Picture perfect?

I have always regarded The Scotsman as a very balanced newspaper as far as its contributors are concerned. Unfortunately, however, this balance does not seem to extend to the number of pictures of senior politicians it regularly features.

About every other day we are treated to a moving photo of the First Minister, in an intimate, beatific pose with a baby (21 February) or with other vulnerable citizens.

Perhaps these emotive pictures are a political strategy by the SNP public relations department to portray their leader as a gentler, caring individual rather the aggressive, abrasive SNP politician who attacks all opposion MSPS, apart from Patrick Harvie, who dare to ask her questions at “First Minister’s Questiontime”?

It cannot be denied that the SNP are doing a very efficient job of supplying newspapers with a surfeit of pictures of their leader. To redress the balance, I wonder if the opposition parties at Holyrood need to play catch up?

SALLY GORDON - WALKER Caiystane Drive, Edinburgh