Welcome to the year of the Goat. What will it bring? With Chinese New Year celebrations underway I find myself thinking of Alex Salmond and how a skilful politician can turn almost any date to good advantage.
Spring Lantern Festival in the Palm House
At the start of another Chinese New Year I saw a master of opportunity at work as the then First Minister took to the stage to launch China Now in Scotland at the very tasteful lantern festival in the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. As it turned out, it was not going to be an auspicious year but who foresaw the full force of the financial crash in the early days of 2008?
“People ask me why I am so lucky,” Alex Salmond told the respectful crowd in the exhibition space at the Botanics. To my surprise he then went on to list a succession of political triumphs achieved apparently against the odds by his (then) minority government.
Was it just me, or did this seem inappropriate at an event celebrating Scotland’s first Chinese Spring Lantern Festival? True, China Now was part-sponsored by the Scottish Government but we were all waiting to ooh and aaah at the pretty lights and music weaving through Chinese plants in the glasshouses, we didn’t expect a party political broadcast.
Then, just as I feared feet would start to shuffle, the master stroke:
“Why am I so lucky?”
From behind his back the beaming First Minister produces….
A rat.
Admittedly it was a toy rat but 2008 was indeed the Year of The Rat. In one deft move Mr Salmond combined politics with culture.
“Too much politics,” mutters the young Chinese musician standing beside me, as laughter, applause and (I sense) relief break out.
Light relief
Since then, I always imagined Mr Salmond must be a Rat (horoscopically speaking of course). Instead, I discover the SNP candidate for Gordon constituency is a Horse – characteristics: “diligent, friendly, sophisticated, talented and clever”.
For no good reason at all (except putting off the evil hour of tidying my desk) I scan the Chinese Zodiac to check the signs and fortunes of Scotland’s other political animals.
Patrick Harvie, Scottish Green leader, is an Ox: confident, honest, patient, strong and (er) conservative.
Kezia Dugdale, Scottish Labour deputy leader, is a Rooster: shrewd, honest, communicative, motivated, and punctual
Ruth Davidson, Scottish Conservative Leader, is also a Horse – and, says the Zodiac, should shy away from other Horses.
Willie Rennie, Scottish LibDem leader, is a Goat: artistic, calm, reserved, happy and kind (but best to keep away from Horse and Ox).
Nicola Sturgeon, SNP leader, is a Dog: loyal, honest, responsible, courageous and warmhearted.
Will the new First Minister will take advantage of the Chinese New Year when she speaks at tonight’s lecture, the last of the Winter Seminar Series hosted by the David Hume Institute. If she does, she’s unlikely to come brandishing a Goat…that’s the sign of arch rival Jim Murphy, leader of the Scottish Labour Party who gave last week’s Winter Seminar lecture.
But maybe stranger things could happen. According to Fung Shui Master, Raymond Lo, the Year of the Goat shows auspicious signs of being a good year for making agreements.
Hmmm.
I can report that Nicola Sturgeon did not mention Chinese New Year, nor bring any toy animals with her.
She made a good speech on the essential role of education in reducing inequality and creating a fair society – with promises of how she intends to create equal opportunities for all children in Scotland, regardless of where they are born.
The leader of the SNP Party might well have been making a speech for Labour – and indeed some of the same issues were raised by Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy last week.
In fact, all five party leaders have given good speeches during the David Hume Inst Winter Seminar Series.
There are times, reading Twitter and Facebook comments, when you might think Scotland is full of Tories: ‘red tories’ and ‘tartan tories’ …if not actually many ‘tory tories’. Yet, listening to all the party leaders you could be forgiven for thinking Scotland is full of Social Democrats.