Drumlanrig: Salmond admits to having Borgen episode

THE Borgen bug which has spread throughout Scottish politics in recent years has finally reached the top.

First Minister Alex Salmond has revealed that he spent much of his festive break watching the Danish political drama starring Sidse Babett Knudsen.

Nicola Sturgeon had hitherto been Scotland’s biggest fan of the show about a younger female prime minister. For some reason. “I spent some time over the Christmas break watching Borgen – I got the box set,” Salmond told an audience in Glasgow last week. “That’s probably Nicola Sturgeon’s influence because she has been a long-term devotee.” Perhaps he isn’t too bothered after all about the recent White Paper on independence being branded “more Borgen than Braveheart”.

Budgets will be a snip for coiffeured minister

LOCAL government minister Derek Mackay was spotted in the Scottish Parliament this week sporting a new closely-cropped haircut. When complimented by fellow nationalist MSP Annabelle Ewing on his new look, Mackay, the man in charge of handing out spending deals to Scotland’s councils for the year ahead, replied that his new haircut was the “deepest cut” in government spending. With the Scottish Government’s budget set to go through Holyrood soon, council service users will be hoping that Mackay is as good as his word.

Green psychiatry gag? Don’t mind if I do

THE impact of environmental change is taking its toll on even our oldest jokes, it seems. Highland MSP Rob Gibson (below) was explaining the importance of change and adaption to Holyrood colleagues in the green era. “How many psychiatrists does it take to change a light bulb? None. The light bulb has to be willing to change itself – although it should now be an energy-saving light bulb.”

Putting a different spin on jeans and trainers

THE SNP’s affable but often-casually attired press chief Ross Ingebrigsten may have to smarten up his act when he moves to his new job as a special adviser in the Scottish Government. The spin doctor can usually be found stalking Holyrood’s press corridor in jeans and trainers, but reluctantly admitted he “may have to get a suit” when he takes on his new role at St Andrew’s House.