Bonnie Dundee!

I don't usually pay much attention to council by-elections - often local factors, specifically the circumstances of the previous councillor's departure - makes a huge difference.

But Dundee Mayfield - won by the SNP from Labour on Thursday - was a really significant by-election - upon it lay the balance of power in one of Scotland's main cities. It was fought fiercely by both sides and the SNP won by a mile.

In a way it was more signifcant than the Glasgow East or Glenrothes ( if you belive that result) Westminster by-elections, because something was at stake - control of a major council.

The Scottish media's near non-reporting of this takes the biscuit. First of all - if it ain't in Edinburgh or Glasgow (or somewhere in between) it dont really count. But more importantly still, because the SNP won, it is ignored, dismissed as a larely meaningless local joust at news editor level. But rest assured, had Labour held the seat, Angus McLeod, Magnus Linklater and co would have had a (London ) "Times" editorial proclaiming the "death of nationalism", and whoever is in charge of The Herald and The Scotsman these day ( difficult to keep up) would be right now chasing Muriel Gray to pen some pish on where its all gone wrong for the SNP. And the Daily Record would go one better - a feature item by Wee Douglie, Jimbo Murphy or even the PM himself - ghost wrtten by Magnus Gardham.

The Scottish Media, with a few honourable exceptions ( Bernard, Robbie, McWhirter, Riddoch, Bell, Cambell Gunn and the immaculate Dorothy-Grace, to name sadly a short few ) really is crap. A national embarassment almost. Toom Tabbards tae almost a man and woman

But not good enough to pull the wool over the eyes the folks 'o Bonnie Dundee - up wi them bonnets

Result (after Single Transferable vote Tranfers)

Craig Melville ( SNP) 1747
George McIrvine (Lab) 1188

Turnout 29.4%

And in a city Scottish Labour - Brown, Prescott, Harman, Murphy, Gray, et al) had held their annual conference in only 4 days previoiusly. And all the media were ther, knew fine well about this key by-election. In his speech Prezza made a special appeal for comrades from all over Scotland to give a day for Dundee to save the city from nationalism!

Save our country from neo-Stalinism, I say. Beria would give these Scots newspapers a medal.