CHARLIE WHELAN: Scottish Labour will be judged on what is done by Keir Starmer
National politics have taken a bit of a back seat recently as Western governments come to terms with a new United States president who doesn’t play by the normal rules of politics.
Being ‘economical with the truth’ is often accepted in the political fray but downright lies and cosying up to despots and dictators is not something we are used to here in Scotland.
Whatever our differences, and there are plenty, next year we will have a fairly robust but friendly argument about who should represent us in the Scottish Parliament.
The election may still be some way off but already the Nationalists are cock a hoop that the polls still have them ahead despite the fact they have run Scotland so badly.
At least one thing is certain though the next election will not be about separation from the rest of the UK. That issue is off the agenda for many years to come.
The good news for the SNP though is that despite their terrible record about 30 per cent of Scot’s still believe in Independence and will vote for a ventriloquist dummy if they wear a yellow rosette.
The rest of the electorate is split between the other political parties leaving Scottish Labour with the biggest headache because they will be judged by what Keir Starmer does and not what they do.
Things have got off to a difficult start for Labour inheriting the worst economic scenario in history.
What they can do in Westminster though is to make decisions that benefit Scotland and it was at the Scottish Labour conference last week that the Prime Minister was able to announce a £200m package to help secure the future of Grangemouth.
As we get nearer to the polls the Scottish Nationalist’s record in Government will come under greater scrutiny and nowhere more so in their running of the NHS.
Everyone who can’t easily get a doctors appointment or here in the Highlands can’t get to see a dentist will think twice about supporting the SNP, a party that has so lamentably failed to run the NHS in Scotland.
• No one likes a hypocrite so it was good to see Extinction Rebellion calling out a Highlands landowner for polluting the planet whilst his estates claim to be saving it.
So called ‘green lairds’ who own so much of Scotland spend millions promoting their green credentials hoping that somehow no one will complain about their obscene wealth which enables them to do whatever they want with our country.
Anders Povlsen - who owns the Glenfeshie Estate amongst many others making him the biggest landowner in Scotland - also owns a private jet company.
Some of us may feel a little guilty about flying away on holiday and contributing to the climate emergency but the rich don’t care.
They all use private jets that are simply the quickest way to burn fossil fuels and produce 10 times more CO2 emissions per passenger than our holiday flights.
I bet the Danish millionaire Povlsen doesn’t fly easyjet between his family home and any of his Highland mansions.
• I don’t suppose I would be welcome to fish the River Feshie right now but as ever I will be out angling on various other Highlands rivers.
It was good to see in the news that more and more young people are turning to fishing.
Apparently it’s mainly because of it’s anxiety busting effects. There is little doubt that fishing is good for your mental health.
It can also be very cheap to fish. Here in the strath, youngsters under the age of 16 can get a permit to fish for salmon and trout on the mighty river Spey for just £15 a year.
Just pop into Mortimers on Grantown’s High Street and ask.
Charlie Whelan (Labour) is a former spokesman for Gordon Brown.
