Two Doctors: Media: January 2009 Archives

Bad move.

By

on January 24, 2009 11:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Times are tough, economically, and even those with no prospect of unemployment until 2011 must plan ahead.

Still, making complex and dubiously-timed property moves might prove unpopular with your employers, in this case the public in the North East, not to mention with your colleagues.

I imagine the heated discussions with Mr Don have already begun. Admitting signing up for a massive and discredited benefit just before the deadline, like Indiana Jones grabbing his hat as the wall comes down, can't be part of the SNP playbook. It's a particularly bad idea while you're on the phone with Paul Hutcheon, the Scottish Parliament's unofficial Standards Commissioner.

Also, shouldn't a list MSP be representing the entire region, not "covering" seats their party hopes to pick up next time?

Why Douglas Fraser left for the Beeb.

By

James

on January 13, 2009 7:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

He's now a proper celebrity. Earlier in the week the Courier had a story saying that the arrival of him and his camera crew to do vox pops made Perth "the centre of attention".

Douglas is a lovely fellow, but this level of excitement must have surprised him a little. Imagine what would happen if Paris Hilton or Nelson Mandela turned up on the High St.

Michael Crow to join the Tories.

By

James

on January 5, 2009 5:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Hamish at the Scotsman had the gossip out first, according to my RSS reader. Michael Crow, STV's well-respected political correspondent, is to be the new Director of Strategy and Communications for the Tories.

It's the classic poacher-turned-gamekeeper manœuvre, or vice versa if you prefer. He's always been hard to read, politically, unlike his colleague David Torrance. If pressed, though, I'd say he's probably rightish on crime but more leftish on civil liberties and economics.

It's a great coup for the Tories: he's shrewd, sensible and exceptionally well-connected. Ramsay Jones, their existing head of press, is an effective operator, and I don't yet know if he's staying on, but the two together would be a formidable team, however ill-conceived the policies they generally have to promote.

Watch out for reduced amounts of waffling from Tory MSPs doing broadcast interviews in particular - Michael has a longstanding habit of training his interviewees on the spot when they don't get to the point quickly enough.