Away from politics, Anas Sarwar is a very sociable and clubbable chap who makes a habit of turning up at those sorts of events that other senior politicians revile. 

A couple of years ago, I was pleased to see him attend the inaugural Scottish Influencer Awards day in Glasgow and not in any elevated civic capacity. 

He was just there, like me, to see what this cultural phenomenon was all about. He chided me for my hopeless attempts at looking casual and relevant among so many talented and enthusiastic young thrusters. 

Later, Mr Sarwar listened patiently while I and some of my friends quizzed him about what we regarded as his unwise opposition to the concept of a second referendum on Scottish independence.

On these occasions, Mr Sarwar is nothing other than pleasant and courteous, even when faced with former Labour voters telling him plainly that his approach is a wrong-headed one.

Earlier this year, he popped over for a chat at the Scottish Press Awards where I introduced him to the editor of The National, a newspaper that has often been rather disobliging of Mr Sarwar and his party. 

The Scottish Labour leader was his usual charming self, however, and spoke warmly of diversity of opinion in the press. The National, he said, would be welcome at all future Labour press events. 

It was no less than I would have expected of him. Mr Sarwar doesn’t yet seem to be afflicted by the paranoid tribalism that has lately come to disfigure the SNP. This had been manifest in their sinister and crazed desire to hunt down anyone who refused to genuflect at the altar of Nicola Sturgeon and her cult devotees. 

John Swinney’s failure to get rid of the most insidious of Ms Sturgeon’s acolytes is already costing him and Mr Sarwar will probably be the main beneficiary of their self-harm. 

It’s important, though, that Mr Sarwar resists all attempts by Labour’s shills and glove puppets (every party has them) to replicate the controlling pestilence that’s hollowed out the SNP.

Minions undermine
I’ve become alarmed, however, to receive reports that Mr Sarwar is being undermined by some minions further down the Labour Party food chain. 

The National, it seems, is being deliberately excluded from Labour Party press briefings, including one last week.

This seems contrary to Mr Sarwar’s oft-stated desire to reach out to those many thousands of former Labour supporters who supported Scottish independence and were marginalised by the party for doing so.

During the UK General Election campaign in June and July, Mr Sarwar repeated the sentiments he expressed in a speech last year where he said: “I don’t care how you voted in the past. Scottish Labour under my leadership refuses to turn our back on anybody in Scotland.

“So let me say to those that may have supported independence in the past, and may even consider it in the future. I don’t support independence, and I don’t support a referendum, but I accept that we need change right now.”

In a series of tweets, National editor Laura Webster, below, said: “During the election, The National managed, after a very long process, to get invitations to Scottish Labour press events. Progress, I thought. Turns out I was wrong. 

(Image: Colin Mearns)

“This morning I hear Sarwar is doing a press event in Glasgow. Weird, I didn’t get anything through about that. Neither did any of our reporters.”

Presumably, like most other media outlets, The National wanted to quiz Mr Sarwar about Scottish Labour MPs failing to support an end to the two-child benefit cap and Rachel Reeves’s targeting of vulnerable old people by ending their winter fuel payments. 

I bow to no-one in my desire to provide a healing balm to old wounds. And it’s in this spirit that I would urge Mr Sarwar to abjure the malfeasances that have besmirched the SNP. Get this nonsense sorted quickly, Anas.

Feckless weapons
I SUSPECT I know why this unfortunate situation has come to pass. There are one or two individuals not directly employed by Labour but who may occasionally appear on the payroll as “advisers”. There is, however, no beginning to their talents and no end to their tomfoolery.   

These feckless weapons are connected to lobbying firms and can be spotted easily in a crowd. Their lips are permanently attached to the feet of whichever politician they believe can further their personal financial interests and those of their paying clients.

They are part of a shape-shifting sector that has gathered around Holyrood like vultures. Absolutely everyone, my dear, is their friend and they are loathe to say anything which might affect their future earnings on behalf of their clients. 

Their opinions on politics are worthless because you can never know in whose real interests they are being offered. 

I believe Mr Sarwar has a very good chance of becoming Scotland’s next First Minister. But if he is to make his mark on public life, he must rid himself and his party of the lobbyists and scavengers who exist for no other reason than to further their own interests. 

‘Computer glitch’
HAPPILY and humbly, I was able to help resolve this little impasse between The National and Scottish Labour. A friendly message to one of the grown-ups in the Labour communications elicited a quick response. This was put down to “a computer glitch” and normal service, I’m assured, has been resumed. 

As Mr Sarwar’s star continues to ascend in Scottish public life, an increasing number of opportunists will gather around him seeking favour and patronage. They’ll pull stunts that they think might attract favour. 

As ever, I remain on hand 24/7 to provide free advice to him and to all of our political leaders if it’s to assist in bringing about peaceful and mature discourse in the public realm.

Occasionally, however, this may also necessitate a rapid kick in the haw maws to selected individuals, a full list of which I can provide on request.   

Pax intrantibus, salus exeuntibus, as we’re fond of saying in Glasgow.