Super Mario

What is it about the Catholic Church in Scotland, that they can produce great leaders one after the other ? The blessed Cardinal Winning is no longer on earth with us. Step forward Archbishop Mario Conti with a robust view of Scotlands 'neds'.

"It is not only serious violence on an international scale which mars our society, but also the raw sewage of anti-social behaviour at home which provides so unpleasant an odour.

"I have become aware in my own ministry as Archbishop of Glasgow of the deadening grip of anti-social behaviour on many communities in my own archdiocese.

"How often I have heard priests lament to me that their people do not respond to events and services being held in the evening because of the fear of leaving the security of their homes in the hours of darkness."

I think what the good Archbishop is implying is that those guilty of anti-social behaviour, like raw sewage, should be turned into fertiliser and scattered on fields.

The Bish's remarks were greeted warmly by a spokeman for the First Minister as well as the Tory and SNP justice spokesmen. Only one dissenting note was sounded.

SSP leader Tommy Sheridan said: "I do not know Mario’s social background in detail, but anyone from a working-class household would find it difficult to accept that those involved in anti-social behaviour are always the raw sewage of society."

I don't find it difficult to accept - but what do I know ? It's obviously someone else's fault - international capital, maybe, or the accursed Jewish Conspiracy. Maybe it's not too late to blame Mrs Thatcher ?

We're back in Rosie Kane territory - the semi-literate 'socialist' (if she's the 12th most eligible woman in Scotland who's the 1st - AL Kennedy ?) who caused a huge BBC mailbag when she said that 'ned' (non-educated delinquent) was 'hurtful and disrespectful to young people'. After all, tormenting the old people in the sheltered housing down the road is just a cry of pain against Trident, isn't it ? I see at this excellent Scots politics site that Ms Kane got 18% of the vote in the Glasgow constituency of Toryglen. Could this be her campaign site ?

Thank God for the Bishop - and the IWCA.