The favourite to become Scotland’s next First Minister has been accused of making “deeply offensive” remarks to a group of female Ukrainian refugees by asking them, “Where are all the men?”
Humza Yousaf made the “toe-curlingly crass” comment
That’s one description of it.
Of course, if you went to Miann Chanou and asked the same question the answer would be Glasgow…….
This also allowing one of my prejudices to shine through. The problem with devolution, with pushing politics down to lower levels, is that there really aren’t all that many people who are actually good at politics. Plenty of people who would like to grandstand of course, not that many who are good at doing so and a definite paucity of those who have any clue what to do once they gain power.
The favourite to become Scotland’s next First Minister
This being a clown world, Hamza is the least popular candidate with the general public by far but still the “favourite”.
The problem with devolution, with pushing politics down to lower levels, is that there really aren’t all that many people who are actually good at politics.
Pushing politics up to higher levels isn’t any better, as witness Mr Junker or Mrs v.d. Lions.
TMB
We’ve discussed this in the past, I think. “Failing your way to the top.” Serial uselessness seems to be no bar to high office.
I wonder if he’ll ask the illegal migrants where are the women?
Doing something for the the local ukrainian families meet up here, i was forewarned not to ask the 3 fighting age men that turned up, “why are you here?”
+1000% Penseivat!!!
As for people not being good at politics Tim, I have noticed that the pollies just don’t do what I want!!!! Surely that’s what being good means. Why else would they be privileged to be made my servants???
However I have noticed Matt Canavan writing in the local rag. He’s a staunch supporter of nukes. And he doesn’t believe in blowing up the coal burners either. Maybe I should give him a go.
But of course they do change in office. You’ll have noted that Albo promised to lower our power bills. His latest claim is, ‘Well, I slowed the rise.’
HB – tbf, I’d welcome the Ukies here (in general, so long as they’re not criminals or nazis).
There’s no reason why they should get themselves killed over World War 2¾. Especially if they have children – a dead Dad isn’t much good to a 5 year old.
Also, Ukraine’s loss is our gain. They’re a better class of refugee than we’re used to.
At least when devolved to a low enough level, the Bjorn’s beer effect takes hold
At least when devolved to a low enough level, the Bjorn’s beer effect takes hold
You’re kidding aren’t you, Gunker? Politicians don’t drink with the riff-raff.
The point that the talent pool is shallow is absolutely pertinent here in Australia. We don’t have anywhere near the depth for the three levels we have.
Steve
forgive me if I do expect blokes to join up when their country is invaded. I understand the individual father’s instinct to nope out, but you get the side-eye at the very least. The do-gooders who said don’t ask are assuming they don’t have a good explanation for- they may well have.
The advantage of pushing politics down to the lowest level is that when they screw up fewer people are affected and the rest of us learn from, those failures.
We at least that’s theory, unfortunately the clown world that is Westminster just double down on those failures for example minimum pricing which is still be pushed here.
@Steve so exactly like Sunak then and we all saw how that turned out
in Humza yousaf’s culture, the men always flee first, the women having no intrinsic value except as breeding machines. He was pobably wondering what happened to their goats.
“forgive me if I do expect blokes to join up when their country is invaded.”
When I was younger I think I used to have this view. But increasingly then comes the realisation that – no matter what standard they pretend to ride under – one’s country really is run by useless, lying, treacherous, thieving knobs, and …. oh well, never mind.
BniC – and for similar reasons. It’s not an accident that unpopular and unwanted foreigners are taking over British politics, it’s because the British public has been locked out.
HB – I agree with PF. We don’t need any more glorious dead, and there’s no government worth getting shot for.
PF. I mean there’s a big difference between joining up if there’s a war somewhere else which the politicos got us entangled in, and defending your own blessed country.
Not sure about that. Look at Oxford City Council for example. The local councillors are going Gung Ho! for the 15 minute cities thing that their local electorate don’t want and didn’t vote for. The Councillors are pushing ahead regardless and complaining about “threats from rightwing elements” (basically anyone to the right of Chairman Mao) and demanding police protection, which I presume they’ll get given that they control the police budget.
Doesn’t quite fit the “Bjorn’s beer” model, does it.
As for Humza Useless, I’m looking forward to having this worthless pr*ck as First Minister, since it’ll demonstrate like nothing else the contempt the SNP has for the Scottish electorate.
I doubt that he’ll survive until the next Scottish Parliamentary election in 2025, but I doubt they’ll have enough seats afterwards to continue running the “Bully Pulpit” as Nicola Sturgeon has done.
Quite why the SNP leadership can’t see how awful Humza is, is beyond me. Maybe it’s because I’m a racist Islamophobe, but I’m not the only member of the wider Scottish electorate that sees him as little more than a stuffed suit.
His comments about “too many white people” haven’t exactly gone down well, either.
Humza Yousaf Racist Rant about white people in Scotland
HB
I mean there’s a big difference between joining up if there’s a war somewhere else which the politicos got us entangled in, and defending your own blessed country.
Well yes, I sympathise entirely, and perhaps there should be, although maybe – within the phrase *if there’s a war somewhere else which the politicos got us entangled in* – one might fail to see the distinction between *somewhere else* and *here*? I think that was basically the point (about said politicos) I was making. One does have to believe that such fuck-wits are acting in best interests (of the country and its people), before “following” (#) them?
# – LOL, that might suggest that they were “leaders”.
Why would anyone with half a brain sign up to fight, even if the country was being invaded?
Why give up your life and make the loves of your family who leave behind miserable?
For what?
So Jug ears and his ilk can keep their privilege?
So BoJo/Comrade Starmer/Dishi Rishi can make themselves even more rich?
To preserve our culture which is being pissed away, ridiculed and denigrated by woke idiots?
To stop us being ruled by corrupt, incompetent politicians? Er… (Kinda already are.)
No thanks.
If someone invaded I’d be sat with a big bucket of popcorn, somewhere safe, watching the nancy soy-boy fuckwits get reamed good and hard.
Quite why the SNP leadership can’t see how awful Humza is, is beyond me.
They can.
Humza has literally no work experience, and literally the only reason he’s a government minister is because he’s an ethnic minority. That’s it. That’s his CV. He’s not even a Scottish nationalist (neither are most elected SNP officials).
But they’re scraping the bottom of a very shallow, very scummy pool of “talent”, because only no-mark losers want to be an MSP.
They’re aware of how awful Humza is, but they’re stuck with him, because the alternatives risk handing the party back to the (shudder) members.
It’s not really a coincidence that every successful elected political party in the Western world is now working for the same team.
I’m not sure there’s a dearth of political talent at local levels.
When you google GDP/capita in Europe the micro-states Jer/IoM/And/SMR/Lie/Gib all come out well. I think if you pay a high price for failure then talent will rise, or else you lose your sovereignty like Newfoundland in 20thC or Scotland did in the 18thC.
In Africa the 3 richest by GDP/head are small places.
USA, the greatest big country ever, bucks everything being the biggest country and the richest by GDP/head on its continent. Everywhere else the biggest countries are a bit schit frankly.
HB
and defending your own blessed country
Or to put it simplistically: when such *leaders* place supra-nationalist goals and ambitions ahead of any real notion of national or sovereign, what precisely – in any traditional sense, blessed or otherwise – are we supposed to be defending, and against whom?
Bjorn’s Beer Law (is it that?) presumably allows for the fact that Bjorn is probably an idiot though, right?
Feels like you need to lick a side on this one, not just reserve slagging off power that is closer to the people when you don’t like the stripes on display. Is it democracy or isn’t it?
There is nothing wrong with devolution if you accept the democratic right of people to be governed by idiots.
Somebody should give Hamza some porridge.
I wonder if he’d get it?
Dear Mr Worstall
“Plenty of people who would like to grandstand of course, not that many who are good at doing so and a definite paucity of those who have any clue what to do once they gain power.”
A powerful argument in favour of less government.
DP
I find it extremely disappointing and disheartening that someone who is a potential leader of a country could make such insensitive and thoughtless comments towards a group of refugees who have already been through so much. It is important for our leaders to be empathetic and understanding towards those who are vulnerable and in need. This also raises the question of whether or not our political system truly values competency and experience in our leaders. Are we prioritizing political grandstanding over actual ability to govern and make positive changes for our communities? As voters, it is our responsibility to hold our leaders accountable and demand better from them. How can we ensure that our political leaders are truly qualified and capable of representing us and making decisions that will benefit all members of our society?