The Illusionist - a Gaelic movie running for an Oscar

Great news from LA, where The Illusionist has been shortlisted for the Oscars.

Strictly speaking The Illusionist, written and directed by Sylvain Chomet, is a French animation based in Scotland but the beautiful, crystal-clear Gaelic dialogue provided by Eilidh Rankin gives the film a wonderful resonance with its 1950s Edinburgh and Highland setting.

Most of plot and the charm in Chomet's hand-drawn animation relies on show-not-tell miming, with muffled dialogue heard through plate glass or in situations where only a garbled word or two in French or English is distinguishable.

That is until Rankin gives voice to the character of Alice, the Highland girl who accompanies the down-and-out "Illusionist", back to Edinburgh. Eilidh has laid down some of the sweetest Gaelic to grace a recording booth and her contribution gives the film a real lift.

Maybe I'm being sentimental because I saw it in the Edinburgh Cameo, which features in the film; or maybe it's because I'd enjoyed some great Gaelic company before going on to the cinema that cold November afternoon; but go and see it and be charmed yourself by this genuine piece of creativity and craftsmanship.

Chomet, the director of the highly-acclaimed 2003 Belleville Rendezvous, adapted the story from an unproduced script by Jacques Tati. He relocated the action to Edinburgh after falling in love with the city during a visit to the annual film festival.

I think he received precious little financial help in Scotland with the development of the movie but everyone will wish him the best of luck in the animated film category where he is a giant slayer in competition against Toy Story 3 and How to Train your Dragon. Beannachd leibh.

When politicians start blaming the wrong kind of snow..

Alistair Darling is reborn on Sky news just now, hammering George Osborne's record harder than Ed Balls hits the punchbag in his garage.

I was a minister for a long time and when politicians start blaming the wrong kind of snow you know something is wrong, says Darling, who thinks the recovery is at risk because of the direction of government policy.

Apart from blaming the weather for the shocking 0.5% reduction in growth the big message from George Osborne and David Cameron today is that there will be no change in government direction.

My notes from this morning's lobby are littered with the words "choppy" and "difficult course" from the Prime Minister's Official Spokesman.

The PMOS own notes from the cabinet discussion of the economy were that Cameron told colleagues that they had "set a difficult course that was never going to be easy".

But, said the PM, dealing with deficit "is not an alternative to growth, it is a pre-requisite. We should not be blown off by one quarter's figures".

Asked about the possibility of a double dip recession the PMOS kind of avoided answering directly (quite a few times) and pointed out that coming out of previous recessions there have been quarters of flat or negative growth.

"We've always said its likely to be choppy," said the PMOS. "Clearly they are disappointing figures, somewhat below the bottom end of range expected by forecasters."

He noted the worst winter weather in 100 years might have something to do with the quarterly results but journalists reposted that two thirds of the figures came before a drop of snow fell.

Is this a blip, we asked? Well, previous experience shows this would happen. The PMOS said: "The important thing that we are confident the approach is the right one and that there isn't any alternative to dealing with the deficit. You don't have to look very far for evidence of not dealing with a large deficit."

After the weather, and who says the snow is over, there will be the is the effect of the vat rise and public sector cuts.

Are there adjustments to be made for more choppy days? Do you stick to the plan if there are two quarters of negative growth? Is it pm's view that we are out of the danger zone?

The official answered: "It is certainly true that the spending cuts are relatively small this year. There are cuts still to come but it is important to have a credible deficit reduction plan if you are going to see economic growth."

Late result from the football gender wars

One woman doesn't need the offside rule explained to her by Andy Gray is Tracey Crouch, Tory MP for Chatham and Aylesford, who is a qualified football coach.

Crouch (that's her with England international Peter Crouch - no relation)is also a bit of a hotshot on the field, as Shadow Defence Secretary Jim Murphy discovered last week.

Super-Murph, a midfield maestro (that's what is says in the match programme) found himself playing in goal last week in a game against the Tories. When it came to a penalty being awarded, aye well, you can guess how the lassie got on.

Actually it was worse than that - not only did Tracey Crouch put the ball in the back of the net from the penalty spot, it travelled between lanky Murphy's legs to get there. Nutmeg is the official term, for you ladies who don't follow the game closely.* See footnote

Staying on football and gender checkout the all-girl Laxdale primary football team from Lewis in today's Daily Record. The island team won a kits for kids competition through the paper and jetted off to Italy to see a Serie A game as a reward.

The girls and their classroom assistant Christine Campbell collected almost 30,000 tokens to win the top prize, not a bad result for Record circulation given that the population of Lewis is 23,000.

(Shame on Gray, by the way, him a good Lewis boy and all.)

footballnote Having checked sources it seems that the goal was not scored from the penalty spot and the earlier report "does no justice" to the cracker of rocket shot that Crouch put in the net. Still went through Murphy's legs though.

Cuin a tha da Ed nas fhearr na aon?

Tha Ed Balls a' toiseachadh air dreuchd ur mar Seansalair dhubhlanach an-diugh, as deidh mar a dh' fhag Alan Johnson an dreuchd sin an-de airson adhbharan pearsanta.

Mar as trice, nuair a thig e gu “adhbharan pearsanta”, bidh Westminster lan de fathannan fad laithean - ach thainig an naidheachd mu dheidhinn Johnson mar peilear tairneanaich aig coig uairean feasgar an-de.

Bha gearranan air a bhith ann mu dheidhin de direach cho eolach 's cho mionaideach 's a bha Johnson mar fear labhairt an ionmhais airson na Labaraich ach chan e sin an t-adhbhar a dh'fhag e ann an cabhaig.

Tha e follaiseach a-nis gu bheil e a' sabaid airson a phosaidh a sabhaladh. Tha oifigear polais, a bhiodh a' dion Mgr Johnson agus a bhean, air a chuir air beulaibh buidheann-faire a' Mhet agus gearan na aghaidh.

Le sin, tha an carabhan poileataigeach a' gluasad air adhart agus tha Ed Balls air an dreuchd mar Seansalair dubhlanach a gabhail air.

Seo cuideigin a tha fior-eolach air an economaidh agus poileataics 's e air a' mhor-chuid dha bheatha phroifeiseanta a chuir seachad am broinn Roinn an Ionmhais comhla ri Gordon Brown.

Agus sin an trioblaid - a h-uile cail a dh'ionnsaich e aig gluin a mhaighstir, Gordon Brown. Bi na Toraidhean ga chaineadh, cuir a' choire air airson a h-uile cail a chaidh cearr anns an economaidh, agus cumail a-mach gun e seo mac poileataigeach Ghordon Bhrown tha air tilleadh airson sgrios a dheanamh.

Ach tha Ed Balls nas fhearr na sin - tha e mion-eolach air economaics, tha e sgileil air poileataigs, tha e ionnsaidhte ’s laidir na bheachd. ’S e beatha Sheorais Osborne a bhitheas mi-chomhfhurtail a seo a mach. Cha bhith moran tide aig a Seansalair airson laithean saora a' sgitheadh ’s am balach seo air earbaill.

'S e an rud a bhitheas inntinneach fhaicinn ach ciamar a theid dhan an da Ed - Balls agus Miliband - a thaobh a bhith ag obair comhla.

Tha diofair mor eadar an dithis air ceist an economaidh agus direach de cho luath 's bu choir a riaghlteas fiachan na duthcha isleachadh le bhith gearradh air ais air cosgaisean.

'S e seann Keynesian a tha ann am Balls agus tha esan dhen bheachd gu bheil leasan mor anns an Depression - nuair a ghearr riaghlteasan air ais air cosgaisean agus cha do leudaich an economaidh priobhaideach airson aite an riaghaltais a gabhail. Sin direach a rud tha na Toraidhean ’s na Lib Dems a' feitheamh air a shon an drasta.

Tha seorsa do dh' eachdraidh eile ann an seo cuideachd. Dithis talantach aig ceann a' Phartaidh Labarach, ditheas le beachdan agus stoidhle eadar-dhealaichte a bhitheas cumhachdach comhla ach dh'fhaodadh am partaidh sgaradh agus iad a' sabaid a cheile airson ard-cheannas.

Uamhasach coltach ri sgeulachd Bhlair agus Bhrown, nach eil? Agus ma tha ceist sam bith ann mu dheidhinn Ed Miliband, bi na buill Labarach a' coimhead ri de ni an Ed eile. Co thubhairt gu robh da cheann nas fhearr na aon?

Ed Miliband, the poker power player

That Ed Miliband, I wouldn't play poker against him.

I've just dumped a whole feature length interview with Labour leader into the electronic bin after returning to Westminster at 5pm to find out that Alan Johnson had changed the script while I was out.

Just before I sat down with Ed Miliband in Wolverhampton at lunchtime he had to take a phonecall, which in retrospect, was the finalisation of Johnson's resignation.

Afterwards he rattled through a quickfire interview on the Scottish election campaign - he's in Scotland on Friday - in record time. But there wasn't a hint of anything being amiss unless you wind back the tape to the point where he says how much he was enjoying being Labour leader, "even in the dark days".

Other than that there was no signal, no sign of the unfolding drama and the major shadow cabinet reshuffle that was taking place on the hotline from Wolves FC to Westminster.

The very fact that the reshuffle took place on the hop, as the leader was travelling through the West Midlands, shows that this wasn't a move to dump Johnson, who was a highly regarded politician despite his apparent lacking of economic detail. There's lots of speculation about why he did stand down but "personal" covers it for now.

Some are presenting the outcome, Ed Balls in the shadow chancellor seat, as the best possible outcome in the worst of circumstances. Balls will be a combative match for Osborne - attack dog vs scorpion is how Ann Treneman is billing it - but he also has unfulfilled leadership ambitions.

In politics your enemies are often the ones behind you, not these on the benches opposite. The appointment of Balls opens up a new chapter of intrigue in the Labour hierarchy, though this time it could be Brown on Brown gunfire. The right wing media will immediately start asking if two Eds are better than one.

Someone who'll be gutted (again) is David Miliband. He might be waiting quietly for the crown to slip from his brother's head but now its' Ed Balls who'll be closer to hand to grasp the prize.#

Meanwhile, congratulations Douglas Alexander - Shadow Foreign Secretary, a plum job even in opposition

Slowly, slowly on Island fuel duty discount

Lots of synthetic anger from the SNP this afternoon over Danny Alexander's apparent "betrayal" of Highland motorists on the grounds that his proposed fuel duty derogation for remote areas will not be in the budget.

Here's the news - he never said it was going to be in the budget in the first place.

When Alexander announced in a conference speech his intention to introduce a pilot scheme to discount duty on fuel by up to 5p a litre it was recognised that he was kicking the issue into the long grass.

Here's what the Treasury said at the time: "The Treasury will now take forward informal talks with the European Commission on implementation and design of the scheme with a view to submitting a formal application in due course."

But with fuel prices rising to over £1.40 a litre on the Scottish islands the SNP's Angus MacNeil yesterday capitalised on the fact that the fuel derogation plan has not been formally submitted to the EU.

He called it "a despicable betrayal" (a bit strong that) and stunted a point of order in the Commons on the issue.

But the Treasury has insisted that the scheme, which needs EU permission to charge different fuel duty rates around the country, will go ahead and was never tied to the budget.

A Treasury insider explained it to me for those who are hard of policy understanding: “It is complete nonsense that it is not going ahead, though there has not been a formal application.

"When you enter this process there has to be informal talks first. These were completed last week, they were constructive and positive and will inform the formal application.

“When we apply - not if - it will be a full process and it would need to be agreed and approved by all 27 EU members. An application will be made but it is a process that won’t happen overnight."

There is huge frustration in the islands, and everywhere else, over the rising cost of fuel but it looks like there's going to have to be some patience before the Chief Secretary to the Treasury delivers any kind of discount.

There is, however, a rising expectation that the Chancellor will come across with some kind of concession on fuel prices in the budget.

The Lords marathon debate - digested version

What did the Lords talk about all night? Today's Hansard recrod of the marathon Lords debate has some prize passages and notable firsts.

Tommy McAvoy, who was silent during most of his Commons career because of his role as deputy chief whip, found his voice last night, and his favourite subject, Rangers FC, an intervention on Corby.

Baroness Billingham was speaking: "Noble Lords will also remember that Corby was a steel town that had more than its share of misfortune. The whole of that industry was wiped out in the 1980s, but you will recall that the people who arrived in the 1930s to work in the steelworks came down from Ravenscraig in Scotland. I could take you tomorrow to primary schools in Corby where you would not believe that you were not still in Ravenscraig, because the accents are still so strong. The constituencies were unique and the boundaries really mattered.

Lord McAvoy: On Corby, I agree with and understand my noble friend's point about Scotland. Is she aware that there is even a Rangers FC supporters' club in Corby?

Baroness Billingham: I most certainly am aware of that. On a Friday night, if you asked anyone in Corby, "What are you doing at the weekend?", they would say, "We are going home". I would say, "But you have lived here for the past 50 years". Coaches were lined up in the high street for the supporters-some to watch Celtic and some to watch Rangers. Traditions died hard in Corby.


Someone even managed to mention Sawnee Bean, the Scottish cannibal, and the redoubtable Lord Foulkes kept them going into the wee small hours with anecdotes about his constituency and times past.

Take it away, George: "I endorse what my colleagues said earlier and want to add a couple of points, first on the workload of Members of Parliament. A number of Members have dealt with the matter of the change here very effectively. When I was elected first in South Ayrshire, there were no mobile phones and no e-mail, which have made a substantial difference. I raised the importance of direct access to the Member of Parliament when the noble Lord, Lord Maples, spoke on this subject, and said that MPs do not have to take a personal interest in individual cases that come to them. I can tell the noble Lord, Lord Forsyth, that even when I had a majority of 21,000-which was bigger than his ever was-I communicated with and replied to everyone. When people sent petitions about schools closures, I also contacted them. As my noble friend Lady McDonagh, who is in front of me, said, that may be why I ended up with a majority of 21,000 and why her sister has a large majority. It is because we deal with them in that way.

However, I remember the late Donald Dewar, when he was Secretary of State for Scotland and when he was Chief Whip. When he was doing all those important jobs, he used to deal with every constituent person. I remember him on the train-when the rest of us may have been enjoying ourselves a little-dictating long, detailed letters in reply to constituents so that he could-

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: My Lords-

Noble Lords: Order!

Lord Foulkes of Cumnock: I am in the middle of a speech. Does the noble Lord want to ask a question?

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: The noble Lord has been addressing the House for quite some time. He has not come up with new arguments or new points. The Minister has already spoken and I believe that we should bring this debate to a conclusion.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: The noble Lord will know that the fact that the Minister has spoken does not mean that the debate finishes. Noble Lords are quite entitled to continue the debate after the Minister has spoken and other noble Lords have indicated their interest on this issue.

Lord Foulkes of Cumnock: I was in the middle of a speech. I have sat through the whole of this debate. Noble Lords will confirm that I have never been out at any stage. I have listened to it. Then a Whip comes in and interrupts me right in the middle of the speech. If there are any traditions or conventions in this House, I must say that I find that kind of rudeness detestable."

And on it went...