Sorry Excuse
I started reading this article in The Scotsman by Brian Wilson who is a former Labour MP and Government Minister, of course.
And you know what? I agreed with his that the STV programme was a sorry excuse for political debate, so much so that I turned the damned thing off and refused to watch the spectacle of two politicians shouting over each other - having a 'stairheed rammy' as folk in Glasgow are fond of saying.
An edifying spectacle it was not, but I was puzzled by Brian's partisan attitude about who was to blame because in my view both politicians were equally at fault although Brian seems unable to shake off his party loyalties to Labour if his comments about Nicola Sturgeon are anything to go by.
So as well as being a poor excuse for political debate, I thought Brian's article was a poor excuse for a thought provoking opinion piece - more of a one-sided rant - which meant I didn't finish reading what Brian had to say.
But to be fair I have share below with readers as far as I got before deciding that Brian's opinion was just self-serving tosh.
Brian Wilson: A sorry excuse for political debate
Nicola Sturgeon jeers at the SNP's Holyrood rivals. Picture: Ian Rutherford
by BRIAN WILSON
With no reasoned answers to reasonable questions, the SNP has resorted to shouting down the opposition, writes Brian Wilson
I watched the televised debacle involving Nicola Sturgeon and Johann Lamont on STV this week with a transfixed horror at the calibre of what was unfolding. But I also felt a real anger that this is the level to which Scottish political debate has been dragged down at this of all times.
We used to pride ourselves in being rather good at the cut and thrust of dignified, articulate debate. Arguments were won through persuasion. Politicians were expected to maintain certain standards of courtesy, no matter how passionately they prosecuted their case.
Now, after decades of obsessing about the constitution, Scottish political discourse is represented by a shouting match in which the primary aim of our Deputy First Minister is to prevent her opponents being heard. It was awful, and I am reluctant to believe that anyone other than her blindest disciples, tweets at the ready, was impressed.
I assume Johann Lamont, having watched the previous episodes, concluded that the only tactic was to stand her ground and not be silenced. She did that as well as anyone could. The problem is that when competing with crass boorishness, it is difficult not to end up tarred with the same brush whether merited or not.
