Wendy Alexander and THAT cheque

Well, I have tried to avoid blogging on the whole donorgate affair - but it now seems that's all anyone is talking about!

I have no aspersions to cast I'm afraid, no insider information from the corridors of the Scottish Parliament and definitely no gossip - sorry :o(

Unlike a lot of people, I am not revelling in the misery of the Labour Party. And despite my immense dislike of Wendy Alexander as a politician (I don't think she is nearly as bright as the hype) and my low opinion of the Labour Party these days, I just can't muster the outrage that others feel.

Instead, I just feel disappointed. I don't understand why people break the rules, especially when they are in trusted positions and put themselves forward as leaders in our society. This whole affair won't just damage the Labour Party, it also damages the image of politics as a whole and all other politicians. It further undermines the faith of our citizens in politics, and ultimately damages our democracy. I can just hear the cries from sofas across the country:

"Well, it's no surprise really - they are all at it."

Or

"Politicians - they are all the same. Liars the lot of them."

I can also imagine that many members of the Labour Party are feeling disillusioned right now. They have a right to expect more from their elected representatives and leaders. I personally couldn't be a member of a party that had become so rotten at its core, and abandoned all its founding principles.

I understand that Wendy Alexander is hanging on to act as a protective dam against the tide of damage that her resignation would cause in London. Given that Tom McCabe has already admitted that Wendy Alexander has broken the law (either intentionally or unintentionally), I think the longer she stays as leader of Labour in Scotland, the more damage she does to Scottish politics as a whole.

Politicians aren't perfect. They are just people. Most of them try their best to do a good job for the people they represent and fight for the ideas they believe in - whatever their party. Sometimes they make mistakes, as human beings do. But when they do, they should take responsibility for these mistakes and do the right thing by their conscience.