John Mackay, Prospective Labour Candidate on Twitter

[Rheghead]

I came across John Mackay the prospective Labour candidate for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross on twitter and I decided to 'follow' his messages. Things went well at first, his utterings were a bit strange at first but decided to persevere putting it down to his sense of humour and perhaps his young age. Some messages were political as you'd expect, others just about his music tastes (not mine). Then all of a sudden it goes quiet over there. Intrigued, I decided to look him up again and found that he has blocked me from following him for no apparent reason.

Why have a twitter account and be a labour candidate and not want anyone to follow you?? I would have thought the first skill of a politician is good communication but he certainly let himself down there. Here is a relatively new guy who should be making his presence felt through a new media form and he blocks a lifelong Labour voter from following him, doesn't quite add up that one.

[upolian]

what is this twitter about?i have not yet investigated...
as for blocking you for no reason.....childish?something to hide?

[changilass]

What you been doing to wind the poor chap up Rheggers? lol

[Rheghead]

What you been doing to wind the poor chap up Rheggers? lol

Absolutely nothing to offend him! lol

I've done about 4 tweets in 12 months and just every day stuff, pretty boring stuff actually and the last before I went on my trip was a link to my justgiving account, perhaps he was offended about folk wanting to be sponsored? He wasn't even following me either. Came back from trip and I was blocked.

[changilass]

How very dare you raise money for charity you bad bad boy you - go sit on the naughty step for the best part of an hour lol

[Phill]

Not the smartest of moves! But then some politicians aren't that smart.

I guess you have a "normal ish" username on twitter, I get some real bizaroworld names following every now and again, but I guess we all get that.

Just looking at his page, I guess you might not be fitting into his demographics looking at who he's following!!

[davie]

If you look at MacKay's utterances on back copies of e Groat or Courier he comes across as a right tchub.
Nothing to say about his policies or priorities but a very scurrilous attack on the sitting MP (Rheggy's best mate going by his previous posts.)
If MacKay is the best that Zanu New Liebour can come up with I think Thurso is safe for a few years yet.

[Rheghead]

(Rheggy's best mate going by his previous posts.).

Why the ad hominem remark? I'm baffled by that, I've posted a very small critique re John Mackay's way of communication or lack of it and I've nothing but praise for John Thurso where it matters despite being fobbed off twice by JT with other matters in private correspondence. Are you reading too much into my posts?

[davie]

The 'best mate' remark was somewhat tongue in cheek Rheggers.

Going by your previous thread entitled John Thurso MP to my mind you were singing from the same hym sheet as MacKay of the scurrilous innuendo politics.

For a lifelong Labour voter (not interested in politics btw from a previous thread) you first appear to attack John T and are now pee'd orf with the Liebour candidate.

I am as you say probably reading too much into your posts, my first reaction was that you were a Labour activist trying to dish the dirt on the sitting MP but now you are coming across as a Labour voter who is perhaps disenchanted by their candidate.

I am beginning to think that, like me, you are a right wing Tory toff and its all smoke and mirrors.

[Rheghead]

but now you are coming across as a Labour voter who is perhaps disenchanted by their candidate.

You're blob on there and also bit miffed at some rather bad negative political tactics by John Mackay. Fair enough if he has summat definite on John Thurso regarding how his directorships or business affiliations on various boards and charities have cast doubt on his ability to represent us at Westminster in an honest hard working way, so lets hear it John M, cough up and come up with the specifics.

[RecQuery]

Maybe hes been going through his followers blocking the quiet ones, perhaps some sort of spam protection service.

As for twitter itself, its like sending text messages to everyone or a select group. It was good but then the media, politicians and general public got involved, and... well bandwagons full please catch another.

[John MacKay]

Rheghead,

Sorry for blocking you on Twitter. I genuinely didn’t intend to. It’s not like I have that many followers that I go blocking people for the sake of it! I can’t remember doing it but I can only guess I was removing dodgy ones and your sign-in may have been a bit cryptic. I guess I should have looked to see if your location was Caithness. If I figure out how to unblock you I will.

As for my sense of humour being strange, well most of my pals would argue I don’t have one. But as you say, most of the Tweets relate to my taste in rather obscure music.

I wasn’t following you on Twitter so didn’t know you were undertaking a charity cycle. Please check your justgiving for my donation. That’s some achievement. I’ve run a few marathons for charity but what you did is truly exceptional.

Rheghead and all others interested,

So on to politics. I believe that no MP should have any other job whilst serving as an MP. That’s basically it. I didn’t think it was that controversial a viewpoint. And that goes for all parties. Public servants with important jobs have enough on their plates without having to concentrate on anything else.

To that end I know that both Labour and the Tories are looking to ban MPs from having second jobs after the upcoming General Election. I just made my point a few months earlier and a little more forcefully.

If you’re looking for proof of our current MP’s numerous second jobs in the past eight years then just click on this link or put it in your browser. As you’ll see it is an extensive list.

http://www.theyworkforyou.com/regmem/?p=11280

Ok, think that’s it. Hopefully meet up with most of you on the campaign trail in the next few months.

Rheghead has already given me a plug for Twitter but just in case you can’t find me I’m john_mackay. I promise no more blocking of anyone from Caithness! I also have a website, www.johnmackay.org.uk

As the OP mentioned my use of new media has been a bit poor but ironically his starting this thread may have given it the kick-start it needed.

Cheers again
John

[Phill]

I believe that no MP should have any other job whilst serving as an MP. /-/ Public servants with important jobs have enough on their plates without having to concentrate on anything else.

Brave man stepping into the Dragon's Den that is the .Org!

Sorry for the thread drift and hijacking somebody's original point.
But, why are MP's so special? Just how many people out there have several jobs, not through choice but necessity.

I understand the sentiment, but as long as the job (or jobs) don't conflict with being an MP and they perform why the problem?

I run my own business from home and also look after my kids full time, should I give one of these up?

[davie]

If Mr MacKay knew any little thing about directorships perhaps he would realise that being a director might mean attending an ANNUAL General Meeting (thats once every year for Labour party members.)
I also notice the dirty swine Thurso got THREE bottles of plonk from one of his mates - hang him I say !
No record there of him doing a McNulty or a Jackboot Jaqui Smith - with their kind of sleazy money rolling in who needs directorships ?

[John MacKay]

Brave man stepping into the Dragon's Den that is the .Org!

Sorry for the thread drift and hijacking somebody's original point.
But, why are MP's so special? Just how many people out there have several jobs, not through choice but necessity.

I understand the sentiment, but as long as the job (or jobs) don't conflict with being an MP and they perform why the problem?

I run my own business from home and also look after my kids full time, should I give one of these up?

Second jobs mean second incomes and that is my main concern.

MPs should serve their constituents first and foremost, regarding the taxpayer as their paymaster above all others. If MPs have excessive outside earnings from jobs, consultancies and directorships, then people perceive that they are diverted from the public interest – or worse, that they are exploiting their public status.

That is why both Labour and the Tories are looking at being bold and proposing a ban on outside earnings for MPs.

I don't mind MPs having positions they don't get paid for.

[Rheghead]

Thank you John for graciously putting the record straight, seems it was just a misunderstanding on my part. It takes courage for politicians to come on a message forum like this and hats off to you.

As for politics, the Labour Party is broadly suffering from bad style rather than bad policy. We need new candidates with fresh ideas on how to get the old core values of fairness to appeal to a mixed electorate. What was once the future is now the old guard who are clinging on to their jobs in the house and it is sorry to see them in the throes of an almost certain electoral defeat, not because they have forgotten what they stand for but how they present it, drunk on power and never having to really fight for it.

And finally a big thank you for your generous and kind donation to my justgiving account. You could well have brought a vote back from the brink there!

[weeboyagee]

Was watching this thread given my interest in comments made by Mr MacKay on another matter. Not meaning to hijack Rheggers thread - but I will be delighted to meet with you Mr MacKay on the campaign trail.

Bhiodh e math bruidhinn riut a' charaid! It will be good to talk to you my friend

WBG

[davie]

Really Rheggers, I am surprised at you !. Your man buying votes - an electoral offence surely ?
I don't know if any .orger sailed up the Cyde on a banana skin but it must be the mother of all coincidences that firstly your man writes to e paper with his innuendo about the sitting MP, then you raise the thread (without going back to look) 'would you still vote for JT if he was embroiled in a scandal' etc.
Then you 'have no interest in politics' but set up a thread that gives Mackay a platform on the .org. It turns out that after all he is a nice fellow who generously donates to charity.

I am still waiting for the JT scandal to erupt, has he been caught in flagrante with Tommy Sheridan at the 5* Lochdhu Hotel ?.

This is better than Pope Tony with his 'weapons of mass destruction'.

[Rheghead]

You need to keep a lid on that imagination of yours davie before it gets the better! JM just seems like a genuine well meaning aspiring politician to me that obviously means well, we should look after these before they forget the reason why they entered politics in the first place.

JT on the other hand entered politics because his family has had a long history in politics, he is doing it because he got kicked out of the lords and he didn't want to be a spare part like the Earl.

JM entered politics as a teenager with altruistic motives to make a difference for the better for the ordinary people of this county. I like that better for a reason to enter politics rather than JT's reasons.