Drumlanrig

Published on Saturday 7 November 2009 19:03

A CONSTRUCTIVE IDEA Glasgow's businessmen appear to have been unwilling to go to the fancy football dinner to see the brilliant Archie Gemmill inducted into the SFA Hall of Fame. That appears to be the problem encountered by City Buildings, the construction company formed from the Building Services Department of Glasgow City Council.

Unable to find members of the business community willing to go, City Buildings paid 2,112 for the dinner and stuffed their table with Labour councillors instead.

Documents seen by Drumlanrig suggest City Buildings discovered that having the event on a Sunday night was "unattractive to most businesspeople, so we decided to invite elected members, who were involved in areas of work which we were keen to seek advice on".

Their explanation has raised eyebrows among the SNP, who question if the City Buildings hospitality budget ought to be used as a "social club" for Labour councillors.

"It does seem rather surprising that they couldn't get enough people from the business community to attend such a top event, said Councillor James Dornan, leader of the SNP opposition. "However, it was very kind of all those Labour councillors to sacrifice their time and step in to save the day for City Buildings."

PONSONBY KEEPS QUIET

It is the big question that hangs over the Glasgow North East by-election. Who will Bernard Ponsonby vote for? STV's political editor is a local and has already opened the door to several politicians canvassing for support. Ponsonby, below, hosted the channel's Politics Now debate last week and told the four main candidates he had brought along his postal ballot paper, and would be deciding afterwards. But ever the pro, he refused to divulge his preference; an act tantamount to a football reporter revealing his team allegiance.

CHANGE OF TACT

SNP candidate David Kerr used the programme to try out a stunt on Labour rival Willie Bain. Holding up a 2 coin which, he claimed, was the amount Labour's primary school budget was increasing by in the city, he then lobbed the coin at Bain shouting: "Catch!" Labour campaigners say that if the pair are brought back for another debate, Bain will bring along a piggy bank for the SNP man. "He needs somewhere to put his money," said one.

NO CHARGE TO SPARE

Frank McAveety, the former Culture Minister, is so devoted to rock and roll

he has two iPods. "One has R&B, soul and jazz, the other contemporary rock, pop and country," he once said.

"The iPod is the greatest invention of modern capitalism," he enthused, setting aside his socialist roots.

His love of the latest Fleet Foxes album and Jeff Buckley's cover version of Bob Dylan's If You See Her Say Hello, must have led to the following e-mail sent around the parliament by his parliamentary intern Brendan Ullman.

"Does anyone have an iPod charger my office can borrow for several hours?" Ullman asked. Frank must have forgotten to bring his spare.