Drumlanrig

When no means...? Murdo Fraser’s prize pitch

MURDO Fraser still seems to be stinging over his defeat in the Scottish Tory leadership race. At the Scottish politician of the year awards last week, the former deputy leader of the party was given a consolation prize, winning the ‘Biggest Impact’ award over his call to end the party and set up a new centre-right force in its place.

The bitterness of the campaign, won by Ruth Davidson, below, continued when Fraser’s supporters, such as Liz Smith, turned down posts offered to them by Davidson. In his acceptance speech, Fraser thanked Smith for running his campaign, adding: “Now there is a girl who knows how to say no.” Whatever could he mean?

SNP romances unite but sparks don’t fly

THE SNP’s courtship of the unions is not going so well. While electricians from Unite were holding talks with Labour members in Parliament last week, two SNP MSPs – Christina McKelvie and Chic Brodie – tried to join in. “They were shown the door,” says one Labour source.

The Unite people tried to meet them afterwards, but it appears that neither McKelvie nor Brodie was prepared to hang about. Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop complained: “Some of my backbench colleagues were, I think, somewhat thwarted.” Good to see everyone getting along.

Schools minister’s war on words

WE KNOW the SNP want to break away from the English, but that’s no reason to take it out on the language as well. Minister for Schools Angela Constance, below, published a written submission last week on reforms to Holyrood’s business and plans to change the parliamentary working week. She opined: “I am open minded regarding changes to the parliamentary week, but would wish for constituency days to be protected and for the parliament’s principals of being family friendly to also be considered.”

Aside from the split infinitive, there are other errors here. As Alex Salmond likes to remind SNP underlings like Constance, there is only one principal at Holyrood – him.

Vince Cable’s high-wire act over the Clyde

VINCE Cable was reflecting on the ironies of life during a visit to Glasgow on Friday. The Business Secretary of the UK Tory-led government began his political career in the early 1970s as a Labour councillor in Glasgow.

He recalled that one of his very first political experiences was a march in Glasgow protesting against the closure of one of the Clydeside docks, ordered by – er – the then business secretary of a Tory-led government.

This proves the maxim that if survive long enough in politics, you will end up managing to contradict everything you’ve ever said or done.