mean that I approve of the "leaked" document but, you have to remember that the meeting referred to did, in fact, take place. 

 

Additionally, what was discussed at the meeting and, why was Sturgeon keeping it quiet?  Was she "testing the water", trying to establish Scotland's position in Europe after she holds and, maybe, wins another referendum?

 

If it hadn't been for the "leak" then, we would not have known of the meeting at all.  Carmichael should be complimented(?) for furthering the interests of "democracy". :twisted:

 

In the broadest terms, revolution IS anarchy but, sometimes it is the only way.  Is it possible that Sturgeon was trying to get her hands on plans for the latest Guillotine?.  Will she march on Westminster with her army of 50 or so? :twisted:

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My understanding is Alistair Carmichael will now face a full parliamentary inquiry, going by the report in the Guardian it seems a by-election would be the likely outcome.

Labour peer Dale Campbell-Savours, a former member of the Commons standards and privileges Committee, predicted that there would be a byelection.

 

“It is inconceivable that a parliamentary committee could issue a penalty in a case of this gravity of less than 10 days’ suspension. Therefore a byelection will inevitably be triggered.”

 

He added: “There is no greater sin that an MP can commit than to lie to his electorate.”

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