WHEN Barack Obama recently visited Gordon Brown he had this advice for a Prime Minister beleaguered by electoral disaster and internal discontent: "You're always more popular before you're actually in charge. Once you're responsible then you're going to make some people unhappy."
These were wise words from a groundbreaking politician who has probably concluded that some day he too could be the subject of poor ratings and ridicule. Which is why it is astonishing that so many apparently sensible people remain keen not just to e
nter politics but to seek its highest offices.
It is particularly puzzling that anyone should covet the current vacancy for the Scottish Labour leadership. Who in their right mind would want to take over a party which has not put a foot right since it lost the Holyrood election last May, and which is riven by factionalism? And why would anyone want the job now, when the only prospect is of weekly humiliation by Alex Salmond?
And yet three volunteers have lined up for the Labour job – and each, surely, believes that they can take on the rampant SNP and win back a disenchanted electorate. But is Iain Gray, Cathy Jamieson or Andy Kerr up to the job?
All three candidates have qualities – and failings. Ladies first. One of Jamieson's best assets is that others continually underestimate her. Parodied as a shopaholic wee wifey and ridiculed for the Ayrshire accent she has rightly done nothing to soften, Jamieson is in fact a savvy enough political operator to survive as deputy leader for eight years. She has also held the education and justice ministerial portfolios and was smart enough to shift ground in both jobs, moving away from the left to fit in with the Blair era.
But that may also prove to be her Achilles' heel. Since she announced her candidacy, Jamieson has veered sharply leftward once again, exposing herself to accusations of inconsistency. The Old Labour stalwarts she now woos and the unions whose votes may be key may not forgive the woman who extended privatisation in the prison and courts service. The bookies' favourite in the race is East Kilbride MP Andy Kerr, another with ministerial experience and who impressed when holding the health brief. Like Jamieson, though, he may find union members remember too well that he backed health experts over NHS workers and patients when it came to controversial plans to cut accident and emergency units.
Kerr's line-up of backers in Holyrood may also be a double-edged sword. Kerr has attracted a weighty bunch – but many are the sort who are too quick to throw that weight around when briefing against other contenders. The undeclared support of Wendy Alexander may seem like a kiss of death, too, while that of the last Labour First Minister will add to suspicions that Kerr is Jack McConnell 2.0.
The last of the trio does not suffer from such comparisons with previous leaders, but this is largely because he has such a low public profile. Many regard East Lothian MSP Iain Gray as the most intelligent and likeable of the three contenders. He also has the deepest hinterland, having worked as a teacher and charity worker in Africa before entering politics. But his biggest problem is that few people outside of Holyrood or Haddington know who he is. He also has to overcome his own unwelcome backers, Brown and Alistair Darling. His time as the Chancellor's special adviser, together with his message of being the "unity" candidate, will also be used mark him as being the contest's "unionist" figure.
We will soon get a clearer idea of which of these three would make the best Scottish Labour leader – and if they are up to facing Salmond. But the coming weeks need to be about more than that. This is Scottish Labour's chance – possibly its last chance – to set out its stall for the 21st century by properly debating its future direction. If the party has any sense it will then stick to that path and stop the navel gazing and infighting. The biggest division is currently the London-Scotland cold war, which is already becoming a bitter theme of this leadership contest. If MPs, MSPs and party members cannot sort this argument out quickly then few of the rest of us will care if it tears the Labour Party apart in Scotland.
Wha's like us... JK RowlingJK ROWLING never intended that The Tales Of Beedle The Bard would end up being published for a mass market. After finishing her final Harry Potter book he wrote the story as a thank-you to the six people who had helped her the most during a career that made her the most popular – and wealthy – author in the world. She produced only seven hand-written and illustrated copies, the seventh raising £1.95m at a charity auction last year.
But Rowling is a woman who takes her chosen charities seriously, and the potential for this latest work to raise yet more cash for good causes has proved irresistible. So, when The Tales Of Beedle The Bard is finally published in December it will raise a further £4m for the Children's High Level Group, which helps kids living in institutions.
Scotland already has good reasons to be proud of a woman who, though not born her, as a young single mum, sat nursing a cold coffee in the corner of an Edinburgh cafe, writing stories in a notebook while her baby slept. This latest charitable gesture is yet another.
Learning lessons from ticket fiascoGLASWEGIANS are justly proud that their city has landed the 2014 Commonwealth Games, and they are rightly talking up what a massive boost it will be for the Scottish economy. But as Jonathan Mills, director of the Edinburgh International Festival, pointed out last week, Scotland already plays host to an event the size of the Games every single year.
The Edinburgh Festival is such a routine part of the nation's life it is sometimes easy to forget that it is the biggest arts and entertainment festival in the world.
Quite simply, it is the greatest show on earth. Cities much bigger and more powerful than Edinburgh eye its success covetously, waiting for it to falter so the crown (and its economic benefits in terms of tourism) can be claimed. So it is not just comedy fans and opera luvvies who should be concerned that Edinburgh's international credibility has been dented by failings in the Fringe's ticketing system. With some shows overbooked and 150,000 tickets not sent out until the very last minute, the foul-up could yet rival Edinburgh's Hogmanay call-off in 2006 as a public relations disaster, not just for the capital, but for Scotland as a whole.
The reasons for the ticketing failure must be identified and rectified – but not dwelt on. This must be a one-off setback that Edinburgh can quickly put behind it, with the lessons learned. Otherwise the Festival risks a crisis of confidence that is exactly what rivals like Manchester are looking for.
The full article contains 1185 words and appears in Scotland On Sunday newspaper.
