A Very Good Moment

by Rab Clark

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So, here we go again...

For people of a certain age the time has long since passed when the prospect of a UK general election inspired anything other than mild nausea.

All across the country, thousands of apparatchiks are putting in the hours, refreshing their presentation skills in front of mirrors or colleagues. And most of us, whether we realise it or not, are familiar with the techniques deployed in order to reinforce this or that 'message'.

The following quote is verbatim. Anyone with more than a passing interest in the current Scottish political scene will be able to specify why Forbes's statement is, let's say, 'disingenuous', but even those who've never clapped eyes on her and/or haven't the faintest idea who Michael Matheson or John Swinney are will recognise the doublespeak that has come to dominate political discourse everywhere.

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'I actually think that the election has come at a very good moment for the SNP. Over the last few weeks we've seen John Swinney's popularity increase, he's now the most popular political leader anywhere in the UK, outstripping Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak and he's also presenting a united front with the SNP so that we can make clear our message for change and for hope which is what voters want.'

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(1) @GinaDavidson on X: "NEW: Kate Forbes in Inverness-shire today defends John Swinney’s decision to question Holyrood’s standards committee process & its sanctions re Michael Matheson. With that & police report on Peter Murrell going to Crown Office yesterday cd snp have had a worse start to campaign? https://t.co/mq8Z3rk459" / X

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We're not going to waste time unpicking the quote because it's difficult to know where to start.

We selected this particular clip because it's one of a series tweeted by Gina Davidson covering a few of what are likely to be major issues in the election campaign. And we're not 'picking on' Forbes for any reason - she now has a major position in Scottish government and many aspiring politicos will be watching closely to see how she deals with mainstream media in the weeks ahead - she is issuing the lines they will be expected to take and we have to assume that, being regarded by Swinney as a safe pair of hands, she'll stay on-message at all times.

Aside from what she's saying, it's revealing to watch the clip, and the others linked via the same thread, with the volume off.

The earnest facial expression, the hand gestures, the curious head tilting, the attempts to appear upbeat, smiling whenever possible - we have all become so used to these characters using camera lenses to 'speak' to us in this way that it might appearing jarring, unsettling, if they didn't.

But it's not natural, it's not helpful, it's not informative, it's not honest and, ultimately, it's not acceptable. Everyone involved in this charade knows that what we're witnessing is an actor being given space to do their routine and it will always be more or less the same joke ending with the line 'that's all we have time for'.

And that's why, in the weeks ahead, the only thing we are genuinely looking forward to is seeing how the mainstream media deals with the many independent candidates expected to stand for election. They won't be as 'polished' as Forbes, Swinney, or any of the well-kent faces representing the other main parties. But they are the people most likely to give an objective onlooker some idea of what the real issues in Scottish politics are right now and why, in all likelihood, the post-election discussions will centre around why turnout was so shockingly low.

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