Pulling Strings.

Getting Kofi Annan to turn up in Fife clearly has nothing to do with the fact he was invited by the Prime Minister of course who coincidentally happens to be the Chancellor of Adam Smith College.

"PRIME MINISTER Gordon Brown has welcomed the news that former UN secretary-general Kofi Annan is scheduled to give a talk in his constituency later this year. It was confirmed yesterday that Mr Annan is expected to deliver this year’s Adam Smith Lecture in Kirkcaldy after a request by Mr Brown to do so. The lecture, which is held at Adam Smith College’s St Brycedale campus in Kirkcaldy, is designed to commemorate the life and work of Kirkcaldy’s most famous son and the world’s first economist, Adam Smith."

Well done Gordon.

Peoples' Champion.

Heartfelt words from the PM Gordon Brown in the euology to the late Fife Labour MP John MacDougall.

"PRIME MINISTER Gordon Brown led the tributes yesterday at the funeral of Glenrothes MP John MacDougall, praising his friend as a “people’s champion.” The funeral of the Labour MP, who died last week from mesothelioma, an asbestos- related lung cancer, took place in Burntisland yesterday. Mr MacDougall (60), who is survived by his wife Cathy, son Scott, daughter Julie and mother Barbara, was laid to rest in the town’s cemetery following a service at a packed Erskine Church conducted by the Rev John Allan. Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who was a close friend, was among a number of politicians who paid their respects. In his eulogy he told fellow mourners that they had lost a tireless fighter for social justice, an endlessly loyal champion of decent values and a great family man who had shown the greatest of courage, both politically and in facing his illness. He continued, “John MacDougall was a man who spoke up for Fife, lived a life of public service in Fife and was repeatedly elected and re-elected to represent Fife."

Vultures.

Given other events, Carnegie thinks this cartoon from the Edinburgh Evening News speaks volumes about Fife ... and Fife's PM Gordon Brown.

Ready For Business?

Carnegie thought that Fife's PM Gordon Brown was on holiday at the moment somewhere down south, but that didn't stop him popping up in Kirkcaldy to open a new building.

"Fife’s latest business development was hailed as a welcome boost for the Fife economy by Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Mr Brown was in his Kirkcaldy constituency to perform the topping out ceremony at the new £3.5 million Evans Business Centre, which is expected to eventually create up to 200 jobs."

Carnegie finds it ironic that PM Gordon Brown is opening a new business centre ... just as the UK economy is on the brink of entering the biggest economic recession in a generation. That's timing for you.

Near Miss.

"A SCOTTISH couple well known in politics narrowly escaped being poisoned by noxious fumes while holidaying in a Bulgarian hotel. Dunfermline East MSP Helen Eadie, her Fife councillor husband Bob, daughter Fiona, son-in-law Gavin and baby grandchild Alex are holidaying in the Black Sea resort of Nessebar. But their holiday has been blighted by the incident that left a Bulgarian woman and two children hospitalised when the hotel’s ventilation system appeared to start spewing out sulphur dioxide and hydrocyanide methane."

Lucky for the Eadies and even luckier for PM Gordon Brown. The last thing he would have needed would have been for a Scottish Parliament byelection in Fife after Labour's losing the Glasgow East byelection last week.

But Mrs Eadie hardly "narrowly escaped the fumes." She didn't even know anything was wrong.

P.S. They are not that "well known."

Gord Help Us.

Carnegie doesn't expect special treatment for Fife just because our current PM, Gordon Brown, is himself a Fifer, but there are times when being near the PM's patch means that Fife loses out because our Gordon can't be seen to be avoiding the issues just because it happens to be on his patch.

The proposed closure of Post Offices in Fife is a case in point.

"ANOTHER 42 Scottish post offices have been earmarked for closure, with services in the Prime Minister's constituency among those facing the axe. In the latest round of cuts announced yesterday, four post offices were singled out in Gordon Brown's Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath seat. There are 21 post offices in Mr Brown's constituency. The latest proposals are part of UK-wide cutbacks and will affect the North-east, Tayside and Fife. There are 374 post offices in the area covered by the announcement."

There are major questions about the need for so much Post Office rationalisation and about how much it will actually save, but sadly Fifers will lose out yet again as a result of a government policy being pursued by a government lead by one of its own.

Trainspotting.

Carnegie didn't realise this past time could be so dangerous.

"ARMED police swooped on a group of trainspotters who were using a high-powered camera near Gordon Brown's home, it was reported today. Police were concerned they were spying on the Prime Minister's North Queensferry house. But the group of six, who call themselves the Steam Boys, were in fact waiting on the top of a hill for a locomotive to cross the Forth Bridge."

But was Broon Fae Fife even at home at the time?

Taken to the cleaners.

"TAXPAYERS have picked up a cleaning bill of nearly £5,000 for Gordon Brown ... The disclosures were laid bare yesterday by the Commons authorities who, after a two-year legal battle, released some of the expenses requested under Freedom of Information laws ... Nevertheless, publishing all receipts may explain some of the mysteries. One is why Mr Brown's cleaning bill went from £2,380 in 2003-4 to £4,981.04 in 2005-6, at a time when EU enlargement should have brought even more competition in the market."

So Fife's PM Gordon Brown claimed five grand to have his house cleaned or "repaired" depending on which paper you read, following the arrival of a new son.

There are more questions than answers on this one. Wouldn't it be nice to have the public pick up the tab for your household expenses?

Mr Brown's Schooldays.

Carnegie reads of a bit of an embarrassment for Fife PM Mr Brown.

"GORDON Brown's old school has gone from bad to worse, says an inspectors' report. Kirkcaldy High was battling to regain its reputation after its 2006 report card showed poor success levels and teaching quality, as well as a bad attitude towards work. The school motto "Usque conabor" (I will try my utmost) was used by Brown in his first speech as PM. Now teachers have been told they "must do better" after inspectors confirmed Kirkcaldy's performance had dropped even further."

Given Mr Brown's accelerated performance at Kirkcaldy High School, the fact that is alma mater isn't doing do well after over ten years of a Labour Government must be a bit annoying.

"Fairly" confident.

Carnegie notes the comments this morning of Councillor Alex Rowley, Leader of the Labour Group on Fife Council and embattled Prime Minister Gordon Brown MP's Election Agent, in relation to his thoughts on whether the PM would overcome his current difficulties.

Councillor Rowley's less than ringing endorsement was summed by his comment that he was "fairly confident" the PM would prevail.

As the old saying goes ... with friends like Alex who needs enemies? Another Rowleyism ... and he works for the PM as well. A very fitting 100th post for the That's Fife Blog.

Fife's cheap democracy.

Carnegie reads the list of expenses of Fife's elected Westminster MPs which was helpfully published in The Herald.

Topping the list of expenses claimed by a Fife MP was Lib Dem Willie Rennie, although he came in at a much more modest number 27 in the listing of all Scotland's 59 Westminster MPs, next was Sir Menzies Campbell at 37, then came Gordon Brown at 46, with John MacDougall bringing up the rear at number 54 in the Scotland rankings, albeit that he claimed one hundred and thirty thousand pounds.

Mr Carnegie is sure that these self effacing and modest claims, by Scottish standards, although amongst the most expensive in the UK, will be welcomed by Fife's voters.

Anyone for tennis?

Regarding the "interests" of Fife's elected representatives one that might have escaped the attention of Fife politicos is the fact that the PM of Fife Gordon Brown lists "tennis" as one of his.

Very proletarian. Very working class. Something else Gordon shares in common with former PM Tony Blair.

Dunfermline's PM.

Carnegie noted in last week's Dunfermline Press that one hundred years ago Fifers were preparing for a visit to Dunfermline by then British Liberal Prime Minister, Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman.

Strange how thing's turn out: 100 years later the current Liberal Democrat and Fife MP Sir Menzies Campbell resigns, and a visit to Fife by a British Prime Minister doesn't have much of a novelty given that we have a Fife MP as Prime Minister, namely Mr Gordon Brown.

Carnegie wasn't around at the time to bump into Mr Campbell-Bannerman. He was too busy making his fortune in the States.

Open to offers.

Carnegie sees that there is speculation that following his departure as Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Fife MP Sir Menzies Campbell, may be open to serving in a Ministerial position, probably in Foreign Affairs, in PM Gordon Brown's Government of "all the talents."

It looks as though all of those shared shuttle trips on BA flights to London with "old friend" GB could pay off for another of Fife's finest. However, Carnegie suspects the idea may not go down too well with any Liberal Democrats, especially those in Ming's Fife patch.

Welcome to That's Fife.

This blog has been inspired by the idiosyncrasies of Fife and the fact that, for a variety of reasons, the profile of Fife on the Scottish, UK and international stages has never been higher.

Fife boasts having the new British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown MP, as one of its Members of Parliament and most famous sons. Liberal Democrat Leader, Sir Menzies Campbell MP, is a Fife MP, and given the increased prominence of philanthropy, Fife can also claim to be the birthplace of arguably one of the world's most famous industrialists and philanthropists, Andrew Carnegie, who's generosity is still being felt nearly one hundred years after his death.

But as anyone knows, on crossing the Forth Road Bridge into "The Kingdom" and heading in the direction of Dunfermline Abbey where a dozen Kings and Queens of Scotland are buried, one of the first things encountered is the odour from a sewage treatment works ... and Fife is also one of the UK's "hotspots" for sighting Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs).

From the sublime to the ridiculous, this blog hopes to chronicle them all ... You'll have had your tea then?