It’s dangerous for a politician to do a chat show or a lifestyle magazine interview. In the attempt to appear more human, they can let their guard slip and reveal choice details about their personal life or opinions that clash embarrassingly with official party lines.
At the Edinburgh Festival Fringe yesterday, Scottish education secretary and deputy first minister John Swinney didn’t drop any clangers, but there were some surprises.
Appearing on Matt Forde’s Political Party Podcast, he said he would have loved to become a history teacher - but, at the time of that sliding doors moment, none were being recruited in Scotland so he forged ahead with a political career instead. Swinney also confirmed rumours Forde had heard that the education secretary was an enthusiastic supporter of England during this summer’s World Cup, having been won over by the likeability of Gareth Southgate and his squad.
Most intriguing, however, was his revelation that he used to be a bouncer in his University of Edinburgh student days - which got Tes Scotland thinking about which classic lines from his days as gatekeeper to sticky-carpeted student nightspots might be repeated in his current job…
‘You’ve had enough, guys’
With Scottish teaching unions threatening to strike over pay and demanding a 10 per cent increase in teachers’ salaries, will Swinney resist their demands?
‘Your name’s not on the list, you’re not getting in’
In 2017 the Scottish government flirted briefly with controversial fast-track teacher-training organisation Teach First, a move met with opprobrium by many in Scottish education. Lesson learned - Swinney is unlikely to be extending the hand of welcome to Teach First or its like any time soon.
‘ID, please’
Swinney’s rival education spokesman in the Scottish Greens is the country’s youngest-ever MSP, Ross Greer. Next time Greer poses an awkward question on education policy, Swinney could divert attention by questioning his fresh-faced opponent’s right to be in Parliament in the first place.
‘No large groups’
Once used to bar stag and hen parties, now that the SNP dominates Scotland’s political arithmetic Swinney might use this line as a mean-spirited taunt of rival parties.
‘No tie, no entry’
One to be lent to headteachers intent on imposing a hard-line school uniform policy.
‘Members-only tonight’
With public disgruntlement growing over issues such as P1 national testing, Swinney and his ministerial colleagues may feel the need for some behind-closed-doors meetings to hammer out a solution.
‘Would you walk in a straight line for me?’
Swinney often seems so aghast at some of the criticism Scottish education takes that he could be questioning the sobriety of those making accusations of failure.
