Drumlanrig: Nat Camp on the hunt for Yes men and women

Published on 03/06/2012 00:00

FIRST there were boot camps. Then there were Fat Camps. Now we bring you the Nat Camp.

The campaign for independence – otherwise known as “YesScotland” – announces today that it wants to recruit 1,000 “ambassadors” by the end of this year and 10,000 by the time of the referendum. And how will they learn their trade? “Volunteers will graduate from YES school to become YES ambassadors after campaigning lessons,” a press notice declares. Nat Camp, as it is sure to be known, is not to be laughed at however. The YES people say they’ve already signed up 4,200 volunteers. Training begins soon.

A grand day out despite some f  ishy goings-on

Murdo Fraser, Conservative and Unionist MSP, was out in Perth yesterday for the city’s Jubilee event. “Great to see the city of Perth awash with Union flags and red, white and blue bunting for the Jubilee,” he tweeted. Then, in a second tweet showing just how British the place is, he added: “Long queues at all the food stalls at the Perth Jubilee event. Apart from the sushi stall. Perth folk dinna like that.”

Salmond jockeying for position in royal circles

The Diamond Jubilee debate at Holyrood almost saw Alex Salmond breach Royal Protocol when he disclosed that his love of the turf had helped with the small talk when he has an audience with the Queen.

“As First Minister, I have always particularly valued the discussions that I have been privileged to have with her,” Salmond said.

“One of the characteristics of the 12 prime ministers and four first ministers who have served her during her reign is that they do not divulge the content of such conversations, although I will not deny that horse racing has featured, just occasionally.”

If he ever quits as First Minister, perhaps there is a role for Salmond as a royal tipster.

Boaster hard to beat when he comes to tweet?

Who would have thought that the concept of twitter-envy would play a key role in the SNP’s arguments for independence.

In a Holyrood debate that saw the parliament official support the break up of the UK for the first time, Alex Salmond took an almost unhealthy pride in the number of twitter followers he has compared with his rivals.

He suggested that other party leaders were jealous that he had a total of 20,490 Twitter followers – compared with the 2,405 following Willie Rennie of the Lib Dems, the 2,383 following Labour’s Johann Lamont and the 1,988 following Ruth Davidson of the Tories.

“My advice to the Conservative Party is that if it tweets more interestingly and tries very hard, it will get more followers,” the First Minister boasted.