A NEW WORRY FOR THE TARTAN CHOSEN ONE

These must be uncertain times for the Leaping Salmond, what with the appalling weather on Saturday for the World Piping Championships; the, well, slow trickle homewards Homecoming; the Big Sister bullygirl in Washington laying it on the line for K McAskill re Megrahi, as a result of which he hasn't a clue what to do (does he ever?); calls for Holyrood to be recalled to discuss the whole Lockerbie situation.......the list goes on. What the Leaping One does not want at this time is too close an examination of the relationship of the ruling SNP junta with the Moslem community.

Readers may recall that one of the first actions to take place when a cold blooded attempt to take lives at Glasgow Airport was thwarted, after apparently the right of jurisdiction between Holyrood and the Metropolitan Police had been discussed, was for a rapid state visit to the Islamic community to assure its members that no one blamed them for the outrage. Well and good. It is not too unreasonable to assume that the SNP hierarchy maintains a soft spot for this minority group. What else explains the Mail on Sunday report that a handout of £400 000 for something called an 'IslamFest' to take place in June did not take place at all and that £128 000 has so far been handed back? Such largesse for a marginal cultural clambake makes for hard reading in financially strapped times.

Could it be that The Leaper might face some sharp looks and hard words from Moslem elders if the wrong decision is made about Megrahi? And how would that affect relationships ?