« Political flowcharts | Main | Leader/deputy: teams/unteams »
August 16, 2004
Thinking the unthinkable
Roseanna Cunningham: "It is unthinkable that Scotland's party . . . could choose our leader from outwith the Scottish Parliament, a move that would reinforce the argument that our parliament is not important."
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/3565546.stm
Two of the three candidates for leader of the SNP are not members of the Scottish Parliament, so clearly the unthinkable has already been thought. Party rules obviously do not bar non-Holyrooders from standing for the job. Alex Salmond is a member of the Westminster Parliament. Mike Russell is a member of neither.
I believe it is acceptable/workable to have the leader in Westminster, with the deputy at Holyrood. Both parliaments still have jurisdiction over Scotland and both have SNP representation. It would be different if Holyrood were fully empowered, but it isn't - and the next election to be fought is Westminster, not Holyrood.
The main job of the party leader is to inspire the general public rather than his or her colleagues, or to put it more simply - to get the vote! Isn't that what matters?
Posted by Simon Holledge at August 16, 2004 01:48 PM