davidsberry

Growing up in the fifties and sixties, like most kids of my era, I was swept up into playing rock ‘n’ roll as protest and exploration of life’s possibilities. While many followed the Beatles, Stones and others that pushed the limits of rock, my idol was Stevie Winwood.

Last night’s BBC4 documentary brought me up to date with his life but also reminded me why he had influenced me so. It was the soul in his voice, a blues of hard living and authenticity to which a seventeen-year-old from Brum had no right—but, nonetheless, possessed in spades. That ability to reach deep into others is what kindled my interest in politics.

But it took most of a lifetime of gleaning experience and exploring options to bring me to a point when I felt qualified to blend the listening with rephrasing and make good politics—much as Stevie had done three decades earlier. My own journey is mirrored in two versions of Clouds by Joni Mitchell. The earlier is graceful, idiosyncratic and ought to be definitive.

The later is slower, more thoughtful and pitched almost an octave lower. Above all, Joni now sings her beautiful lyrics as if, finally, she understands how deep, how meaningful the words she sang so lightly then actually are. I make no apology for still loving rock and politics, but—like Stevie then and Joni now— I have come to understand what the words really mean.

One of the strengths of the Scottish Parliament from the outset has always been that it displayed something like gender balance—from matronly competence in Annabel Goldie to ‘lips-made-to-kiss-megaphones’ stridency in Carolyn Leckie. That was already under some threat with five of 23 sitting Labour female MSPs stepping down this May. But the end of this week’s shock announcement from Wendy Alexander is the weightiest yet and the cumulative effect of losing one in four females must sit hard with Labour supporters.

My first instinct was to welcome this as more good news for the SNP. But then a longer perspective reminded me of Wendy’s contributions to Parliament since before it was even elected—more than most MSPs of either gender. Her sharp mind belongs on a front bench team, whether in or out of power. How do we persuade her to reconsider?

Perhaps she should get radical—take a leaf out of Nicola Sturgeon’s book and titillate Scotland’s resilient chauvinist tendencies by being painted by Laëtitia Guilbaud. That could shape a softer, more appealing image for her ‘Bendy Wendy’ nickname and connect with that male swathe of voters that female ability alone still has such trouble reaching.

Naughty Nicola by Laëtitia Guilbaud

http://www.laetitiaguilbaud.org/