IT WAS one of those quips the First Minister has become famous for – but it led to a real Holyrood stand-off.
During the debate on his programme for government, Alex Salmond remarked: "I am not an expert on pie and beans; I leave that to Mr (Fran
k] McAveety."
The reference, of course, was to the Labour MSP for Glasgow Shettleston's now legendary "porkypiegate" incident, when, as culture minister, he forgot to come to answer questions as he was busy eating pie and beans. He then pretended he was late because of an important meeting.
But not afraid to laugh at himself, Mr McAveety issued an immediate challenge to the First Minister that they race over 100m to see which one of them knew more about pies, the loser paying £100 to the Rainforest Fund.
At 46, the ex-Glasgow City Council leader still plays a regular game of football and fancied his chances against Mr Salmond, who prefers to be chauffeur-driven to eat just around the corner from Bute House. It seems that while Mr Salmond is fond of laughing at others, his humour does not extend to himself – so the offer has been turned down.
Is Brown a bit of a Gray man?THERE is much speculation over whom Gordon Brown is supporting in the Scottish Labour leadership contest. After the Wendy debacle, it seems he doesn't want his fingerprints on this one. Most agree his favour is with Iain Gray. The MSP is silent, but a look at the Gray tartan shows broad brown streaks running through it, like, as a Nat put it, "the veins through Gray's body".
Wisdom of the aged THERE was some posturing at the press conference of Scotland's university rectors. Edinburgh's Mark Ballard (ex-Green MSP) boasted the university was founded in 1583.
He was put in his place by former Lib Dem leader Charles Kennedy, who gently pointed out Glasgow was founded in 1451 – then noted St Andrews' Simon Pepper could trump them both as it was founded in 1412.
Craig Murray, rector of Dundee University, founded in 1881 as a campus of St Andrews and independent since 1967, knew when he was beaten and said: "We have the advantage of not being senile."
Given the historical nature of the meeting, Kennedy mused: "I don't know the collective noun – a rapaciousness of rectors?" Alba wonders if enough came to the meeting, would that be a rectum? Answers on a postcard.
Just spin this way, sirKEVIN Pringle, Alex Salmond's spin doctor, had to be escorted to get a visitor's badge after forgetting his Holyrood pass this week. Apparently the "Do you know who I am?" routine had no effect on security staff. Pringle then showed why he is still the best at his craft at Holyrood. "When would ministers announce plans for a Scottish Futures Trust?" he was asked. "We'll say what we say when we say it," he replied, with no hint of a smile. Sometime in the future, Alba assumes. His master would be proud.
