Scottish Conservatives leader Annabel Goldie under fire after attack on 'bullshitters'

Published on Friday 31 December 2010 15:39

WHATEVER next? Annabel Goldie has appalled campaigners for good manners by breaking a long-standing political taboo and swearing openly in public.

The Scottish Conservative leader uses an interview in Scotland on Sunday today to "tell it as it is" ahead of May's Holyrood election. "There is going to be no bullshitting… you can use that," she says.

Her deliberate use of the swear word comes as Goldie promises to adopt a blunter approach to politics, saying the public have become utterly fed up with politicians using evasive and slippery language.

Goldie says she intends to be "straightforward" about the problems that face politicians as they prepare to handle unprecedented cuts to public services.

But supporters of "good" English criticised her use of language last night, saying that if politicians began swearing in public, profanities would increasingly be seen as the norm.

Peter Foot, chairman of the National Campaign for Courtesy, said: "For somebody like a politician who is trying to get our votes, they have got to mind their language. She must know that a lot of her constituents and a lot of her party workers would be offended by language like that. You expect somebody standing for election to be reasonably well educated and to have a vocabulary. Does she really have to fall back on this to show she can talk to the common man?"

Goldie's "bullshit" outburst comes amid signs that politicians are swearing more in public, as they attempt to connect with a largely disaffected electorate. At an awards ceremony in London before Christmas, David Cameron declared that "shit happens" in politics.

And in an interview in September, when asked whether Nick Clegg had divorced himself from LibDem grass roots, Scots leader Tavish Scott responded: "That's just complete bollocks."

When politicians swear in parliament, they still follow the protocol of apologising to fellow members.

Peter Foot, chairman of the National Campaign for Courtesy, said: "For somebody like a politician who is trying to get our votes, they have got to mind their language. She must know that a lot of her constituents and a lot of her party workers would be offended by language like that. You expect somebody standing for election to be reasonably well educated and to have a vocabulary. Does she really have to fall back on this to show she can talk to the common man?"

Goldie's "bullshit" outburst comes amid signs that politicians are swearing more in public, as they attempt to connect with a largely disaffected electorate. At an awards ceremony in London before Christmas, David Cameron declared that "shit happens" in politics.

And in an interview in September, when asked whether Nick Clegg had divorced himself from LibDem grass roots, Scots leader Tavish Scott responded: "That's just complete bollocks."

When politicians swear in parliament, they still follow the protocol of apologising to fellow members.