The gauge that speaks volumes about our leading politicians
I ENJOYED Magnus Gardham’s Inside Track article (“An outright winner in the verbal dexterity stakes”, The Herald, April 28). It was rather refreshing to read something a bit more light-hearted after months and months of somewhat turgid political claim and counter claim. I particularly liked his “Richter Scale” analogy and if Nicola Sturgeon is 10 on the scale (and I agree with him on that, probably because she is far more honest and therefore has fewer lies to remember), may I categorise a few more?
Patrick Harvie at 9.5, maybe 10 sometimes.
Yumza Yousaf at 9.5, often 10.
Nigel Farage, funnily enough, maybe about nine as well, not because of the content, but he is pretty coherent. However, David Cockburn is down at around one.
Johann Lamont (remember her?) at two, because she never spoke as herself, she always regurgitated Labour dogma. She would probably get a much higher score if she had thrown off the shackles of London Labour earlier. Was at her best when projecting her true thoughts after her resignation. As a matter of interest, where has she been during this election campaign?
Kezia Dugdale at one, never speaks for herself, either. I’d actually quite like to hear what she really thinks. Jim Murphy at one. He varies between a very “shouty” approach, to a “lullaby” voice, both of which are very off-putting.
Willie Rennie at three. However, he wrings his hands far too much. He’s like the minister who presided over my granny’s funeral in the late 1960s. Ruth Davidson at five, another good example of coherence brought about by a level of honesty. I don’t agree with her, but I believe she believes what she says. I could go on and on. Any other suggestions from Herald readers? Alan Carroll, 24 The Quadrant, Glasgow. I AM taken with Magnus Gardham’s new device, the Prescott-Sturgeon Scale, which measures verbal dexterity and places Nicola Sturgeon nearly off the scale.
I note his caveat that fluent speakers might express a flawed argument just as easily as they might explain a strong one and am prompted to introduce my Black Hole Device, which measures affinity for pie-in-the-sky finance in the real world.
Again, this places Ms Sturgeon nearly off the scale. R Russell Smith, 96 Milton Road, Kilbirnie.