High cost of spin
Despite being the first First Minister under devolution to have a single-party majority in the Scottish Parliament (with the support of only 45 per cent of the electors who voted in May 2011) and having the support and advice of thousands of civil servants, The Scotsman now
reveals (4 October) that Alex
Salmond feels the need to employ numerous party political aides and spin doctors on an additional budget of nearly £1 million a year.
This should be deeply worrying to all who care about democratic government in Scotland, now and in the future.
It therefore makes all the more important the continuing role of a vigorous and independent press.
Norman Bonney
Palmerston Place
Edinburgh