So I'm sitting on the sofa taking a quick break from emails, teacup in one hand, digestive biscuit in the other, with my cat curled up on my lap and purring away happily. I decide to watch BBC News and who should be on but my third least favourite Scottish Nationalist (the first two are Alex Salmond and Kenny MacAskill in that order). As I watch Scottish Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon begin her statement to Hollyrood I prepared myself for the usual venom and vitriol about useless Labour or the deluded Lib Dems but then got a bit of a shock. Here she was apologising. Yes you heard me right. Apologising. Not in the half hearted way that some politicians have made into an artform but of the proper "I've done wrong, I won't do it again" type. Such was the shock that I proceeded to spit out my tea on a none too pleased pussy cat.
So what was this apology in aid of? Well it was Ms Sturgeon telling her fellow Parliamentarian's that her actions in the wording of a letter to the court in the case of a convicted fraudster and constituent Mr Rauf were not up to snuff. My wife, who is a lawyer, was appalled when she heard that a Scottish Minister had written such a letter to the court, as were most of her legal friends. I on the other hand felt that Nicola Sturgeon was well with in her rights to write a letter to the court as Mr Rauf's local MSP but that she overstepped the mark in talking of Mr Rauf's offence as a "mistake" and in asking the court to consider alternatives to custody.
Personally I think the opposition parties were pretty shameful in their attacks. Is it any wonder why anyone would want to go into politics if this is the level of the debate?
Anyway Caron gives a much better account of the whole debacle but all in all I must say I was quietly impressed with Nicola Sturgeon today although my cat thinks otherwise.
