David Lee's pick of the week

Published on Sunday 9 March 2008 19:15

Can they make the Budget add up? WEDNESDAY GORDON BROWN AND ALISTAIR DARLING

AT TIMES, I have been accused (largely unfairly) of using a young and attractive woman as the main image on this page in a thinly disguised attempt to encourage readers to loiter longer.

Looking back, the past few weeks have featured the following as main images – Charles and Camilla, John Smeaton, Ozzy and Sharon Osborne, Bono and Karen Carpenter. Hardly a collection of catwalk models or Loaded magazine picture-spread fodder there, I'm sure you'll agree. While off the point, I'd like to thank Mr Roy Allan, of Kingussie, for his kind letter after last week's piece on Charles and Camilla. Mr Allan, who makes liberal use of the inverted comma, writes: "I take a very 'dim' view of your item, which makes me wonder: – Are you an anti-royalist, a 'lefty' or a 'commie'?" (My word – I had to look up 'lefty' and 'commie' in an old dictionary, as I hadn't heard them for 25 years.) Mr Allan goes on: "It seems to me you are just a sarcastic prat, so just grow up!"

So thanks for that – it's good for me to be reminded that the Royal Family need to be respected and not ridiculed, even when enjoying hugely expensive trips to the Caribbean for reasons that defeat me and many other people of sound mind.

I think that, like the Royals, our politicians deserve more respect, too. The younger generation now just don't care for them, when chaps like Gordon and his pal Al are doing their very best to run the country. Wednesday is a big day for both of them – Mr Darling's first (and maybe last?) Budget and Mr B's first as PM. Some cruel-hearted commentators might liken Brown and Darling to a ventriloquist and his puppet, as no-one really doubts who is pulling the economic strings. But not me – they look nothing like Roger De Courcey and Nookie Bear, or Ray Alan and Lord Charles for that matter. Being serious for a moment, this is a huge event for a Labour Party in very deep trouble and if Gordon and Al don't pull it off, then it could be curtains for the Chancellor and his very memorable eyebrows.

SATURDAY

FRANK HADDEN

SCOTLAND rugby fans – and the SRU – will decide if they have Hadden-ough of Frank. After the unexpected victory over England, the final game against Italy offers an opportunity for Scotland to record a respectable Six Nations table spot. But will that be sufficient to save the coach?

I am not a huge rugby fan, but it seems to me that the inability to score tries and a complete lack of ambition and flair have characterised the season. And although fans wonder who would replace him and do any better, many are starting to lose patience with Frank.

The decision to leave out Chris Paterson for the opening game, in particular, was most mysterious.

TODAY

DELIA

FUNNY that certain public figures don't need their surnames – Delia (Smith) is certainly one of them. You probably know she's back on telly – after a six-year absence haranguing Norwich City fans – to teach us all how to master the most basic of culinary skills. In a way, it's a return to her roots – one of her early TV shows was Multi-Coloured Swap Shop where she made fools of Noel Edmonds and Keith Chegwin (not difficult in the latter case) and encouraged kids to mess up the kitchen. Delia hasn't done badly for a girl who left school without qualifications and it's hard to believe she's 66, and no longer a flour-covered sex symbol.

SATURDAY

ST PATRICK

THE Irish make such a good fist of St Patrick's Day – lots of Guinness, blarney and fun – while Scotland still can't decide just what St Andrew's Day is for. Normally, St Patrick's Day is 17 March, but this year, it is to be celebrated, to be sure, on 15 March. Why? I hear you cry.

The date of the feast is occasionally moved by Church authorities when 17 March falls during Holy Week – this last happened in 1940 – because, under Church rules, the saint's feast day does not rank as high as the Monday before Easter and has to be moved. So there.

WEDNESDAY

ALAN JOHNSTON

A YEAR ago, the BBC correspondent was kidnapped in Gaza City and this made me think about how we define people. If you met Alan Johnston, it's likely that you would only know him as the journalist kidnapped in the Middle East. Yet Johnston is 45 and he was held hostage for 114 days by the Army of God – less than a third of one year. So Johnston has spent well over 99 per cent of his life not being a hostage – but that is how he will always be defined. A friend of mine met Alan Johnston and just chatted away to him. She thinks he is a great guy and sees him as a warm human being with a great personality, not as a journalist and one-time hostage.

ALSO THIS WEEK…

Today: It's the start of British Tourism Week and – as you will have seen on Pages 10 and 11 of the paper today – the return of the wonderful Wildlife Week to The Scotsman.

Tomorrow: The Cheltenham Festival, one of racing's key events, starts. Also, the BBC World Service launches its Arabic channel. It will broadcast for 12 hours a day and be funded by the closure of ten other foreign language radio stations. Alex Salmond launches an economic impact study on Prestwick Airport.

Wednesday: BAA releases airport passenger figures for February, although the Budget will clearly dominate the day.

Thursday: The start of a big few days in Europe as the European Council meets in Brussels to discuss the goals of the Lisbon Strategy. As part of British Tourism Week, politicians are urged to visit and promote tourism business in their area.

Friday: The Ideal Home Show opens at Earl's Court in London and celebrates 100 years of innovation and inspirational ideas for the home and garden. It goes on until 6 April, slightly longer (thankfully) than the Conservative Party's "Spring Forum" in Gateshead. Kevin Keegan will speak about being a winner and leadership (PS: this is NOT true).

Saturday: Last day of this year's rugby Six Nations tournament, with Italy v Scotland, Wales v France and England v Ireland.