Irresponsible leadership

Having taken a bit of heat from a Lib Dem blogger for asking whether reporting the strike at Grangemouth was responsible, I shouldn't have been surprised when his party leader showed his irresponsible side at FMQs today.

While Wendy tried to ignore the problem and hit the FM on special access - a move that spectacularly backfired when Annabel Goldie, Nicol Stephen, Cathy Peattie, Jamie Hepburn and Jack McConnell all questioned the First Minster on the situation at Grangemouth - Nicol Stephen wanted the headlines to himself.

Much like his unfounded claims that the Trump Development "smelled of sleaze" - which indeed, he still has not apologised for - his rant about falling petrol stocks was simply aimed at getting his name in the papers. Forget the fact that he might worry a few thousand more people into filling their cars up, prolonging the problem and worsening the situation - this was a cheap attempt at making political capital out of the situation. It was political opportunism at its worst.

Former FM Jack McConnell asked if opposition leaders would be kept informed of the situation to which the FM replied positively - though he must now be having reservations about this if Nicol Stephen is to continue airing these types of views.

I understand that this is a public interest story - as Brian Taylor says, the public wants to know what is going on, whether they will be able to purchase petrol and when the situation is to be resolved. But it is not the time to play politics. Nicol was wrong on the Trump affair and he is wrong now.

A third very public strike and he must surely be out. And Wendy will probably not be far behind him.