Will Nigel never learn?

One of the most amusing moments of the day was listening to Nigel Griffiths, MP for Edinburgh South (majority over popular Lib Dem campaigner Fred Mackintosh 405), bang on about how he would have beaten Fred by 2500 now and would by 4000 in 2 years time.

For someone who has been very careless with the 11,000 majority he had, which was reduced down to 405 by Marilyne MacLaren, this is reckless talk indeed. And how arrogant to assume that he would increase his popularity by such a margin. You'd think he'd have learnt by now not to take people for granted.

I have done a lot of campaigning in Edinburgh South over the past 7 years and there is a lot for genuine affection for Fred - I never found that sort of spontaneous admiration for Nigel.

I know that Fred will work tirelessly over the next however long to serve the people of Edinburgh South as best he can. He would make a worthy MP, but would never assume, even after election, that he has an automatic right to the title. When you are in that sort of job, you are constantly seeking to gain and retain the trust of the people you serve. Fred clearly gets what it's all about. Nigel doesn't.