Chatty Executive Press Officer

When press officers start their job at the Scottish Executive do they not get sent to training school where rule number 1 is discretion? Clearly a certain press officer on the train from Glasgow to Edinburgh this morning forgot that she was on a packed commuter train while bragging to her pal about her expense claims and lovely trips all round the world with Scottish Executive Ministers.

The press officer was certainly very excited about Hans Blix and Al Gore arriving in Glasgow next week and the thought of getting another posh frock ready for the occasion.

I won't go into all the stories (ok I will if you press) about her huge expense claims, trips with armed bodyguards (just which Scottish Minister is that important?) and her not unpleasant remarks about her new minister.

What I will tell you is her thoughts about the election. It seems that right at the heart of the Executive even the spin meisters themselves have doubts that Jack will hang in there. Apparently they are already being mega careful about being on-message for Executive policy rather than espousing Labour or Liberal propoganda. Makes you ask, were civil servants previously getting paid to promote party lines-to-take? This press officer was certainly all set for a change of government and was just glad that her job didn't rely too much on which party was in power.

If the spin meisters think you're on your way out, I fear that Mr McConnell might be facing his last few months as FM.

Comments

[Grant Thoms]

Fantastic story, reminds of the time sitting in Tinderbox (Summer 2004) behind Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin MSP) and Ann McKechin (at that time Glasgow Maryhill MP) at which Ann ever so loud and indiscretely was asking Pauline if she knew what Gorgeous George was thinking about doing? Was he after the new Glasgow Central seat she wanted to know? In her own words, "for my sins, I've been appointed Regional Election Co-ordinator for the Scottish MPs, and I'm just trying to sort out who is going where". Nothing to do with the fact that Gorgeous George could technically have challenged Ann for the Glasgow North seat. Pauline to her credit volunteered no information or at least was discreet enough not to shout it across the table.