Talk of the Town: When politicians find a cutting edge

PART of what politicians secretly love about their job is the often-stinging criticism hurled at their opponents.

It can sometimes seem like they have spent considerable amounts of time rehearsing some of these put-downs.

When Conservative councillor Jason Rust was fighting for his local community centre at the recent meeting of full council, he turned his sights on education leader Marilyne MacLaren.

"I was asked why so many people take an instant dislike to a certain Lib Dem councillor," he said. "The answer was it saves time."

It's not just the opposition councillors that dish out the stinging criticism, though. Deputy council leader Steve Cardownie can be just as harsh about his former colleagues in the Labour group. He said: "Ian Murray is the kind of guy who, if you gave him a loan of 5,000 and never saw him again, you'd think of it as money well spent."

Who's that down-to-earth girl turning on the style?

AS THE feisty Amy Pond, she has got Doctor Who fans arguing over whether she is the Doctor's most glamorous assistant to date.

Back on planet Earth, Karen Gillan is turning just as many heads after being snapped in a series of designer outfits by Prada and ultra-fashionable labels Joseph and Philip Lim – all on the same day.

It is all a far cry from her days as a 16-year-old student at Telford College, trying to survive in the Capital on a meagre grant.

Get a life, but which one?

DO YOU believe in re-incarnation, or that your actions can determine whether you come back as an eagle or a slug?

If so, you have to wonder what sort of life one leads to be re-incarnated as a Lib Dem.

In one of his many election leaflets, Edinburgh North and Leith candidate Kevin Lang declares that he has spent much of "this life" in the constituency he seeks to represent. You have to wonder where he spent the previous one.

Pinheads asking for trouble

NO MATTER how many times people are told something, it is undeniable that some advice just won't sink in.

That certainly seems to be the case for the humble Pin code. A new survey for Consumer group Which? shows one in ten people are putting themselves at risk of credit or debit card fraud by still writing down their meant-to-be-secret Pin or sharing it with someone.

Which? estimates four million debit card holders and three million credit and charge card holders are putting themselves at an increased risk by not keeping the four-digit number in their head.