http://www.theherald.co.uk/news/news/displ...ing_Salmond.php

 

 

PM Brown accused of snubbing Alex Salmond

 

 

Gordon Brown was today accused of being "stuck in the Downing Street bunker" after it emerged he has not spoken to First Minister Alex Salmond since August.

 

A source close to Mr Salmond said all personal communication with the Prime Minister has stopped with the Scottish leader's phone calls going unanswered.

 

And it was claimed No 10 has also failed to respond to a letter sent by the SNP leader more than four months ago asking him to look at restoring regular meeting between the devolved administration.

 

A Scottish Government source said: "Gordon Brown seems to be stuck in the Downing Street bunker.

 

"He isn't being communicative, but I suspect that isn't unique to Scotland and applies to all the devolved administrations and Whitehall departments.

 

 

"The First Minister wrote to the Prime Minister back in early August about reviving the Joint Ministerial Committees, which has gone unanswered."

 

The two men staged their first public handshake when they met in Belfast for a meeting of the British Irish Council in July.

 

At the time Mr Brown insisted he looked forward to working with Mr Salmond -despite an acrimonious election campaign.

 

That was in contrast to Tony Blair who never even spoke to the SNP leader to congratulate him on becoming First Minister.

 

However, Scottish Government sources claim the First Minister no longer receives direct communications and was not informed about HM Revenue and Customs losing the personal data of 25 million people.

 

Mr Salmond instead first learnt the news by watching television, it was claimed.

 

The source added: "It looks like a symptom of a deeper malaise in the Brown Government.

 

"The direct relationships between government departments in Edinburgh and London are actually very extensive and constructive, and of course it's only the disagreements that become news.

 

"The lack of communication is very much a 10 Downing Street centred problem."

 

Although the pair have not spoken since August, they were in the same room at the Scotland-Italy football match in Glasgow on November.

 

The leaders are next due to meet at a British-Irish Council event in the New Year.

 

:o :o :o

 

 

 

 

IF Scotland was independent we have would have more direct contact between the two leaders, and Scotland would also probably have more influence in Downing street

Can anyone say the words "sore losers"...? What an utter t/wat Gordon Brown is... More proof that this man has no business running the country.... <_< I think that we should ask our Russ if "nu labor" is being just as uncommunicative with Rhordri Morgan (the nu labor leader of the Welsh assembly...)

I heard an interview with Salmond a couple days ago. He admitted that he and Brown hadn't spoken face-to-face for some months but said that they had spoken on the phone fairly regularly.