It's a secret.

"GORDON Brown held two secret meetings with Sir Menzies Campbell during last year's Scottish election campaign in an attempt to forge a new Labour-Liberal Democrat coalition and keep the SNP out of power, it emerged last night. The then Chancellor tried to get the agreement of the former Lib Dem leader for an anti-SNP coalition – even though neither politician had the power to make such an agreement.The secret meetings, held behind the backs of their respective Scottish parties, were disclosed in Sir Menzies' autobiography, which was released to the press last night."

Mr Smith isn't surprised by the fact that Gordon Brown couldn't resist the temptation to try and "stitch up" the result of last year's Scottish Parliament elections, even before a vote had been cast in anger. It fits in with Mr Brown's reputation as a bit of a control freak.

Mr Brown seems to view Scotland as his own personal fiefdom although, as the results of the Dunfermline West by-election and last year's Fife Council elections demonstrated, Mr Brown is increasingly out of touch with the concerns of his "ain folk." But is Mr Smith the only one that finds Mr Brown's attemtped coup d'etat an unsavoury spectacle at the very least?