Drumlanrig: ‘We recommend that as the First Minister invest in an A-Z of England’

Published on Sunday 19 February 2012 00:00

Snippets from the past week in politics

Nats enjoy a new spin on the art of stirring it

BBC Scotland was quickly on to the story last week about the “snub” given to Cardinal Keith O’Brien by the UK Government after it sent a delegation to the Vatican without him. The story was, as they say, given a big helping hand from SNP spin-meister Kevin Pringle.

All a bit different from a week earlier, when the same SNP spinmeisters orchestrated a perfect storm of protest against the Beeb over their “snub” to the First Minister after he was dumped from the Scotland-England rugby match.

Questions even the wisest cannot answer

There were some interesting contributions from members of the public to the Scottish Affairs Select committee’s inquiry into Scottish independence published last week. None more so than the following written evidence from a hitherto unrecognised constitutional expert in Shetland.

“What would we pay benefits with? Who would protect the vulnerable?” she asked. “What if Shetland say ‘its wir oil’. Or if the UK says its their oil? What gunboat are they going to send up to take it back?”

Quite.

Taxi for Salmond, and an A-Z as well

In a speech in Liverpool last week, Alex Salmond lampooned the Cameron-Osborne duo for their out-of-touch southern Westminster ways. Men like them no more understood Scousers than did the Thatcherite generation before them. Or as Mr Salmond put it: “Why should anyone in Liverpool believe that George Osborne, MP for Tatton, now cares more than Geoffrey Howe, MP for East Surrey?”

Unfortunately, this rhetorical blast from Scotia’s finest may rather have puzzled the assembled Liverpudlians, as the seat of Tatton, Cheshire, is not so much a distant southern outcrop as a 30-mile drive away down the M62. Oh well. We recommend that as the First Minister continues to sell the merits of independence to the English, he invests in an A-Z of their country.

For the Record, it’s staying with Labour

The SNP MSP Joan McAlpine is to write a column for the Daily Record.

Does the recruitment of the parliamentary aide to Alex Salmond, who caused a kerfuffle by accusing those who interfere with her master’s referendum of “anti-Scottishness” mean the Record is to abandon its slavish devotion to the Labour Party?

No, according to owners Trinity Mirror, who maintain the Record will continue to support Ed Miliband et al.

Comments

There are 10 comments to this article

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10

bannerfield

Sunday, February 26, 2012 at 11:18 AM

Don't know what's funnier - Alex Salmond's buffoonery or the attempts to cover up Mr Salmond's buffoonery.

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9

famous15

Sunday, February 26, 2012 at 12:10 AM

Wee Eck requires no A. To Z..The writer needs to understand the mal distribution of wealth and power in England to get the joke. What a sad article.So sad,so anti Scottish!

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maxi77

Sunday, February 19, 2012 at 10:17 PM

Knowing as I do that Tatton is close to Liverpool, I thought it was a good little dig at the Tories on the basis that be you based in the South East or close to Liverpool as a Tory you know little of the travails of the poor and disadvantaged in Liverpool. Once again the Wee Eck haters in their rush to poke fun, make fools of themselves once again. Whether you like him or not Wee Eck is a canny politician which is why Labour in Scotland is in complete disarray and the coalition keeps falling into his little pitfalls.

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7

Union Kon

Sunday, February 19, 2012 at 09:34 PM

The artifial idea of Shetland Orkney independence is brought up again... (sigh) This suggestion to divide Scotland to ensure rule of Scotland is an unpleasant development, both in the Eastern Isles as well as D&G and the borders. But what is the author suggesting with the words: "...Or if the UK says its their oil? What gunboat are they going to send up to take it back? Quite." Please Mr (anonymous), tell me: are you suggesting that a vindictive England should take military action against a Scotland that declares herself independent? Can we hear the detail of this military threat please?

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6

Anagach

Sunday, February 19, 2012 at 05:17 PM

2 Vote 'NO' Out of the whole of England to visit, Salond travelled to Liverpool which, even the most clueless Separatist must surely know, pulls no strings and had no power to yield. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Pulls no strings and has no power to yield". So you got the point then, and the people of Liverpool like those of Scotland know exactly what you mean.

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Tolmie

Sunday, February 19, 2012 at 01:06 PM

Utter p1sh.

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4

The Voice of Reason

Sunday, February 19, 2012 at 09:04 AM

3 Is it possible that you missed one or two other opinions in your sweeping generalisation?

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Mercutio

Sunday, February 19, 2012 at 07:54 AM

Alex Salmond is seen down south as just "another Scotsman on the make"

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Vote 'NO'

Sunday, February 19, 2012 at 12:41 AM

Out of the whole of England to visit, Salond travelled to Liverpool which, even the most clueless Separatist must surely know, pulls no strings and had no power to yield.

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Alpha Betty

Sunday, February 19, 2012 at 12:18 AM

Oh dear, in your rush to sneer at Alex Salmond you failed to realise that Tatton is in the Cheshire "stockbroker" belt. The First Minister's comment had nothing to do with distance, more to do with the unequal spread of wealth in England.

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