Grim up north
AMAZING what people drop in lifts at Holyrood. Like the agenda for last week’s Highland Conservative and Unionist Association AGM in Inverness. The sole motion said delaying Brexit beyond the European elections would “betray” the 2016 vote and “damage democracy and our party for a generation.” Four days later, Theresa May asked the EU for precisely such a delay. Maybe Chris Grayling was meant to pass on the Highlanders’ message.
Stocks clearance
WE reported last week that David Stocks, leader of the dysfunctional SNP opposition on North Lanarkshire Council, was to quit his post on Monday. This proved incorrect. We hear Cllr Stocks was so annoyed by Unspun he decided to stand for re-election instead. This proved unwise. In a four-way fight, he was deposed by his deputy, Tom Johnston, who apparently never even thanked his old boss for his service. The fun continues.
Logo no-go
TALKING of the unwise, Nat nugget James Dornan has been scoffing at fellow Glasgow MSP Annie Wells. Tweeting a picture of Ms Wells’s annual report to voters, Mr Dornan mocked the lack of anything identifying her as a Tory. "Looks like she has decided to quit the Tories and go it alone as an Independent,” he guffawed. “Brave decision Annie.” However, as any fule kno, MSPs are forbidden from putting party plugs on annual reports, so this was inevitable. We trust Mr Dornan follows the rule...
Nae Mates
A MORE revealing read is the latest Scottish Left Review. The lefty magazine has a special edition featuring the thoughts of Scotland’s top trade unionists. So naturally union fanboy Richard Leonard features heavily, yes? Er, no. The Scottish Labour leader isn't mentioned by a single union boss. Although he does appear once in the mag - providing a testimonial in an ad for the Morning Star.
Terrible twos
LAST week’s Holyrood committee in Skye about a smacking ban was wild, especially the exchanges between smackosceptic MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton and smackophile Rev Richard Ross. The Rev asked if being smacked as a child made ACH more violent. “I was smacked once, and I turned round and bit my father in the face,” said ACH. “So, yes, it made me more violent at the time.” But wasn’t he only two years old? “Absolutely. He never hit me again.”
Stormy passage
THE minister and the LibDem MSP also had a ding-dong after the latter said the Bible was used to justify wife-beating. Rev Ross demanded ACH quote the exact scripture. “Can you show me? There is an open Bible here.” ACH whined to the chair. At which the Rev asked acidly whether ACH or the convener was in charge. The chair ticked off the minister for being “aggressive and disrespectful”. But as he only answers to a higher power, we suspect he didn’t care.
Going for treble
WHEN he was Labour MSP for Glasgow Govan, Gordon Jackson used to joke that, having beaten Nicola Sturgeon twice in the seat, if he beat her a third time he’d get to keep her. In 2007, Ms Sturgeon put an end to that hope and turfed him out. However ‘Jacko’ may get another chance, of sorts. Alex Salmond has just engaged the QC for his upcoming court case.
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