Drumlanrig: Salmond enjoying five stars and stripes stay

Published on 30/09/2012 00:00

Alex Salmond is enjoying his trip to Chicago, we hear. The First Minister has shacked up in the city’s palatial Peninsula Hotel for the duration, a place which, its website declares, “is for those who love to spoil themselves with a luxurious five-star experience.”

Room rates begin at $550 a night and go up to £1,900 a night. No wonder Salmond doesn’t believe in austerity economics.

Musical parodies take a pop at Clegg and Co

Guests at the annual Scottish Chambers of Commerce were entertained royally last week by Playing Politics, a parody musical act which takes well-known songs and give them a topical political twist. Watching from the crowd, Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie (right) was unable to stifle giggles as the band changed Billy Joel’s She’s Always A Woman To Me to He Looks Like A Tory To Me in honour of Nick Clegg. Then, to note Ed Miliband’s reliance on Scottish support, Barry Manilow’s classic Can’t Smile Without You became Can’t Win Without You. Watching on, Scottish Labour leader Johann Lamont could be seen smiling and quietly rocking, as if in agreement.

Pyle of new challenges for Yes man Colin

The dinner of Scotland’s business elite was (as with the CBI Scotland nosh a few weeks ago) strangely missing SNP aristocracy. But the Nat prawn cocktail circuit is soon to be taken up again by ex-RBS exec Colin Pyle who has quit his job as Alex Salmond’s special adviser to head up the YesScotland campaign’s business charm offensive. Pyle is credited with having successfully wooed Jim McColl to the indy cause and will now get to work on the rest of Scotland’s business royalty. But with him leaving, and fellow adviser Kevin Pringle having already gone to SNP HQ, there are worrying fears that Alex Salmond will soon have no-one left in St Andrew’s House to take his bets down to the bookies any more. Can someone help?

Queen’s greatest hits courtesy of unlikely duo

Drumlanrig was sad to learn of the death of Andy Williams, the last of the big-name crooners of his generation. But a ready replacement may have emerged. According to our red-top friends, the First Minister regaled the Queen last month during her annual stay at Balmoral, with a version of the Bonnie Lass Of Fyvie. Not only that, Prince Charles stepped up to duet with Salmond. A knighthood for services to royal entertainment must be in the offing.