Kezia of the jungle could pay off

It might all blow over as fast as a jungle storm, but former Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale’s controversial appearance on I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here is fraught with risk.

Apart from mentally and physicallysapping trials, and bugs eating away at her day and night, there are creepy-crawlies to face in the political jungle.

We can commend her spirit and nerve in taking it on, but the lure of celebrity stardom and a fat fee can be irresistible.

By donating her MSP’s salary and part of her fee to charity, Ms Dugdale probably hoped to deflect a wave of political indignation which she knew was coming her way.

Much of the vitriol poured from her own party, however, where many are unhappy that she was reportedly not totally forthcoming about what she was doing on her foreign charity trip.

With her character put under so much pressure in front of millions on television, it is a high-risk gamble for a serving politician – with a thin line between success and abject failure as narrow as a jungle path.

Writing about the furore her partner called for some “human decency”, but that tends to fall by the wayside when the scent of a political kill is in the air.

Many of us want our politicians to be less stuffy and more human, so maybe Kezia of the Jungle can see the wood from the trees as part of a bigger picture.

“Apart from bugs eating away at her, there are creepycrawlies in the political jungle”