Sultans of Spin

A extraordinarily stormy day , during which the Government SGoRR committee met at Ministerial level four times and at official level was in constant session. No time therefore for me to take any storm pictures!! But there are some very dramatic ones on Blipfoto already

In looks likely to have been one of the worst storms to hit Central Scotland in a decade or more. A huge amount of work was undertaken by many thousands to secure services and keep people safe and that effort is still going on . Many people are still without power.

I did manage to snatch a sandwich around 1.30, before Education questions. Leaving the canteen I did a double take on seeing these three standing in the Garden Lobby , chatting no doubt about the storm , and I couldn't resist recording it. Though I suspect most Scottish voters will not know them, they are probably the three most influential non elected people in Scottish political life. Certainly much of what Scottish voters read and watch about politics has their stamp on it.

On the left is Kevin Pringle, the Chief Special Adviser to the First Minister. I used to share an office with him when I was party CEO and he was and is a media master! In the middle is Ramsay Jones, Director of Media for the Scottish Tories. On the right is former Scotsman journalist and diarist Simon Pia who has been the Chief spinner for two Scottish Labour Leaders, Wendy Alexander and Iain Gray.

They seemed not unhappy to have their picture taken. But you never can tell with such sultans of spin !