Drumlanrig

A LOOK at the lighter side of politics in Scotland over the last week.

Rangers fan McNeil refuses to kick off

MSPs were conducting an inquiry into community sport when Labour’s Duncan McNeil began to talk about the merits of walking football for the over-60s and 70s.

It was a sitter for that well-known Hibee Margo MacDonald, who hit the back of the net with her response: “For the member’s information, I think that there are already volunteers available to take people through walking football. They are called Rangers.”

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It was all a bit much for McNeil, a dedicated Rangers fan, who said: “Margo MacDonald will not draw me on that one. I am feeling enough hurt as it is. I am still not ready to talk about it, and certainly not publicly.”

A ba’ hair away from parliamentary gold

THE ambitious nature of John Swinney’s budget, characterised by timid tinkering of paltry sums around the edges, led to Tory Gavin Brown privately suggesting that it was a “ba’ hair budget”.

Being a smart Fettesian, however, Brown did not use such unparliamentary language when he stood up in parliament to denounce it.

Drumlanrig was disappointed that Brown did not manage to get his description on the Holyrood record, especially since there is a precedent. Who can forget Kenny Gibson’s impressive insight into complex electoral systems back in 2000?

The official record states that Gibson said: “As for the Tories saying that STV [single transferable vote] would benefit them – well, I am sorry, but it wouldnae. In the 1995 local council elections, I gained more votes in my ward than John Young – who was elected by a ba’ hair of 38 votes.”

If only Holyrood jollies were an Olympic sport

IT’S a dirty job but someone has to do it. Our dear leader will hotfoot it from yesterday’s sparsely attended independence march on to a plane to the United States, where he will this week be leading a delegation to the Ryder Cup, the biennial golf jamboree which pitches the You-Ess against Europe.

Obviously, it’s a fact-finding exercise as Gleneagles will be hosting the competition in 2014 and our team of organisers here in Scotland needs to know how the global event runs. But never let it be said that the First Minister passes up an opportunity to indulge his love of sport, having popped up at Wimbledon and the Olympics already this year. As we said, it’s a dirty job...