The dog that doesn't bark

Once upon a time, a political party with an interest in gaining or retaining power would seek to manipulate the Sunday newspapers, with a view to ensuring that the story they wanted would secure prominence, thus 'setting the agenda'. The party would do this by selective briefing of particular journalists on the preceding Friday or Saturday.

That this still happens occasionally is shown by the main story in The Sunday Herald this morning, which is the result of a more or less blatant attempt by the SNP to highlight progress on the referendum question. Is this a real story? I have suggested here that it might not be. But at least the SNP is putting the effort in.

What do we get from Labour? The main political story in Scotland on Sunday is that Gordon Brown is to place himself 'at the heart of Labour's Holyrood election campaign' (while insisting - of course - that Mr McConnell remained 'the leader of the campaign'). Is this a real story? Does it mean anything? Probably not, it's just the Brown team going through the rather tired motions. But at least somebody put in some effort in getting the necessary quotations together.

Anything else on the Labour front? Well, it's risible to say the least but the Sunday Mail has this:

CRIMINALS could be ordered to do community work in telltale orange uniforms under Labour's plans for "pay-back punishments".
Justice Minister Cathy Jamieson wants to introduce community courts which would order offenders to sweep the streets or repair vandalism.

Dear, dear. Pathetic, you say? I have to admit that it's hardly agenda-setting.

But what of the esteemed First Minister? How has he set the headlines alight, a mere six weeks ahead of the election? Well, the only thing I could find was this headline in The Sunday Post:

JACK McCONNELL travels to London tomorrow to tell Tony Blair the smoking ban in Scotland is an unqualified success.

Newsworthy stuff, isn't it? Why not just give Tony a ring rather than adding to carbon emissions?

If the First Minister wants the Labour party to be re-elected, then he really has to start working harder.