Drumlanrig: Cameron can always look on bright side

Football commentator and author Archie Macpherson. Picture: Hemedia

When quizzed by an enthusiastic reporter from the north-east, who was concerned about the fact that he had gone through three or four energy ministers, the PM was quick to say: “Hang on a minute, I don’t think you can blame Chris Huhne on me. I wasn’t in the car.”

He was then asked about his recent visit to Shetland – a trip that sparked conspiracy theories that his presence in the most northerly outpost of the UK was a sign of a massive oil find.

“Well, I didn’t find any when I went for a swim – mind you I wasn’t in for very long.”

Macpherson proves an able political commentator

WHEN the football commentators start outshining the politicians on constitutional politics and the politicians start outshining the commentators on footballing anecdotes, things have come to a pretty pass on the referendum trail.

The only weak moment in Archie Macpherson’s barnstorming speech in defence of the Union in Dundee was a rather limp reference to the footballing prowess of the City of Discovery.

While arguably the highlight of Gordon Brown’s speech was the usual smattering of football stories about hapless Scottish goalies and the fortunes of Raith Rovers.

Black and white, but it’s not read all over

ARCHIE Macpherson’s brilliant speech came as a surprise to many with one newspaper column suggesting that the commentator was not known as a “towering intellectual figure”. It was a rather unkind comment, especially given that Archie is a published novelist.

Gordon Brown even plugged Archie’s book Silent Thunder, a work that has been described as a “Buchanesque (no less)” tale full of pace and wit.

Brown said Silent Thunder was a best-seller and was proving more popular than that other great work of fiction – the Scottish Government’s White Paper on independence.

‘Subsidy junkies’ maintain the British connection

THE left wing Radical Independence Campaign has certainly been the most vocal group during the referendum. Yesterday they organised a “take-over” of Glasgow city centre, just a few days after protesting outside the Hilton Hotel when David Cameron was speaking to the CBI.

Among the banners welcoming Cameron was a beauty saying “Subsidy junkies on tour”. Despite the radical nature of the group, it has not cut off all ties with England.

One of its flagship leaflets, proclaiming “with independence we can”, was printed by a company based at Britannia Way in the Lancashire town of Bolton.