Nicol?

What exactly is the point of Nicol Stephen MSP?

"TAVISH Scott, the new Scottish Liberal Democrat leader, has named his 15-strong campaign team charged with taking politics outside the Holyrood bubble. Only Nicol Stephen, who stepped down as leader two months ago to devote more time to his young family, has been left without a portfolio."

Nicol is the only Lib Dem MSP who is "without a portfolio", allegedly because he under pressure on the domestic front. But we shouldn't forget that Mr Stephen whilst Deputy First Minister had a reputation as a bit of a slacker who didn't even turn up at events where he would have been expected. So is Nicol really under pressure or is he going to spend some time topping up his tan?

Bothered?

"Concerns have been expressed after it emerged that only 61% of Lib Dem members across Scotland bothered to vote for the party’s new leader. A senior party source said it was “extremely dis- appointing” that only 2,457 members out of around 4,500 took part in the contest to find a successor to Nicol Stephen. The official lamented that if grassroots supporters “could not be bothered” to return a ballot paper in a pre-paid envelope, what chance has the party of attracting new support."

If four in ten Lib Dem members couldn't be ... why should anyone else?

Tavish-ing.

From the Scotsman.

Follow The Leader.

So Tavish Scott has become the new Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats ... but does anyone really care given that he was always the "shoo-in"?

"The Scottish Liberal Democrats have elected Tavish Scott as their new leader north of the border. He secured 1,450 votes, representing a 59% share of the turnout. Ross Finnie polled 568 votes (21.3%), and Mike Rumbles won 439 votes (17.9%). Mr Scott, 42, succeeds Nicol Stephen, who stepped down earlier this year to spend more time with his family. The former transport minister and Shetland MSP was tipped to win, but not by such a big margin."

Hardly a "big margin." He got under two thirds of the vote in a three way contest, albeit securing a majority on the first ballot, but that was against Ross Finnie MSP and Mike Rumbles MSP, hardly inspiring alternatives. Roll on 2011.

Bust.

"Scottish Liberal Democrats have been warned by their auditors that they may be forced out of business if they do not tackle their financial debts. The party has been told it may be deemed, in accounting terms, to be no longer a going concern, after nearly a tenth of its expenditure last year was not met by income. Yet the Scottish LibDems, who are used to operating on shoe-string budgets, face much lower deficits than their SNP and Labour rivals, which have not been issued with similar warnings."

Presumably the Lib Dems have been singled out because they aren't bankrolled by the trade union movement as are the Labour Party or by wealthy celebrity donors as is the case for the SNP.

But does anyone find it concerning that three political parties that are helping to decide how over £20 billion a year is spent in Scotland, can't even balance their own books?

The Magnificent Seven.

It doesn't augur well for Ross Finnie MSP's Scottish Lib Dem Leadership bid.

"It was not the most auspicious of political campaign launches. As Ross Finnie composed himself, prepared to seize the moment and set out his vision of the future, he looked out on an audience of seven."

And one of them was the journalist from The Herald. Here's hoping things pick up for the Captain.

Taking liberties.

So, "THE Liberal Democrats are trying to get round the proposed ban on state-funded mortgage payments for MSPs by calling for £11,000 a year to live in their constituencies. Nicol Stephen's party has suggested the public should pay for MSPs to stay in family homes they have owned for years."

What a novel idea. Paying elected representatives to live in the place where their constituents live. It's amazing that no one has ever thought about that one before. But where would it leave the likes of Liberal Democrat Scottish Leader Nicol "Three Homes" Stephen? Pick a home .... any home.

Push the button.

Mr Smith reads that some of the Liberal Democrat Members of the Scottish Parliament appear to have difficulties knowing how to vote.

"Voting errors by the Liberal Democrats last night diluted the impact of the government's victory to extend home tagging as a way of easing prison overcrowding. There were two votes, one which would have enabled electronically tagged early release to apply for the first time to prisoners who had been sentenced to more than four years. This vote went against the government by four votes, but only because four LibDems accidentally voted the wrong way and two dashed into the chamber too late."

It's sad that a major issue of public policy involving public safety is determined in the Scottish Parliament not by reasoned debate and decision, but because some MSPs couldn't understand the wording of a motion well enough to be able to work out whether to vote yes or no, and because two MSPs couldn't "dash" quickly enough. That's democracy ... Scotland style.

Navel Gazing

So Liberal Democrat Party Leadership contender Nick Clegg MP has suggested that the Lib Dems were "too inward looking" under the leadership of Sir Menzies Campbell MP.

Mr Smith is amazed at his honesty, but would suggest that on occasion nothing can beat a bit of navel gazing. But Mr Smith has one question to ask those Lib Dems who were involved in this activity ... did they find any fluff ... Mr Smith loves it when you find a bit of fluff ... during a bit of navel gazing.

Cutting out waste.

Mr Smith reads that Scottish Liberal Democrat MP, Jo Swinson, is taking the fight to the supermarkets by demanding that they cut back on needless packagong on the food and other stuff they sell.

All very well and good and thinks the idea has merit. However, he would like to suggest another campaign ... one aimed at cutting out needless political waste ... and Mr Smith suggets we start wth party hackette Ms Swinson whose only real claim to political fame is that she was dumped by former Lib Dem Leader Ming "the Merciless" Campbell because of her poor performance as Lib Dem Shadow Spokesperson for Scotland.

And incidentally, she managed to claim over one hundred and forty thousand pounds in Westminster expenses last year.

Mammy.

So, Nicol Stephen has reportedly been endorsed unchallenged as Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats for the next four years.

Mr Smith is stunned. Almost as stunned as he was when the Liberal Democrats rejected repeated overtures from the SNP to join them in a coalition at Holyrood after the Scottish Parliament elections in May.

Never mind Nicol will have loads of time to contemplate his leadership role over what's left of the Scottish Parliament's term of office. Roll on May 2011.