My speech

The education authorities in the Western Isles have annoyed me more than a little by their strange demands that I abide by protocol and do not encourage the teachers to revolt against their employers.

Today I made a speech in the Parliament, and a very good one it was too said many people who didn't hear it. Reading it again later I am very pleased with the quality of what was written for me by the Government and superbly printed by my assistant.

Speaking about the needs of the secondary education sector, I studiously avoided any reference to the Western Isles or the current problems there and I most certainly DID NOT make any kind of special pleading for the Comhairle and the problems that there are with dropping pupil numbers and too many schools and the schools needing major building work.

To make sure that the Education Department got the message, I didn't contact the Council ahead of the debate to get any kind of information or to see what I could do to assist them. Now they know who is in charge in the Western Isles!

I go out to celebrate my new found mental strength, hitting the Royal Mile pubs in a debauched manner for a small ginger beer before I catch a bus home in time to watch Reporting Scotland. And so to bed.