Quote:
Originally Posted by RichardCoulter
The new leader is described by his family as "Naughty (been done for speeding amongst other gaffes), but nice
His friends say that people underestimate him at their peril in this 15 minute profile of him at the weekend:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001kprv |
You can file this under ‘crisis PR’, the crisis being entirely of his own making.
Here’s an alternative view:
Quote:
The emerging party line is that we should not underestimate Yousaf, for he may yet surprise us. This cannot be dismissed as a possibility but even a cursory glance at his record confirms it should not be thought probable. Past performance is the best available guide to future performance. Just as Boris Johnson’s spell at the foreign office bode ill for his prospects as prime minister, so Yousaf’s tour of underachievement through transport, justice and health indicates his time in Bute House is unlikely to be a triumph.
…
Yousaf was elected, though only barely, on the basis of being the safest choice but safety should not be confused with attractiveness. “Like Nicola, but not as good” was the core message of his leadership campaign and it is the premise upon which his ministry will be built too.
Nor is the new first minister any kind of fresh face. He is a well-enough known commodity and he has an approval rating of -20. That is a disagreeable place from which to begin. Voters have a sense for when a politician is busking it. They know the difference between the real thing and a phoney and they know which of these is currently occupying Bute House.
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By Alex Massie, paywalled in the Times at:
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/y...lure-dn9n5qpsx