KEVIN McKenna’s broadside at daytime TV is well justified and his suggestions for his own series make a hard-hitting point. However, his defence of Kezia Dugdale for her decision to take part in I’m a Celebrity is beyond the pale on every single point that he makes, and more besides.
Firstly, it’s the double standards involved. For years, not just as leader but especially in this capacity, Dugdale has had just two mantras repeated ad nauseum, as if on loop. These are “SNP bad” and, of particular relevance here, “concentrate on the day job!” Yet she considers it okay to swan off from her full-time job as an MSP to take part in a reality TV publicity stunt, during parliamentary time, despite being denied permission to do so by her party business managers. As such, she will be unavailable to participate in debates, vote on important issues and be unavailable for surgeries for her constituents. In any other employment, taking three weeks unauthorised leave would lead to a sacking, yet Dugdale is not even to be subject to any form of disciplinary procedure. Can you imagine the media circus had this been an SNP politician who had done this? It would have been front page news for a whole week at least. So it is not good enough to say this was a vile misogynist attack on her. There were many women within her party who were part of the widespread chorus of criticism, including Jenny Marra, another MSP, who said that “election to parliament was not a shortcut to celebrity”.
Secondly, she is not particularly talented. She may be a decent sort of person, but she was way out of her depth as “branch-office” leader and made gaffe after gaffe after gaffe at FMQs. In the end, her incapability as a leader was why she had to go. It is true the Labour Party in Scotland is beset with infighting, but the fact is she simply was not up to the task of uniting it, let alone being a real opposition to the Government in office. Whether anyone ever will be able to unite this rabble is a moot point, but she certainly was not!
Thirdly, she is not – and this cannot be stressed enough – there to preach socialism, even if she believes it herself, which I highly doubt. Those who watch I’m a Celebrity are not doing so for the political philosophising, they are doing so purely and simply for a bit of escapism by watching trash TV. This is not the place to go preaching the message of political change. After all, how many viewers were inspired by the socialist message preached by George Galloway when he appeared on Celebrity Big Brother? He will be forever remembered as the clown in the catsuit. In any case, does she really believe it? I doubt it. When push comes to shove, she will side with the Tories if it means defeating the SNP, as she did in the 2017 election, when she actually encouraged Labour voters to vote Tory where the Tories had a chance of beating the SNP. This is because the British Labour Party, the British state and all that they encompass come first and the Scottish branch of the Labour Party must fall into line at all times, regardless of the damage it might do to Scotland’s interests. Opposition to the Tories when this is the case is mere window dressing.
Finally, I read recently in the Sunday Herald that Dugdale ditched her commitment to donate her fee to Motor Neurone Disease Scotland, to which she has, until recently, donated all outside earnings. Why? I think we are entitled to know. Her failure to give a satisfactory answer to date will leave many to draw their own, less than charitable, conclusion.
How anyone can defend this second-rate politician’s decision to appear on a trash TV show is quite simply beyond me. What will Kevin defend next? Murdo Fraser appearing in the Eurovision Song Contest? Er... maybe not!
Alastair Naughton
Aberdeen
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here