The discipline of Dundee City Council’s SNP group is wonderful for their party – but a bad thing for Dundee.
I’ll tell you exactly why.
I was going to allow John Alexander time to get his “elbows out” to rectify the disaster of Dundee missing the £80 million investment zone status.
But publication of the Glasgow Council letter has changed my mind.
The SNP leadership at Holyrood showed that what gets through to them is aggressive demands from people who don’t care who hears them shout.
Glasgow were told not to send a letter, as was Dundee.
But Glasgow sent one to Shona Robison (involved in discussions with the UK Government before the awards were confirmed) anyway, uncaring that it could easily be revealed – as it was.
And the decision-makers caved.
Historic moment
Let’s not forget the magnitude of this. If Dundee had investment zone status it would have been akin to when NCR and Timex chose the city for major manufacturing plants.
Or, further back, the idea that Dundee, with its access to whale oil, just might be a good place to build a jute factory.
That’s how big this could have been – potentially thousands of jobs, guaranteed futures for our children, money in pockets. A city renaissance.
Councillors, if investment zone status had been secured you would have basked in the reflected glory of a historic moment.
But Dundee didn’t get it so the stink of failure clings to you.
You deserve it. You said nothing and got nothing. Stark proof that silence is the wrong approach.
The famous party discipline means Dundee councillors are hesitant to utter words like: “I wish that had come to our city.”
It is the party culture. As with Angus MacNeil and Fergus Ewing, anyone with an individual opinion in the SNP is shot at dawn.
Councillors, you must now see that a collective rebellious and public approach is more likely to get results.
And surely there comes a point where any true Dundonian says: “Enough is enough – I’m having my say.”
Especially after a clear demonstration that gentle Dundee, meek and mild, gets a big fat zero.
But – like the city’s flaccid MPs and MSPs Joe FitzPatrick, Stewart Hosie and Chris Law – not a squeak.
‘Not a hint of personality among them’
We are suffering the worst, most subservient, ineffective representation Dundee has ever had.
Not a hint of personality or individuality among them.
If Dundee is to vote for SNP politicians, then so be it. But can we find other SNP politicians braver than this limp lot?
We need new people. Feisty folk with the guts for an openly rebellious display of protest to strengthen Mr Alexander’s hand.
He could sit down at the negotiating table and say: “See, Dundee is in uproar – do something!”
At the moment, the message is: poop on Dundee and the councillors whimper “thank you, sir”.
Disciplined silence is useless. We need a vitriolic open message, snarling that all Dundee is bloody sick of the way it is treated.
A demand that something of equivalent worth, at least £80m, had better be delivered – and quick.
Anger and noise worked for Glasgow, it’ll work for Dundee.
Conversation