FORMER LABOUR FIRST MINISTER INSPIRED TO GO INTO POLITICS BY NATIONALIST POLITICIAN MARGO MACDONALD
CUIDE RI CATHY – JACK MCCONNELL
Monday 31 May at 10.00pm on BBC ALBA
Former Labour First Minister Jack McConnell reveals to Cathy MacDonald that he was inspired to go into politics not by a member of the Labour Party movement but by the renowned nationalist politician Margo MacDonald.
Jack McConnell with Cathy MacDonald
Speaking during the latest programme of the Cuide ri Cathy series on BBC ALBA, Jack discusses his influences and explains the effect that then SNP MP MacDonald had upon him. Jack says: “I met her for the first time in 1981 when I was making a speech as president of the Students Association at a meeting of 500 people. After my speech, I sat down next to her and she asked me when I was going to become as MP?! I was 21 at the time. She was probably the person who first put the idea into my head.”
During the show, Cathy accompanies Jack as he visits a primary school in Dumbarton, where some of the older children had prepared a presentation based on his life story.
The former First Minister talks openly about his career and divulges that he had considered becoming a nationalist when he was young but that the election of Margaret Thatcher was the catalyst for his decision to join the Labour Party in 1979.
Jack also discusses the smoking ban, considered by many to be one of the lasting legacies of his time in office. However, despite being at the helm when the ban came into force, Jack admits that he himself is an ex-smoker. He says: “I was never a heavy smoker but I was a fairly regular smoker from mid-teens to mid-thirties!”
Throughout the interview and his visit to the school, Jack reminisces about his time as First Minister, and recounts the incident when he attended the G8 summit in 2005 during which then US president George W Bush crashed into a police officer while riding his mountain bike on the Gleneagles Estate.
When asked about the rumour that he is to quit the Scottish Parliament at next year’s election in order to take up the post as High Commissioner of Malawi, the Motherwell and Wishaw MSP appears to remain uncertain about what the future holds.
Jack says: “At the moment, I’m happy to stay as an MSP, particularly as my constituency is an industrial area and is obviously suffering job losses. It’s the wrong time to leave – they need a strong voice at this point. I have to make a decision next year whether to stay or move on – I’ll make it nearer the time.”
CUIDE RI CATHY will be broadcast on BBC ALBA on Monday 31 May at 22.00 and is available on Sky channel 168 & Freesat channel 110.