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News Archive 2001
 
 

As First Minister Jack McConnell "celebrates" his first anniversary at the helm of Scotland's devolved Assembly , FirstFoot wanted to find out exactly what his leadership of the Scottish Parliament means to the man in the street.

So we nipped outside and asked him.

Here is the result of that interview, a frank and revealing insight into how the ordinary Scot feels about Scottish politics.

FF:
You! Yes, you! What the fuck do you think you're doing?
MITS:
 Eh?
FF:
What are you doing in the street outside our front door? Are you a burglar waiting for us to go out?
MITS:
 Naw, ah'm just waiting for a bus.
FF:
Oh, alright then. How much do you think Jack McConnell has achieved in his first year as First Minister?
MITS:
 Is this a trick question? Are you the polis?
FF:
No. Just tell us honestly.
MITS:
 I honestly huvnae a clue
FF:
Would you say that something urgently needs to be done to re-ignite the high hopes that the Scottish people had for devolution and that most ordinary Scots are now frankly disillusioned and bored with the state of Scottish politics?
MITS:
 Aye, if you like.
FF:
In a speech he made in1999, Jack McConnell said that "Government in the 21st century is about being creative, innovative and pushing traditional boundaries. It is ultimately about taking risks. And perhaps the biggest risk is to fail to capture the imagination of the public."
Based on what's happened since, ie next to bugger all, do you think that was just a lot of bollocks?
MITS:
 Is Jack McConnell a politician? They aw talk bollocks aw the time.
FF:
Do you think the Scottish Labour Party are stuck in a rut and see little reason to change, mainly as a result of winning every election in Scotland since the 1950's? Furthermore, do you feel that such inertia is holding the country back and that Wendy Alexander, one of the country's brightest young politicians, resigned because she realised her party was at its heart entirely incapable of reform?
MITS:
 Er….aye. Wendy Alexander? She wis a shag, right enough.
FF:
Would you agree that the absence of any obvious vision for the country makes it that much easier for McConnell's leadership to be challenged and undermined by local difficulties such as the row over his constituency accounts and accusations of financial impropriety which he of course denies?
MITS:
 Och, they're aw crooks anyway. A'body kens that.
FF:
What do you say to certain journalists and other people who accuse Mr McConnell, once viewed as a passionate and maverick politician, of running Scotland like a dreary middle manager in charge of a bus timetable?
MITS:
 Ah'll huv tae go now. That's ma bus coming.
FF:
Fair enough, but if we ever catch you in the street again behaving suspiciously outside our offices, be in no doubt we'll set the doberman's on you.
MITS:
 Aye, awright then. Bye.
FF:
Good day to you sir.