IS this woman destined to become the Red Queen, a powerful female politician bestriding our system?
Probably not, after the publication of her book list yesterday, which included Public Speaking and Presentation for Dummies.
Glasgow MSP Anne McTaggart revealed all the book purchases for which she was billing the taxpayer and it was a mixed list. The Scottish Parliament: An Introduction. Who could argue?
Local Government Law in Scotland marked out Ms McTaggart as something of a swot. Then it all went a bit obsessional with not one but three books about Barbara Castle, the powerful female voice in Harold Wilson's Cabinet. The Castle Diaries 1964-76, Barbara Castle: A Biography, and Red Queen: The Authorised Biography of Barbara Castle.
All very scholarly and comradely, but comrades should have given warning about naming books in the expenses scheme, especially after previous excesses in the highbrow list by Wendy Alexander.
In short, the rule is: If it is a highbrow or impressive book, you are showing off. If it is a self-help tome you are doing yourself no favours.
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