Too much red meat Mr Hutcheon?

Mr Smith has noticed over the last few weeks that perhaps the Sunday Herald's Political Editor, Paul Hutcheon, is eating too much red meat these days. Last week he called for a "cull" of Scottish MEPs in rather impolite terms and this week he turns his ire on Jack McConnell following his resignation as Scottish Leader of the Labour Party.

In an article, Paul comments: "A leader without a legacy... Of all the compliments paid to Jack McConnell last week, the most phoney was how he had helped "steady the ship" of devolution in 2001. According to this argument, the Scottish parliament was out of control and on the verge of implosion. Then Jack showed up and made everything right ... McConnell's key achievement was in how a man of limited ability rose to the top job in Scottish politics, a feat which reflected his core principle: the ruthless pursuit of his own interests. Like a climber who reached the summit of Everest but forgot his flag, McConnell put his energy into reaching the top without ever having a plan once he got there. He forgot that leadership was a process, not an event."

Mr Smith thinks Mr Hutcheon should perhaps be reviewing the red meat content of his diet, but we await next week's victim with trepidation.