Last night seen thousands of motorists stuck on the M8 between Glasgow and Edinburgh, potentially an extremely dangerous situation, with many of them having been there since morning, and temperatures down to -15 degrees last night. Watching Newsnight, an emergency was clearly emerging. Who would have been surprised this morning that perhaps some-one had died in all this? Happily, this did'nt happen. People dug in and helped each other get through, and mercifully, everyone seems to be all right.
In to the Newsnight studio strode Stewart Stevenson, the SNP Transport Minister, and one-time taxi driver for Alex Salmond. The combination of events could off course have happened to anyone, it just happened on his watch. Stewart Stevenson famously reads from his script all the time, sticking religiously to his rehearsed lines, never deviating. He was asked four times if he would apologize for the chaos. Four times he waffled his way around the answer. Given the circumstances, an apology was in order. He completely mis judged the mood.
Today, he was of course full of apologies. The men in grey kilts must have had a word with him. This evening, Alex Salmond was on the news explaining, a sure sign he thought his man had made a mess of it and that he could somehow put things right. When Jon Snow mentioned that Alex-Salmond-in -opposition would have made hay with this scenario, he clearly got under the First Minister's skin. Wee Eck's touch is clearly now well gone as well.
It looks as though the situation will eventualy resolve itself, but thousands of people have been hugely inconvenienced, put in danger even, and this will do doubt be remembered for a long, long time.
The hapless Mr Stevenson is being asked to explain to Parliament tomorrow.
Who's sorry now.....?
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