Men's magazine wipes the smirks off Scots stars' faces

Published on Saturday 5 July 2008 19:55

ROBERT Burns wished, famously, that we were able to "See oursels as ithers see us".

But three of Scotland's most famous sons could today be forgiven for believing ignorance is bliss. Alex Salmond, Gordon Ramsay and Ewan McGregor have been included in a list of Britain's 20 smuggest people.

Men's magazine Arena conducted a poll of its readers to find the 20 most self-satisfied people in the UK.

The First Minister has the dubious honour of being included in the article and being described as a smirking "smartarse". Cantankerous TV chef Gordon Ramsay is described as "an empurpled boorish bully", while McGregor's charity motorbike rides are derided as "long-delayed gap years".

The fashion and lifestyle magazine article, compiled by a team led by journalist Emma Bartley, launches a no-holds-barred attack on Salmond.

It states: "About once a week he'll appear on the news, a political vulture gnawing on the carcass of Gordon Brown's premiership, his shit-eating grin pasted on his fat face as he details just how different it would be if only he were in charge."

The writer, who is apparently unaware that Salmond led the SNP to victory in last year's Holyrood election, adds: "As that's never going to happen, he can luxuriate in his lack of responsibility, the ber-critical smartarse without the balls to actually move into the firing line."

Of Ramsay, the magazine stated: "That he is a better than average hash-slinger is beyond doubt. However, he has made his fortune and fame as a boorish bully, offering little to hint that his empurpled, ranting visage is a theatrical front, rather than a sour soul enjoying its licence to roam free of the strictures of common courtesy."

Star Wars and Trainspotting star Ewan McGregor fares little better, with the magazine mocking his epic charity motorcycle rides, The Long Way Down and The Long Way Round, which were filmed for television.

Others named in the smug list include editor-turned-TV-pundit Piers Morgan, comedian Ricky Gervais, Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, TV chef Nigella Lawson, author Salman Rushdie and Westminster Cabinet members Ed and David Miliband.

A source close to Alex Salmond was far from appreciative, and claimed the magazine had shot itself in the foot by making an embarrassing gaffe.

He said: "We can only hope Emma Bartley is a pseudonym, since the embarrassment of not having caught up with the result of the Scottish election a full year after it took place takes London insularity to a new level."

Neither Ramsay nor McGregor was available for comment. But a Unicef spokesman pointed out that through The Long Way Down McGregor and his co-rider Charley Boorman had raised more than 300,000 for it, the Children's Hospice Association of Scotland and Riders For Health.

Smug: a definition

Smug /smug/ adj (smugg'er; smugg'est) offensively self-complacent; neat, prim, spruce; smooth; sleek; affectedly smart; n a smug person; an industrious student who does not take part in social activities (obs university sl). vt to make trim. smug'ly adv. smug'ness n. smug'-faced adj – The Chambers Dictionary 10th Edition