A wannabe pedant writes...

IT is easy to be derisory about politics in Scotland, and, as we're all aware, there is much to be derisory about.  Our regard for our politicians,  these keepers of the gate, continues to plummet, to such an extent that more often than not we'll hear that weary refrain “they’re all the same”. Sometimes it's difficult to argue against this jaded viewpoint, but politics is important because, excuse me while I go all Michael Jackson in a non-touchy manner here, we have to think of the children. 

Our quality of life and that of our children are of paramount importance and like it or not, that quality is dependent on politics. Being indifferent on matters of health, education, the planet, justice, equality, how we care for our older citizens and even the freezing of our council tax is determined by politics and those we choose to be politicians. Therefore, we expect those who would govern us to show care and precision when attempting to persuade us that our franchise is best served in their care.

All of which brings me to those in the Labour party who believe they have got what it takes to run Holyrood. These are not people without intelligence, they are of the professional classes, they've been successful in school, they've graduated from our universities and some have even gone on to teach our children. They know that presentation is important, they know that how politicians behave and present themselves to the public is part and parcel of the merry dance of electoral politics. Similarly the literature that they use to garner support has to be properly funded, utterly truthful, and accurate in every way. Let me repeat that, accurate in every way.

You have to ask as Blair trumpeted on about Education, Education, Education like a stuttering Kurtz, were any of the Labour party members, MSPs MEPs MPs or staff actually employed to proofread their campaign literature? The above doozy wherein they vow that 'Scottish Labour will abolish the failed Scottish Labour', is smack bang on p68 of their delightful manfesto. The online launch of the manifesto was delayed as their industrious gnomes went through it with online tippex whilst a stentorian dominie stood over their shoulders with a poised steel ruler. 

Now I'm not suggesting for a minute that the electorate turn their back on them for grammatical and spelling errors, I dare say the other parties will produce clangers, like the above manifesto and election leaflets from Flakirk (sic) have, and heaven forfend I'm apt to drop the odd clanger too. However, this flip floppy approach to free verse cannot go on. 


Back in the day when a young 40-a-day Iain Gray was limbering up as potential MSP, the late scholarly Donald Dewar would never have allowed such shoddy preparation for an election...