POLITICAL DIARY
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Drastic measures?
WHICH Scottish peer is such a regular in the Lords bar at Westminster that he doesn’t even need to tell the barman his choice of drink?
There’s a bottle of whisky with his name on it. When this particular peer approaches, the bartender simply reaches for it and pours him a measure.
An inspiring friend
THE passing of motor neurone disease (MND) campaigner Gordon Aikman last week was met with great sadness in every quarter of Holyrood.
The 31-year-old was diagnosed with the disease in 2014 while he was director of research for the Better Together campaign but used the subsequent years to raise more than £500,000 for research into MND.
A friend to this column over the years, Gordon’s sense of humour and dogged determination to make the most of his time left were an inspiration.
And as one of his former colleagues pointed out, anyone who could persuade Alistair Darling to do the Ice Bucket Challenge had to be pretty special.
Caledonia’s calling
FOLK legend Dougie MacLean was co-opted by SNP MPs last week to carry out an unofficial naming ceremony for the office block they occupy at Westminster.
After toying with Jockalypse House and Winnie Ewing House they settled on Caledonia House. Consequently MacLean treated them to an impromptu rendition of his biggest hit – Caledonia.
That song famously featured in an ’80s lager ad that saw a Scot pack in London life to return north.
“It seemed appropriate given that’s what we’re trying to do here,” explained one MP.
Breakfast club
TORY MP Michael Gove was in Edinburgh on Friday for a debate on leaving the EU. It wasn’t his first early-morning event of late.
“Brexit really does mean breakfast,” he said.